My GoPro® Hero Camera

Book description

Covers all models of GoPro HERO, HERO3, HERO3+, and HERO4...including the February 2015 camera software update.

Step-by-step instructions with callouts to GoPro Hero camera photos and sample images that show you exactly what to do.
Help when you run into problems or limitations with your GoPro Hero camera in specific shooting situations.
Tips and Notes to help you get the most from your GoPro Hero camera when taking pictures or shooting HD video in a wide range of shooting situations.

Full-color, step-by-step tasks walk you through getting and keeping your GoPro Hero camera working just the way you want in order to shoot the absolute best photos and videos possible. Learn how to:
• Set up your GoPro Hero camera and prepare for any type of shooting situation
• Take awesome first- or third-person videos just about anywhere, including underwater or in low-light situations
• Select and use the best camera housing, mount, and accessories to capture the perfect shots
• Take detailed and vibrant high-resolution, digital images with your GoPro Hero camera
• Shoot stunning HD video using your GoPro Hero camera
• Record high-quality audio in conjunction with your videos
• Choose the best resolution and camera settings for each shooting situation you encounter
• Wirelessly transfer your digital content from your camera to your smartphone or tablet using the GoPro App
• Transfer content from your camera to your computer to view, edit, enhance, archive, and share your content using photo editing software or the GoPro Studio video editing software
• Learn strategies used by the pros to achieve your own professional results

Register Your Book at www.quepublishing.com/register to access additional tasks, videos, and other helpful information.

