If you have a GoPro, you're in the right place! While my mirrorless camera is one of my favorite travel companions, it can't do all the work – especially on great outdoor adventures or when there's water involved. That's why I love my GoPro and have been traveling with it for years.
Plus, the new GoPro HERO9 Black just came out and is better than ever.
Whether it's a crazy adventure photo or just taking a selfie that doesn't look like a selfie, GoPro cameras are every traveler's best friend. While it's easy to take good photos with a GoPro right away, there are a few simple things you can do to take your photography to the next level.
Ready to take your action camera to the next level? Here's how to take amazing travel photos with a GoPro.
Accessories
Of course, it's all about accessories! When it comes to using a GoPro, there are an incredible amount of options to upgrade with accessories. The right choice for you completely depends on what you are doing.
Here are my favorite GoPro accessories:
- 3 ways: This is my go-to accessory because it's a tripod, strap and selfie stick in one! Because it has two joints, you can fold the bracket so that the pole is not in your photo. Most of my travel selfies are taken with this montage.
- El Grande: If I know I need extra distance in my selfie, I'll trade my 3-way for El Grande. It is a longer pole, perfect for “taking the picture” when you are paragliding, snorkeling, etc.
- Flex Clamp Claws: I bring my flexible 3-way clamp on all trips. The flexible Jaws clamp lets you secure your GoPro to posts and rails. You can use it with or without the gooseneck, but it's an awesome accessory that helps you mount your camera in challenging situations. For example, you can mount it on a STOP sign pole above crowds of people to get a bird's eye view. Or you can mount it on a paddle to take a selfie while kayaking or on a SUP.
- Sleeve + Cord: The new sleeve + lanyard is an awesome new accessory to keep your GoPro close at hand. Put your camera around your neck so your hands are free, but it's ready anytime.
- Bite assembly: While not the sexiest accessory, holding your GoPro in your mouth creates a really cool hands-free point of view!
- super suit: The GoPro HERO7 Black is waterproof out of the box (without an extra case), but if you dive (like I do!) you'll need a super suit to take it to depths of up to 60m. You'll also want to grab some anti-fog inserts to prevent fogging when passing between hot and cold climates.
- Spare batteries: I usually travel with a minimum of 4 batteries for each of my cameras.
- Dual battery charger: This is an essential accessory for anyone with a GoPro. Charge two batteries at once!
Ready to assemble the ultimate travel photography kit? Check out my guide to the best photography equipment for travel blogging.
Take continuous night-lapse photos
PRO TIP: I recommend taking RAW photos whenever possible. Increases the quality of your photo, which is especially important when you edit your photos!
99%, I take pictures in the GoPro burst settings (time-lapse, night-lapse or burst mode) to get a lot of shots and be able to choose from the batch.
- Continuous Fire (3 seconds+): You cannot shoot RAW with Time-Lapse mode within 5 seconds. So, with a trick I learned from my friend Abe Kislevitz, I use Night-Lapse to capture RAW images continuously.
- Night Lapse is typically considered a setting for shooting time lapse in low light, such as at sunset. But with Night-Lapse mode, you can also capture continuous shots in broad daylight. Set the shutter speed and interval to 'Auto' with RAW enabled and it will properly expose during the day and capture RAW photos. Your GoPro will continuously take pictures as the previous image is processed (approximately every 3 seconds). Night-lapse filming scenarios: Continuous shooting in any configuration.
- Continuous Shooting (0.5 Seconds – 3 Seconds): If I need to capture a quick moment with a continuous setting (faster than every 3 seconds), I'll switch to normal time-lapse mode. I won't be able to capture in RAW (the images will be in JPEG), but I will be able to capture faster. One thing to note is that you will need a lot of light to capture images at 0.5 second intervals without blurring. Time-lapse filming scenarios: Selfies with sled dogs or any other moving creatures where you need to capture lots of photos quickly.
- Burst shooting (eg 30 shots per second): Use burst mode for activities like cliff diving, jumping, or any action that needs a super-fast capture.
Keep Protune on
I like to take pictures with protune. If you're familiar with shooting on a DSLR, this is similar to using manual settings.
Using protune, you can adjust white balance, ISO, sharpness, color capture and exposure value compensation. Keep in mind that using protune creates files larger than the default GoPro settings, so use a 64GB micro SD or take a backup!
Suggested Protune Settings (also from my friend Abe):
- White Balance: Auto or 5500K (for daylight)
- color profile: GoPro (Flat if you prefer to edit and color it yourself)
- Min ISO: 100
- Max ISO: 100 (400-1600 if shooting at night)
- Sharpening: Low
- EV Compensation: 0 or -0.5 (to save highlights)
Experiment with wide angle
You can take so many amazing photos once you start experimenting with perspectives! GoPro cameras can be much more versatile than your regular camera. I love wide-angle perspectives for POV shots, interior/architectural shots, and landscapes.
Get down on the floor. Hold the camera above your head. Go crazy about it!
use voice control
Drop the remote! I love my GoPro HERO9 Black because it's a dream to shoot hands-free. Using voice command is very useful for capturing moments without having to worry about pressing the shutter button. Just say “GoPro take photo” and your GoPro will take a photo wherever you are within earshot.
Just keep in mind that you will have to activate the feature. Just swipe down from the main screen and tap the voice command icon, then you're good to go.
Always carry extra batteries
The number one rule for being a good photographer is to always carry extra batteries! When you're on an adventure, having backups is everything.
Make sure you always have an extra battery in your camera bag.
Master photo editing
The truth behind my photography is that I owe a lot of my skill to getting good at photo editing. Most of my photos need some repairs! Just a few small changes can make all the difference.
Check out my easy-to-use Lightroom presets for quick, easy, and professional photo correction.
I bring my GoPro with me on almost every trip I take and it always comes in handy! There are some situations where a GoPro is just the exact camera you need to capture the moment.
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