Hiya, any advice on using a GoPro on a ski holiday? Which attachments are the most useful? Any tried and tested filming ideas? Anything that really doesn’t work or mistakes I can learn from?
We will be skiing with our kids on mostly blues and reds so not exactly extreme! ;D
Thank you!
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Head Strap/chest strap/telescopic selfie stick are all very useful.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
More hassle than its worth IMO. Lots of faffing and you will end up with lots of footage that you then need to spend even more time editing. 99% of the time filming someone else looks better than POV/selfie stick shots. I rarely take mine out but if I do I generally just use it as a normal camera (I.e. summit photo on a nice day) or set it on take a photo every 3 seconds and just pick the best couple to keep.
From my (limited) expermenting, chest strap works well, except if in the 'tuck' position!! Never used a helmet mount but it might be easier to 'steer' the shot (although possibly more likely to come off in a fall...)
My best sequenes were when i was skiing behind my mate: the bits where i was skiing amazingly (for me) but in front are actually a bit boring, as the shots just of a white piste.
Next time im gonna try the selfie stick on some of the tamer runs...
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Just experiment and mix it up - use different mounts and switch between them on the edit, which should be short and snappy!
I find it fun to play with if the conditions affect the skiing. I've had great videos using all sorts
Head, Chest, Pole (both following and 'selfie'), the 'unicorn' mount is fun (a decent extension poking off your head, film down on your face, popular with the wingsuit crew) but looks daft, watch out in a crash or on the lift. Another use of an extension is to get the camera high and looking back up the hill behind you. + points for roost from the twin tips and a few mates following.
Experiment and have fun!
I like to try a variety of mounting positions, gives some choices when you're editing. Chest mount is probably the best if you want to just leave it running, arms in shot gives perspective and the helmet cam seems a bit too high. I've also started using a mouth mount but had mixed results.
Be aware though that you'll either just have lots of footage that's vaguely interesting for those that were there, or you'll have to spend hours editing. I don't profess to be an expert but this took me a weekend to sort out, first day editing clips down to what I wanted to use, next day putting them all together and slapping a soundtrack on it.
Edit: Oh and be aware that night shots are poor and flat light can be a real pain, not really worth filming unless conditions are interesting.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
From my experience, most of your footage will be unusable, so to get a few good gems you've got to record A LOT.
For filming other people, a head mount is very hard to make work unless you are very stable, you move your head subconsciously a lot more than you'd think
I find handheld is easier to control
After all it is free
After all it is free
Two words: Michael Schumacher. Don't compromise the integrity of your helmet with a camera mount. That is all.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
moosepig wrote:
Don't compromise the integrity of your helmet with a camera mount. That is all.
I don't mean to be controversial but I highly doubt the adhesive on the back of a go-pro mount would even stay attached to the helmet in a fall, let alone be strong enough to enable to the mount to damage it.
On a more relevant note, I have yet to find a decent way of using my GoPro to film my skiing, any chest or head mounted footage is generally too shaky to use and I think that cruising around with a selfie stick or ski pole waving around is probably more dangerous to those around you! Best footage I have managed to get was using a GoPro Handler thing to enable you to just hold the camera and point it at a friend skiing, then get them to do the same for you, or if money is no object you can splash out on a fancy gimbal to get those silky smooth professional shots
Edit - just found the article tl;dr
In fact, in not one of over 70 tests on various helmet types, mounting types or mounting positions did the presence of the camera cause the helmet to ‘fail’ the injury threshold standards. And this wasn’t solely because the camera broke away on impact (as claimed likely by the manufacturer), because this only happened in approximately 40% of tests. It turns out that, as seen on high speed film, when struck by a heavy weight from above, or when a helmeted head-form is dropped from height onto a solid surface, the deformation of the camera mount seems to actually absorb some of the energies involved, meaning that the camera mount may be providing an additional layer of protection to the head in most, but not all, tests.
I’m very glad I made GoPro videos of our ski holidays for the past 4 years - the videos got better and shorter as my editing skills improved. Very boring to watch hours of film at once, so film in clips a minute or two at a time. Still takes a lot of time looking through and picking 5-10 seconds of each of the good bits.
Agree with the above that very little helmet footage is usable. Best I’ve found is a selfie stick or putting and attachment on the end of my ski pole. Don’t film others while going down a busy slope. Otherwise a chest mount.
By the way, the advesive on the mounts is rock solid. That thing is never coming off. If it breaks, the plastic mount itself will snap first. And if you’ve crashed that bad, your GoPro is probably the least of your worries.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
I have to say that I disagree with most of the posts on this thread. I use gopro's and other action cams every time I go. The film's I make severe as a momentos of the great times I've had. You must shoot as much footage as possible and then be very merciless in editing. I end up condensing many hours of footage to usually about 3 1/2 minutes. Usually the length of a song.
