Shooting videos with GoPro

For more than two years now, I've been experimenting with my GoPro video camera and figuring out the best way to get ski movies that are captivating and yet stable enough so those who watch them don't get sea-sick. It is not easy, so today, I'm going to explain what I've learned and what I'll try to do more of, in the near future.

To start, there a need to have a clear reference point, forward or back, that is followed or leads the action, to give the viewer a good perspective, a true sense of what's going on and where the action really is. Therein lies the difficulty: Following or preceding a “moving target.”

Next, one must ski as smoothly as possible, therefore avoiding big bumps and rough terrain; these ideal conditions quickly limit themselves to groomed runs and fresh, deep snow. There's also the camera location that always is a major consideration; I still feel the cam needs to be placed on the skier's head, not the thorax and that the angle needs to be carefully adjusted so we can see the sky, the landscape, with the skier dead center and, please, not the cameraman ski tips!

Finally, because of the “fish-eye lens” of the camera, it becomes imperative to stay as close as possible to the subject and, in so doing, match his or her speed. A lot easier said that done... Stay tuned for some future samples!