Table of contents

  1. About This eBook
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Contents at a Glance
  5. Table of Contents
  6. About the Author
  7. Dedication
  8. Acknowledgments
  9. We Want to Hear from You!
  10. Reader Services
  11. 1. Overview of the GoPro Cameras
    1. Understanding the Skill and Art of Digital Photography
    2. Choosing the Right GoPro Camera for You
      1. What You Should Know About Digital Camera Resolution
      2. Understand the Basics About HD Video Resolution
      3. Comparing GoPro Camera Models
      4. The GoPro Hero Is Ideal for Beginners
      5. The GoPro Hero3+ Is a Full-Featured Camera
      6. The GoPro Hero4 Offers Cutting-Edge Functionality
    3. Using Housings to Protect Your Camera
    4. Taking Better Shots Using Mounts
    5. Making Better Use of Camera Features Using Accessories
      1. The GoPro App Has Several Uses
      2. The GoPro Studio Software Offers Professional Video-Editing Tools
    6. Gathering Your GoPro Equipment
  12. 2. Getting Started with Your GoPro Camera
    1. Overviewing the GoPro Camera’s Body
      1. The Front of the Camera
      2. The Back of the Camera
      3. The Right Side of the Camera
      4. The Left Side of the Camera
      5. The Top of the Camera
      6. The Bottom of the Camera
    2. Exploring the LCD Status Screen
      1. Your GoPro Camera’s Menu Hierarchy
      2. Status Lights Provide Useful Information About Your Camera
    3. Setting Up the Camera for the First Time
      1. Insert Battery and SD Card
      2. Prepare the Camera
      3. Customize Settings
    4. Updating Your Camera’s Operating System
      1. Update Using the GoPro Mobile App
      2. Update the Hero4 Using GoPro Studio Software
      3. Updating the Operating System Manually
  13. 3. Overview of GoPro Camera Housings
    1. Inserting and Removing Your Camera from a Housing
      1. Remove the Camera
      2. Insert the Camera into a Housing
    2. Keeping Your Housing Clean
    3. Using the Appropriate Backdoor for a Housing
      1. Swap the Housing’s Backdoor
    4. Discovering Your Housing Options
      1. Standard Housing
      2. Skeleton Housing
      3. Dive Housing
      4. Blackout Housing
      5. The Frame Housing
      6. Dual Hero System Housing
      7. Third-Party Camera Housings
  14. 4. Overview of GoPro Camera Mounts
    1. Preplan Your Shots and Choose the Best Equipment
    2. Attaching the Camera Housing to a Mount
      1. Use the Quick Release Buckle and Thumb Screw
      2. Use a Quick-Release Anti-Vibration Locking Plug
    3. Overview of Popular GoPro Mounts
    4. Finding and Purchasing Third-Party Mounts and Accessories
  15. 5. Must-Have GoPro Camera Accessories
    1. Remotely Control Your Camera with the Smart Remote
      1. Charge the Smart Remote’s Battery
      2. Pair the Smart Remote with Your Hero4 Camera
      3. Using the Smart Remote with Your Camera
      4. Control Your Camera with the Smart Remote
    2. Adjusting Settings with the Touch BacPac
    3. Give Your Camera a Power Boost with the Battery BacPac
  16. 6. Choosing the Best Memory Cards for Your GoPro Camera
    1. Picking the Right Memory Card Speed Class
    2. Selecting a Memory Card’s Storage Capacity
    3. Shopping for and Using microSD Memory Cards
      1. Insert a Memory Card into Your Camera
      2. Format a microSD Memory Card Using a Hero4
    4. Understanding Memory Card-Related Error Messages
  17. 7. Keeping Your Batteries Charged
    1. Tracking Battery Life
    2. Saving Money Using Compatible GoPro Batteries
    3. Increasing Battery Life While Shooting
      1. Insert a Battery into Your Hero4
  18. 8. Shooting High-Resolution Photos
    1. Taking Pictures with Your GoPro
      1. Single Shooting Mode
      2. Continuous Shooting Mode
      3. Night Shooting Mode
      4. Burst Shooting Mode
      5. Time Lapse Shooting Mode
      6. Night Lapse Shooting Mode
    2. Knowing When to Use the Protune Feature
      1. Adjusting White Balance
      2. Adjusting Color
      3. Adjusting ISO Limit
      4. Adjusting Sharpness
      5. Adjusting EV Comp
    3. Switching Between Shooting Modes
      1. Switch Camera Modes Directly from the Camera
      2. Switch Shooting Modes Using the LCD Touch BacPac Display
      3. Switch Shooting Modes Using the GoPro Smart Remote
      4. Switch Shooting Modes Using the GoPro App
  19. 9. 10 Strategies for Taking Professional-Quality Digital Pictures
    1. Preparation Is Essential
    2. Choosing an Interesting Subject
      1. Shoot Action from a First- or Third-Person Perspective
      2. Take Interesting Pictures of People
      3. Capture the Perfect Selfie
      4. Photographing Animals and Pets
      5. Capture a Fast-Moving Subject
      6. Take Great Pictures of Your Child’s Event
      7. Shoot Visually Interesting Objects
      8. Take Vivid Underwater Photos
    3. Setting Your Camera to the Best Mode for Your Shooting Situation
      1. Take Advantage of Burst shooting mode
      2. Don’t Forget About Your Hero4’s Multi-Shot Options
      3. When Turning On Protune Can Benefit You
      4. Shooting Resolution Considerations
    4. Using a Viewfinder with Your Camera When Taking Photos
    5. Selecting the Most Appropriate Housing and Mount
    6. Paying Attention to Your Primary Light Source
    7. Using the Rule of Thirds When Framing Your Shots
    8. Choosing a Visually Interesting Shooting Perspective
    9. Properly Handling Low-Light Situations
    10. Editing Your Digital Photos After They’ve Been Shot
  20. 10. Shooting HD Video
    1. Using Available HD Video Options
    2. Shooting Video with Your GoPro
      1. Video Shooting Mode
      2. Video+Photo Shooting Mode
      3. Looping Video Mode
    3. Taking Advantage of Hero4’s Hilight Tagging
      1. Create a Tag from the Smart Remote
      2. Create a Tag from the GoPro App