I usually wear it on my helmet because your head acts like a stabiliser a bit although my camera has stabilization now. It's never come off in crashes. Take more than one helmet mount so you can put it on other people's helmets. Put it on backwards sometimes and get somebody to follow you. You can also get a ski pole mount for it too. Experiment with different types of shots.
It's also good to see how you ski yourself, it's never as good as you think. Watch your helmet on the safety bar on the chair lifts though.
The key is the editing which takes time but I like doing it because I can re-live the holiday over and over again.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
One of my favourites is of my then ten year old with the GoPro on the chest strap skiing behind us, narrating in a typical teenage daughter fashion and slagging us off. It's brilliant!
I long since realised that with nobody in the frame in front, it makes for pretty dull footage unless you're doing something remarkable. I use mine to film the children usually, although sometimes we'll let them film us as above!
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
I found a novel way of attaching a GoPro to a ski boot. Using the head strap mount disassemble the plastic part from the elastic webbing and loop that through the power strap on your boot. Mount it so the camera is inverted and flush with your boot, the only inconvenience is that you have your trousers rolled up a little bit so as not to obscure the shot
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
My main advice will be that for most holidaymakers, GoPro footage will be boring to everyone that wasn't involved in it.
However, for filming your kids skiing, I'm sure it will provide some great memories
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@breeze11, for following the kids get the camera on a short handle or stick of some kind, get as close as you can while still being safe, and control your speed with a plough rather than left/right turning (again assuming it's safe). I like to imagine moving the camera in straight lines so the backdrop stays consistent and the action works with it. A gimbal makes this process a lot easier but it's not essential if you move carefully. I filmed some mates learning to ski this year using a Sony X3000 (with built in optical stabilisation) and a DJI Osmo and they loved it - see 3.04 for the plough/gimbal follow cam
Echo some of the tips above - film lots, and from as many different angles as possible - of yourself, behind you (with a selfie stick), you overtaking your friends/family (and vice-versa). Go to the bottom of a slope and film them coming down. Even film with a phone at the bottom whilst your other half/kids have a chest-mount on!
I'd also practice skiing with poles in one hand and selfie stick in the other! If you are halfway competent there is no need to resort to snowplough...
I have a selfie stick, junior chest mount (for the kids!) and helmet mount. Plus I occasionally use my phone.
Also try to take lots of shots which aren't skiing and have them ready to include (e.g. night shows, stopping for coffee) and consider including photo slideshows to add extra variety.
I've tried to include all of these in this vid from our Christmas holiday.
As long as you remember whatever you create is for your own (and family's) enjoyment you won't go far wrong.
Agree with most of the comments - take a variety of shots from different angles. Using a selfie stick/pole mount filming others is good as it acts as a stabiliser. And save your filming for bluebird days if you can as cloudy days don’t produce the best footage.
You’ll end up with loads of footage which is a time consuming pain to review but if you remember to keep the final video shortish (4-5mins max) then you’ll get some great memories at the end of the process.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
breeze11 wrote:
Hiya, any advice on using a GoPro on a ski holiday? .......
Another vote for the chest strap. I think it gives a more natural and interesting view than helmet mounts with skis and poles in shot rather than just a straight view down the hill with no context. Rearward facing gives some interesting results too, especially if someone is close behind.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
This video has some footage of the “boot” mount, a little different but found it was as close to the snow as you’d want to get. A GoPro on the ski gets slushed up pretty quickly
99% of the time filming someone else looks better than POV/selfie stick shots..
Most of the time I am filming someone else with my GoPro. It's a great way to film the kids rather than the usual 10 sec footage skiing past a fixed camera position. I don't do selfie sticks though!
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
My advice is to never film yourself - film other people and scenery, or get other people to film you. Selfie stick shots seem to end up much like the Petabytes of stuff already there. Even drone-based shots don't look that original any more. I've actually gone back to trying to get really good still photos using my DSLR or compact high-res camera. You can then put them into a photobook or just have some nice prints. A couple of shots I've taken of other people have turned out good enough to enlarge and mount as Birthday presents. They seemed to like them, anyway. I also do a desk calendar using shots and people say they like looking at these through the year. e.g.
A skier & Boarder climbing Pierre Avoi above Verbier. And yes, having walked up to the summit in the summer, I'm fairly sure they're climbing along a cornice ......
After all it is free
After all it is free
You can also attach the cam to a ski pole and hold it down low. I guess the same as having it strapped to a boot...
