Monday 3 February 2014

Go Pro's

I don't know what I've let myself in for here. As if fishing isn't hard enough when you're struggling and there's other lads pulling out fish left right and centre, and a new English record to make you jealous, I make an attempt at knocking up a video and while it's uploading I scan a few fishing channels. Holly crap I'm miles behind this Youtube lot. There's young whipper snappers knocking out all sorts of fantastic videos. These lads know how to edit, chat to the camera and can catch a few fish too. I'm struggling to catch fish, got a face like a smacked up Polish immigrant and I sound like a right knob on camera. Anyone want to buy a GoPro?

I finished work today and noticed I had about half an hour of light left. A quick phone call to the missus to see if she had my tea on the go, and she did, got her trained haven't I? Sausage, mash, veg, Yorkshires and gravy if you were wondering. She said she's keep it warm for me and so off I went. Rivers are in flood, had you noticed? So I had to find a spot where I could hope a fish might be laying up in a slack. I knew just the ticket but with still a good four feet of water in it my river doesn't always produce, but there were no leaves, logs and such like drifting down so I fancied my chance. I stuck the GoPro on my new head mount as I wanted to give it a bash. Not much point putting the camera underwater as it was far too murky and with the light fading it would have made worse viewing than Big Brother, Britain's Got Talent and the rest combined. First cast I lobbed my SG low rider in front of me and just pretty much tested everything. Made sure my rod and line were right and made sure I had everything in shot, checking the picture on my iPod thanks to the app that you can download. I could see there was still a bit of a pull to my swim so figured something might be tucked in the edge and so made a cast up current (down stream) and worked the lure back along the edge.




Waheey, fish on a GoPro and a fancy video I thought, until I saw all the other creations out there that was. It looks like Spielberg is helping everyone else and I've got Stevie Wonder. Ha ha, I know I'm being a bit hard on myself there. I wanted to have a play with the GoPro studio and see how to chop and edit footage, zooming in, slowing down and what not. I'm quite happy with the outcome but know that more planning and more clips are needed to make a better video.

So there you are readers, have a gander and throw any thoughts and suggestions you have my way, i'll be happy of the help, criticism and the rest. 






20 comments:

  1. I thought that was great Paul for your first attempt bud. Enjoyed it. Looking forward to seeing the next one buddy.

    Glen.

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    1. cheers Glen. They'll get better with more footage and some imagination too I hope.

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    2. Great video Paul,my next fishing purchase

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    3. Looking forward to it Pete. Don't blame me if it costs you a fortune though! lol.

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  2. Nice one Paul, enjoyed that, really liked the slow mo. It should add a nice new dimension to your fishing this year, for your first attempt i thought it was pretty good. However you did make me laugh, when you was holding the pike up you was moving it about and it just reminded me of those models on bruce's price is right lol "And here you could win this fantastic microwave oven' camera pans to the model stood next to the microwave moving here arms about.
    I could never speak on camera, i hate hearing myself, i don't know if its just odd because your hearing yourself from another perspective or if its because i really do sound like a dick lol and you always sound another 50% more yorkshire when you hear your own voice its strange.

    Good luck with the next ones anyway look forward to seeing more, been awhile since you've been in that swim too ;)

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    1. cheers Matt. That price is right moment is pretty handy. If you have it on the right setting, which I didn't then, you can take multiple photos in a few seconds. After that i switched it to time lapse and got what I was after, thirty photos in 30 seconds. Wish I looked like one of those birds off the show and have free tackle coming out of my arse.

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    2. I have afew functions for doing multiple shots, did a few of pike tailwalking which captured it all well but the quality is'nt very good, it won't take photo quality images while in the multiple photo mode. Can you take stills from video? if so whats the qaulity like? so if you took a video of a tailwalking pike you could scroll along the timeline and and take a still from the time where it looks the best? I'd like to mess about with this sort of thing but could'nt afford a good enough camera. Id probably end up letting go of it underwater instead of the fish anyway lol

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    3. Yes Matt you can do all that but you want best setting and good lighting. The video here isn't good enough as it's poor light to get good stills. Time lapse would do it very good, you can set it to half second shots, there's also burst mode which is 30 shots per second. Again though lighting is the key. We'll get out at some point and have a play and you can catch me some fish for my next video.

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  3. Enjoyed that Paul.
    Looking forward to some more mate !

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  4. Thanks Mark. Next one will be in the cinemas no doubt.

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  5. great stuff mate, i like it. the head mount is a really good bit of kit the action shots you will get on that peg later in the year when your extreme fishing will be great!
    much better than my first effort, although i dont have the fancy kit youve got. will be great off the boat in summer when the waters clear and theres an extra pair of hands fre.

    keep it up

    Neil

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    1. Too right mate, things can only get better as conditions improve and I could end up with some fantastic stuff. Looking forward to the boats as we'll get some good shots and a variety too. Like I said to Matty, we'll have to get out as I want to film others to help make the videos varied and not just me with head mount over and over. I already have some more kit to use that have got me some shots I've not used yet.

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    2. As long as we don't have to talk lol I've often thought it a good idea to film myself hitting a take as sometimes it all happens so quickly im not sure im effectively striking, abit like filming a golf swing to see if your in proper form.
      I had an idea today of a cool photo, was going to suggest it to neil with him also having a waterproof camera, applies more to still photography though.
      When releasing a fish, especially a perch, it would look cool to get a photo half underwater and half above it, so above the water all you see is the hump back and spines stuck up and maybe even the eyes, then below the rest of it. Not sure if thats possible or easy to do but sure it could be done and would look good

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    3. As it hots up a little I'm going to have the camera set up under water. I'm sure eventually I'll get a hit on film as often they're in close. that will be cool if I pull it off. Can't see why you perch photo wouldn't work mate. You can preview your photo an apple device so you would know what the shot was going to be like.

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  6. cool, if it ever stops raining we'll be out.

    its bloody cold putting your hand in the water to video though aint it lol

    Neil

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    1. Ha ha, what camera you got? You need to think of some way to mount. The GoPro has a few options but I've modified some. Such as a bicycle mount on my landing net handle, saves getting cold hands. You could possibly modify a GoPro mount but thinking how best to do it?

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    2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dLbyeycUok

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    3. its only and entry level olympus tough compact. i got it cos i have a habit of destroying cameras, plus the fuji i have wont work when its cold. this one works down to -10, shock proof to 5ft and dust and waterpoof to 10m. im not happy with selftakes on it yet, dunno if im setting it up wrong but the focus seems out and im blurred. grabbed a quick release vid the other day, the underwater bit came out just like yours but i was waving it around before and after so it looks a bit naff. its just about being organised i suppose, i actually forgot until the last min so was rushing t get a vid. could maybe make a mount for a bankstick or something, the only trouble is i have to start recording first due to where the button is and as yet i cant edit my vids

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  7. Paul, just watched your video again and noticed something interestiing, infact taking underwater vids full stop could be useful. When you release the fish, its quite hard to make anything out and the pike is often quite difficult to see as it blends in with the colour, but look at that thing on the river bed that stands out a mile, what is that is it silver metal?

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