    4. Shooting Time Lapse Video
      1. Capture Time Lapse Video
      2. Time Lapse Video Shooting Strategies
    5. Enhancing Video Quality with Protune
      1. Adjusting White Balance
      2. Adjusting Color
      3. Adjusting ISO Limit
      4. Adjusting Sharpness
      5. Adjusting EV Comp
    6. Switching Between Video-Related Shooting Modes
      1. Switch Video-Related Shooting Modes Directly from the Camera
      2. Switch Video Shooting Modes Using the LCD Touch BacPac Display
      3. Switch Between Video Shooting Modes Using the GoPro Smart Remote
      4. Switch Shooting Modes Using the GoPro App
  21. 11. Capturing Sound and Using Artificial Light While Shooting Video
    1. Using Your Camera’s Built-in Microphone to Record Audio
    2. Connecting an External Microphone to Your Camera
      1. Choosing a Microphone
    3. Adding Sound Effects and Music to Your Video Projects
    4. Using External Lighting Options
      1. Choosing the Best Continuous Lighting Solution
  22. 12. Adjusting the Camera’s Setup Menu Options
    1. Getting Acquainted with the Setup Menu Options
    2. Resetting Your Camera
    3. Accessing the Setup Menu
      1. Access the Setup Menu Directly from the Camera
      2. Access the Setup Menu Using the LCD Touch BacPac Display
      3. Access the Setup Menu Using the Smart Remote
      4. Access the Setup Menu Using the GoPro App
  23. 13. 10 Strategies for Shooting Awesome HD Video
    1. Preplanning Is Essential
    2. Having the Right Equipment at Your Disposal
      1. Gather Your Equipment
    3. Choosing the Best Shooting Resolution
    4. Selecting the Best Frames Per Second (FPS) Rate
    5. Deciding Which Field of View (FOV) Option to Use
    6. Deciding the Best Way to Shoot Your Subject
    7. Using Lighting to Your Advantage
    8. Handling Camera Movement
    9. Tagging Your Best Shots as You Shoot
    10. Shooting Plenty of Raw Footage
  24. 14. Troubleshooting Camera-Related Problems and Overcoming Common Shooting Mistakes
    1. Troubleshooting Camera-Related Problems
      1. The Camera Won’t Turn On
      2. The Camera Is On, but Unresponsive
      3. Reset the Camera to Factory Default Settings
      4. The Camera Won’t Connect with the GoPro App or Smart Remote
      5. Clear Up Lens Fog
      6. Reset Your Camera Name and Password
      7. The Status Screen Says No SD, Full, or SD ERR
      8. The File Repair Icon Appears on the Status Screen
      9. The Camera Has Overheated and the Temperature Icon Displays on the Status Screen
      10. Water Spots Have Formed on the Housing
      11. Video Playback Is Choppy on the Computer
      12. Video Doesn’t Play Back Properly Using the GoPro App
      13. The Camera Is Off, but the Blue Status Lights Are Flashing
      14. The Menus on Your Camera Are Different from This Book
      15. The Computer Doesn’t Recognize Your Connected Camera
      16. The Camera Is Physically Damaged
    2. Overcoming Common Shooting Problems
      1. Your Photos or Videos Are Overexposed
      2. Video Playback Is Too Shaky
      3. The Camera Mount You’re Using Won’t Maintain Its Position
      4. Low Light Photos or Video Are Blurry or Under Exposed
      5. Photos or Videos Have Excessive Fishesye
      6. The Colors in Photos or Video Aren’t as Vibrant as They Should Be
      7. The Memory Card Fills Up Too Fast When I’m Shooting
      8. Recover Deleted Photos or Video
      9. The Memory Card Is Full, but I Want to Keep Shooting
      10. Improve Poor Audio Quality
      11. Wind Noise Is Ruining the Audio
    3. Seeking Out Creative Inspiration
  25. 15. Using the GoPro Mobile App
    1. Getting Started with the App
      1. Install the GoPro App
      2. Pair the GoPro App with Your GoPro Hero4
    2. Taking Control of Your Camera Using the GoPro App
      1. Navigating the App Settings Menu
      2. Accessing Your My GoPro Album
      3. Transfer Photos or Video from the Memory Card to the GoPro App
      4. Controlling Your Camera from the GoPro App
      5. Adjusting the Hero4’s Settings from the App
    3. Optional GoPro Mobile Apps
      1. 10 – Fast GoPro & DJI Phantom Video Sharing with Music
      2. Prizmia for GoPro
      3. Lab for GoPro
  26. 16. Using the GoPro Studio Software
    1. Understanding the Video Editor’s Role
    2. Getting Started
      1. Download GoPro Studio
      2. Run GoPro Studio
      3. Getting to Know GoPro Studio’s Layout
    3. Transferring Raw Video to Your Computer
      1. Transfer Content to Your Computer
    4. Beginning the Editing Process
      1. Select and Convert Clips
      2. Edit Your Video
      3. What’s Possible During the Editing Process
      4. Enhancing Flawed Video Footage
      5. Considering Sound
    5. Saving, Exporting, and Sharing Your Video Projects
    6. Video Editing Tips to Make Your Videos Better
    7. Considering Other Editing Software Options
  27. 17. Sharing Your Photos and Videos
    1. Sharing Photos via Email
    2. Sharing Photos Using a Cloud-Based Service
    3. Sharing Photos and Videos Using Social Media
      1. Sharing with Facebook
      2. Upload A Photo To Facebook
      3. Sharing with Twitter and Instagram
      4. Tweet Photos from the Twitter App
      5. Tweet Photos from the Photos App
      6. Publish A Photo On Instagram From Your iPhone/iPad
    4. Publishing Videos on YouTube
      1. Upload and Publish a Video on YouTube
    5. Sharing Photos and Videos via the GoPro Channel
      1. Access the GoPro Channel
      2. Sharing to the GoPro Channel
      3. Upload to the GoPro Channel
    6. Other Ways to Showcase Your Photos and Videos
      1. Ways to Showcase Photos
      2. Ways to Showcase Video
    7. That’s a Wrap!
  28. Index

Product information

  • Title: My GoPro® Hero Camera
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: April 2015
  • Publisher(s): Que
  • ISBN: 9780134190808