Thank you all so much for your replies. There is some great advice here and things to avoid. I have loved watching your videos! It's great to see how some of the different angles work and i really like the mix of stills and video and also bit of non skiing stuff.
There's a few bits of kit i am going to have a look into in more detail too.
Can I add another couple of questions? - Do you upload any of it while you are on holiday? Maybe onto an ipad? And which editing software do you recommend?
Thank you!
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Some good advice here, although meant more for filming in the park
I occasionally have a look at footage while on a trip but generally leave the editing and uploading until I'm back. I liked the simplicity of the GoPro editor but it had a tendency to crash regularly, to the point of being unusable. I now use DaVinci Resolve which has a lot more options (not that I know how to use them). It's much more stable but I'd still advise saving projects regularly.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Just got a GoPro with a chest strap. Used Quik for this one - really easy but too many transitions. Need to play around with it. Anyone tried Splice - seems to be a bit more configurable.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
+1 for Davinci Resolve
I've had some success editing in resort with the Adobe Clip app, but thats normally only works where you know exactly the clip you want to share and have minimal edits to do.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
If you don’t need great resolution consider the Rylo 360:
This records everything around it in a spherical view. Then, using the bundled software, you select part of it for the final video. Bundled tools include auto stabilisation and horizon correction and a clever ‘follow this’ mode.
If you are halfway competent there is no need to resort to snowplough...
It's not about competence or 'resorting' to a snowplough. Using a snowplough to control speed is a handy tool for getting a smoother, steadier shot, a bit like a dolly or slider. Unless you are a ski god, the body rotation and vertical movement in other turns will introduce shake and judder. That's cool if you're following Candide, but can get a bit tiring otherwise. Embrace the plough!
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@element, I agree, a snowplough is probably the best way of control speed if you're following someone on a cat track, gives a much smoother shot.
I think that we can be a bit 'elitest' about snowploughs when actually they're a very good technique to have in your armory.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Add one to the snowplough camp. It's very difficult to get anything decent which doesn't make you sick watching it afterwards and it's the best way to keep a consistent speed so the subject remains roughly framed the same. But wow, is it tough on the thighs if you're doing a lot of filming!!
Occasionally you can get lucky and slide sideways if the slope angle and snow is just right, so no plough necessary.
Sometimes I twist the chest-mounted one to my side, make sure my arm is out the way and film sideways on or even from slightly ahead. Obviously this is on a quiet piste or one of them going over the bumps at the side and we're well out the way!
I will add though that it's critical to keep an eye out for other skiers/boarders around you because it's waaay too easy to be focused on the subject of your filming and making sure they're in shot; you do lose some of your situational awareness.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
If you thought the snowplough was bad, on a snowboard I have been known to sideslip a whole slope just to get a shot
Can I add another couple of questions? - Do you upload any of it while you are on holiday? Maybe onto an ipad? And which editing software do you recommend?
Thank you!
I used to put in onto a laptop every evening just to make sure all was well, but because my gopro has a screen and bluetooth to my phone I check it there without dragging a laptop out on the trip.
As for software I used to use Adobe Premiere but now I've moved over to Lightworks which is free by the way for the non pro version. I find that it has a lot a lot more . However you can get very basic software to just trim the clips on your phone if you want to fire something off to facebook while still out there.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@breeze11, if the camera is on your head or with to someone else, you can use the app on your iphone to make it take pictures or just view the screen to make sure it is angled correctly.
I took some great shots on a chairlift that way when my camera was mounted on someone else's head a few chairs ahead of me!
Best one I've found is chest strap but worn backwards and get someone to ski behind you. Boot mount is fun too but picks up a lot of vibration and I struggled to get the camera to stay fixed with any sort of speed.
Definitely add footage which isn't just skiing, to be interesting it needs to have some sort of 'plot' even if this is just a recap of your holiday.
Here's my humble contribution (neither of us is Candide Thovex just to moderate your expectations):
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
BobinCH wrote:
...Need to play around with it. ...
Well a general tip which I think is applicable there is that you usually need to set the camera exposure compensation to about +1 ev or the video looks dark on standard monitors, if you're shooting mostly snow.
The same's true for stills. Although you can boost the brightness in post-production, that loses you a lot of quality, so it's better to get it right at expose time. For GoPro, shooting ProTune captures significantly more information but requites more resources to process.
After all it is free
After all it is free
@belette, I like it.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
belette wrote:
...
Definitely add footage which isn't just skiing, to be interesting it needs to have some sort of 'plot' even if this is just a recap of your holiday.
Agreed - and I really enjoyed your video.
Nice one
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Poster: A snowHead
