The GoPro camera is a popular choice for capturing footage underwater. If you’re new to diving, or just want to have an idea of what equipment is available and how it works, this blog post will give you some insight on the best ways to take advantage of your GoPro underwater.
Another advantage to shooting with a GoPro is that it’s waterproof. If you’re diving in the ocean, there are no worries about water getting into your camera and any shots taken at depth will remain sharp without distortion
The biggest downside of using a GoPro underwater is its lack of controls. It doesn’t have zoom or focus ability so every once in a while you’ll need to come back up for air if you want to make adjustments before continuing on below.
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Using an underwater GoPro casing
The most important thing when diving with a GoPro camera is protecting it. The best way to do that is by using an underwater casing for your GoPro. There are plenty of options available, but the two main choices will be either a dome or flat-lens case. Dome cases have less visibility than their flat counterparts, and so you may not want them if you’re trying to get some clear footage in low light conditions like murky waters at dusk or sunrise. Flat lens cases can help make sure the surface area has better visibility while still being protected from harm because they absorb more water pressure so there’s less risk of damage due to impact (or popping out). So what kind should I use? It depends on your needs!
If you are diving in clear waters and want to be able to get some decent footage, the best option is a flat lens case. It will give you the maximum amount of visibility while protecting your camera from any pops or leaks that may happen at higher depths.
If you are diving in murky water where visibility can’t always be counted on, then dome cases are going to work better for you since they offer less transparency but more protection against pressure changes and impact because there’s a lot less surface area exposed.
The last thing I’m just as important as what kind of GoPro housing to buy: making sure it has enough room! Depending on which model gopro camera you’re using, make sure that the ballast (the weights inside) have enough space to move around and are not crammed inside the case.
Use different filters (e.g., red filter)
Filters are playing a big part in what GoPro content is getting seen. Filters allow you to play with the colors of your footage and create a mood or atmosphere for different scenes. This technique allows us to add variety, contrast, and depth to our sequences without having to rely on changing environments.
Recording time was set at 20 seconds per clip since that’s close enough to mimic reality yet not too long where it’ll make things seem like they’re happening so slow when sped up during editing – I’m using 1920x1080p video setting (HD) which records in an aspect ratio of 16:09
I recommend going into settings before each dive and checking all camera mode are correct – I left the camera mode settings on Auto White Balance which will do a decent job in most situations – I set the highest video resolution to 12MP for images since it does not decrease quality when downsampled
I’m using my GoPro as an additional filter and looking at this perspective of what’s happening underwater. My GoPro is attached to my dive housing with some blue velcro straps (or you can use a mount)
My DSLR stayed safely back in our boat, fully charged and ready for me to grab when there were moments that really stood out.
In post-production we’re going to be able to reduce noise by applying Denoising filters, so don’t worry too much about how noisy your footage is, and be sure to keep the shutter speed at or above 160-200 frames per second which will give you a good chance of capturing all those awesome moments.
Stick with a wide-angle lens for better shots
A Wide-angle is great in clear water. Clearwater means more light and less risk of distortion because the GoPro’s lens is further away from the surface. It is an extension of what you’re seeing, and as such, it is a good choice if the water is clear.
The downside of this style can be an odd look because there’s less distortion in the water around your surroundings. The horizontal view might make diving seem more like floating than scuba-diving. Remember that wide angles are great for close objects but not so much when shooting from far away on dry land. Stick with a wide-angle lens to get closer shots underwater or grab some extension poles available at most dive shops to give yourself more height for those long-distance shots
If you know where the subject will be coming into the frame before they enter, set up accordingly and try using a zoom lens instead of zooming by hand once someone enters the shot.
Try out GoPro different shooting modes
When you’re recording with a goPro, there are several different shooting modes. Here are some of the most popular ones:
- Continuous video mode – This will record one continuous shot. Use this for sightseeing or if you want to get a great close up of your subject and then cut it off right before they walk away.
