Some short videos from the end of June

[anvill72]

These are some of my first UK sea dive videos with the GoPro. Camera mounted on a head strap under my hood. I need to work on the alignment of the camera, it points "up" too much and wasn't perfectly level.

I've tried to edit it down to compressed record of some of the things spotted on the dive. I missed a few due to the alignment issue mentioned above.

The primary aim of me using the GoPro is to record what happened on the dive. Getting a video to share out of it is a bonus.

Or is it??? Let me know how bad it is!

My buddy is known on TDF as ratcliffe.

[anvill72]

That bad, huh!?

[holly]

hmmm you paid someone to take you there?

I know nothing about camera work, a better dive site would of done wonders tho, where was it?

Ah just read the vid title

have you dived the manacles reef? its like being in a washing machine

[Stuart Keasley]

That bad, huh!?

You've taken just over 4 minutes of video to show dive entry, ratcliffe swimming, a lobster pot, a lost snorkel, bubbles and dive exit..... all on glorious wobbly head shaky cam....
Do you really need to ask what people think of it?

[Bryte]

You've taken just over 4 minutes of video to show dive entry, ratcliffe swimming, a lobster pot, a lost snorkel, bubbles and dive exit..... all on glorious wobbly head shaky cam....
Do you really need to ask what people think of it?

Ouch!
No don't hold back, tell him what you really think.

[londonsean69]

Ouch!
No don't hold back, tell him what you really think.

Of all the people on this forum, I know of nobody else who is better qualified to comment on a video than Stuart - do check out the links in his sig to see what he does for a living.....

He also owns more GoPro's than any sane person needs

Anyway, why be softly softly? All the gooey "That's great" comments that family and friends usually spout won't help improve things. Far better to receive constructive criticism then another (false) pat on the back.

[anvill72]

Of all the people on this forum, I know of nobody else who is better qualified to comment on a video than Stuart - do check out the links in his sig to see what he does for a living.....

He also owns more GoPro's than any sane person needs

Anyway, why be softly softly? All the gooey "That's great" comments that family and friends usually spout won't help improve things. Far better to receive constructive criticism then another (false) pat on the back.

I agree. I'm big enough and ugly enough to take it, and I find harsh criticism is what spurs me on to try harder. I feel stung into action already

You've taken just over 4 minutes of video to show dive entry, ratcliffe swimming, a lobster pot, a lost snorkel, bubbles and dive exit..... all on glorious wobbly head shaky cam....
Do you really need to ask what people think of it?

I'm not convinced head cam is unworkable... yet! Is it really that shaky? Guess I've been watching too many GoPro videos and got used to it?

What do you use, Stuart? Goodman handle? Pole? Hand-held? I'm not comfortable enough with my diving yet to have a camera in my hand all the time. On my head it's "out of the way". Would better diving skills eliminate the shaking?

I do know I need to work on the angling of the camera. It was pointing upwards of where I thought it should.

I did try to be ruthless with the editing, but not ruthless enough? (Should've given up given the source material? That's a lesson... sometimes we try to salvage something so we have "something to show" and "nothing" can be better than "something crappy"...)

Damn it, did you like the title at least???

[Stuart Keasley]

I agree. I'm big enough and ugly enough to take it, and I find harsh criticism is what spurs me on to try harder. I feel stung into action already



I'm not convinced head cam is unworkable... yet! Is it really that shaky? Guess I've been watching too many GoPro videos and got used to it?

What do you use, Stuart? Goodman handle? Pole? Hand-held?

I don't use GoPros in that way at all, if I'm videoing under water, then I'll most likely be carrying a big broadcast rig. GoPros for us are to get shots that a standard camera wouldn't be able to get, e.g rigged on the side of a DPV, under a speedboat, on the side of a submersible car.....

But for anyone else using GoPros, I would say that just because they are small, point and shoot, it doesn't mean you should click and forget. The same rules apply as a "normal" video camera, so:

- if you are insistent on using a head mount, when you see an object that is interesting, focus on keeping the camera steady and on the subject. Hold the shot, and then hold it a bit longer. Blair Witch style shaky cam footage really doesn't work!
- consider using a different fixed mount position, e.g over your shoulder, with your head in frame. This adds context to the shot, and also provides a relatively stable false horizon to look at, which will make any movement easier to swallow
- if you're going for a hand held, then you need to be led a little bit by the type of diving you're doing, but my suggestion would be a tray, reasonably wide. This will help you keep the camera stable and level, and also allows you to add lights at a later stage

But with that said, don't be governed by the way things have always been done. The size of the GoPro does allow for some very funky ideas. So by all means, get creative and see what you can do, just be critical about the results afterwards....

I'm not comfortable enough with my diving yet to have a camera in my hand all the time. On my head it's "out of the way". Would better diving skills eliminate the shaking?

Given a choice of you being comfortable in the water, and us having less shaky footage to watch, I'll take the green gills treatment with the dodgy footage please

Seriously, yes, being more comfortable, more relaxed in the water will help with results, but don't drive yourself forward to quickly just to get results. Safety first and all that

I do know I need to work on the angling of the camera. It was pointing upwards of where I thought it should.

I did try to be ruthless with the editing, but not ruthless enough? (Should've given up given the source material? That's a lesson... sometimes we try to salvage something so we have "something to show" and "nothing" can be better than "something crappy"...)

Damn it, did you like the title at least???

The title was lovely

Have a read on my thread chatting about Andrew Rawlingson's video, shot entirely on a GoPro. Look at what's good about it, look how detailed and full the shots are, and then check out how long (short) it is.

Yep, be more ruthless with your editing. If you end up with nothing, then go out and film some more

[Major Clanger]

Some short videos from the end of June

If you YouTube north Norfolk diving you'll see some video taken using head cams that are reasonably stable. The videos aren't meant to be a work of art but a record of dives made where the user needed to keep their hands free (for a spot of recovery work).

[Major Clanger]

Some short videos from the end of June

The annoying thing about your video is the constant stream of bubbles in front if the camera, very distracting. Would look to mount/hold the go pro in a way to avoid that. I say this as an observation not as a professional critique.