- Time lapse photography – Allows you to set intervals in which photos are taken, usually every two seconds so that when played back at 30 frames per second, everything appears sped up by x30
- Burst photo – Records an entire sequence but only takes pictures when there is something happening (motion) within the frame; allows for better shots than just using a timer feature on any camera because gopro has such good image stabilization even while moving around quite fast
- Night Photo -This mode turns your gopro into a nightvision camera
- Lowlight photo – This mode is for situations in which there isn’t enough light, such as underwater shots or those taken inside buildings without any lights on
Make sure to keep the gopro steady while shooting and use a tripod when possible. The video will be much more stable even if you’re walking through waves around rocks! A good way to hold it still is with one hand at the back of the gopro near where all the cables are plugged in. Another option is to look for anything that’s solid (metal railings, poles) and rest your arm against them so that about half of your body weight
Diving Torch or Headlights
Keep in mind that GoPro doesn’t work well when there’s not enough light. Adding a torch to your dive gear is always a good idea when there is low light.
It’s also a good idea to change your gopro settings
In the ‘settings’ menu, you can adjust brightness. When shooting in low light, use max or close-to it! You’ll need to make sure that there is enough lighting for filming by using torches and flashlights.
If you’re diving with someone else who has a GoPro camera, then have them take photos while you film so that they utilize their cameras better than just having one person shoot video and another do photography. There are two reasons why this works well: first because if both of you are taking pictures at once more chances of getting great shots; second because when switching between different modes on the gopro (video/photo) there will be a chance that the other gopro will be in a different mode that you are.
When reviewing your footage, don’t forget to take notes about how good it is and what can make it better. You’ll also want to set up an external hard drive for safekeeping of video files while diving with gopros as they can fill up fast!
Review videos after every dive and note change needed; back up data onto external hard drive once full. – When editing videos from a dive, use slow-motion effects sparingly so as not to spoil viewers’ experience by having them see everything at high speed too soon or before their sight adjusts
Use the GoPro App to preview and edit your footage
There are plenty of app in the market but i find GoPro App is the best.
The GoPro App is free to download for both iOS and Android devices, just search “GoPro” in your app store
This app can be used to preview video footage captured by a gopro or even import videos taken from another device like an action camera iphone and upload them into the application as well. You’ll have access to filters, music tracks, transitions, stickers, and other editing tools that will help you make incredible edits with ease!
Shoot in burst mode for a longer capture of the video
Burst mode will assuage your fears of missing the perfect shot by capturing up to 30 photos at a time, and it also allows you to capture moments that would be too quick for humans. Burst mode will shoot pictures or video continuously while holding down the shutter button
GoPro recommends using burst mode in tough lighting situations (i.e. low light) because it helps prevent any motion blur from showing up on the final image/video footage.
Change up your angles by turning around or upside down
Creativity is the key to take good footages and turn them into great footages. For some really unique shots, you can change your underwater camera to point towards the bottom of the sea floor or even capture a video while upside down
The possibilities are endless with this creative tool and it’s just another way that GoPro is making filming easier than ever. The human eye can see up to 12 feet underwater, but with your GoPro you will be able to capture the entire scene in front of you. With a camera this small and durable it is now possible for anyone to get that perspective they’ve dreamed about since childhood. It’s time to grab your snorkel and fins because there are so many incredible ways you can shoot footage down below!
With gopro diving tips, we hope more people will take advantage of all these cool features on their newest toy.
Use a GoPro selfie stick for the best angles
To take best angle for the subject, selfie stick is a must. The GoPro selfie stick will be your new best friend and you’ll use it for every photo shoot to make sure that the subject is always in frame. On top of thi, the selfie stick can be adjusted and extended to take photographs of subjects from much farther away.
Create a time-lapse video
By setting up your camera at intervals during a diving session to capture everything in one go , you can create action-packed videos of your dive. This is the best way to make sure that all the highlights are captured and it will also leave less work for editing afterwards!
To create a time-lapse, GoPro has an inbuilt feature called Time Lapse Video so this won’t be difficult at all. All you need to do is set up intervals on your camera where it takes photos automatically every half second or one minute (depending on what frame rate you would like). When finished recording, just import into QuickTime Pro and export as video file for YouTube uploads with ease.
The Bottom Line
The GoPro camera is a popular choice for capturing footage underwater. If you’re new to diving, or just want to have an idea of what equipment is available and how it works, this blog post will give you some insight on the best ways to take advantage of your GoPro underwater. We hope these tips help! Do checkout the latest GoPro now for more savings!