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Hey ndvb- GoPro??

AlanS

ndvb wrote:

I have a couple of GoPros too. I'll just hook them to the Jeep and see if I get anything. We'll see if I am sorry after it is over.

I'll try to post a link to some pictures.

I'll be interested in hearing how the GoPro works in Africa. I got one a couple of months ago and just recently tried it out. I attached it to a bicycle helmet and filmed while riding around my neighborhood. I think the ultra wide shots these cameras take makes them better suited for relatively close-up shots.

I plan to take it on the Alps trip next week and do more testing. First, helmet mounted, during a Segway tour of Munich, then hand-held at other times where it might be appropriate? - cog railway, gondola, sliding down the chute in the salt mine, etc. but other than that I don't have any ideas. I think it won't be much good for mountain vistas, etc.

For Africa I am thinking about attaching it via a flexible connector to the tripod mount on the top of a hiking stick so I can shoot really close-up encounters with animals like the one reported in someones blog where a lioness and her two older cubs decided to stop and rest against the side of a safari vehicle for a little shade. I also plan to experiment with an over/under rig- attach the GoPro to the hot shoe on the top or the tripod mount on the bottom of my Canon DSLR. If the hiking stick arrives in time and I am able to find or fabricate the necessary adapters this week, I'll also take everything on the Alps trip.

Comments

ndvb

The GoPros are great. The ultra wide angle is just one of the settings. You can bring it in. YouTube has a bunch of tutorials that can show you the different settings. Besides, if you get a nice shot of an animal, when you are editing the film you can crop the shot and get a close up.

I am going to use a flexible mount and attach one of them to the roll bar on the Jeep, or the suction cup, which ever works best to get some shots of just traveling around. The other I will attach to my monopod and, like you said, I plan on put it as close to an animal as possible. If they knock it down or destroy it, sobeit. If I can get creative I'll use it in other ways. For example, if someone (guide or guard) is out of the Jeep I'll give them a GoPro to place on the ground and let the Jeep pass over it, then turn it around and do it again, facing the other direction. When edited this will give the effect of watching the Jeep travel down the road.

I also plan on putting one on the flexible tripod and letting it run outside the room/tent, if I hear some animal noises at night, and use the night vision to see if I get lucky enough to capture a shot of an animal passing by the tent. If not, I just erase the card and try something else.

They will be great on the hot air balloon drive.

I have made several small, short videos of family things. I just turn a couple of hours of filming into a 2-4 minute edited video with music and sound effects. People enjoy watching a short video, as opposed to an hour of raw footage. I won't focus on the GoPros, just set them up and let them capture what they capture. If the situation arises (animals moving close to the Jeep), then I'll do my best to get some great closeup shots.

You should find some great situations in Germany. The Segway would be great. Just attach it to the handle bars....sometimes facing forward to see where you are going, and sometimes facing back, to get your facial reactions. You can always edit them by mixing them up, even though they might be at two different times (no one else knows--movies do it all the time). You can get a GoPro stick (expandable) at the store where you bought the GoPro, or any other electronic or photo equipment store. They expand, are light, easy to store in your luggage and usable under water. There are helmet attachments, head attachments, chest attachments, wrist attachments, suction cups, etc. Just about anything you need. If they don't have what you need just make one yourself. They will be GREAT for mountain vistas. Slowly more it around and capture a 360 degree shot. When you edit it, you can add wind, birds, etc. sounds along with dramatic music. Have fun and let me know how it goes.

AlanS

ndvb wrote:

They will be great on the hot air balloon drive.

I thought that too!

ndvb wrote:

I have made several small, short videos of family things. I just turn a couple of hours of filming into a 2-4 minute edited video with music and sound effects. People enjoy watching a short video, as opposed to an hour of raw footage.

What editing software do you use?

ndvb wrote:

The Segway would be great. Just attach it to the handle bars....sometimes facing forward to see where you are going, and sometimes facing back, to get your facial reactions.

I was thinking about that, but figured the SegwayTour company might not allow me to clamp the camera to the bar, so I got a GoPro helmet mount that straps to a vented riding helmet. At least that way it films whatever I am looking at.

ndvb wrote:

You can get a GoPro stick (expandable) at the store where you bought the GoPro, or any other electronic or photo equipment store. They expand, are light, easy to store in your luggage and usable under water.

I have a nice, light-weight folding Folstaf with a tripod mount top.

ndvb wrote:

When you edit it, you can add wind, birds, etc. sounds along with dramatic music. Have fun and let me know how it goes.

Well, you know, some of the music will undoubtedly be 'Edelweis' and 'The Hills are Alive' (with the sound of music), some Volksmusik or Oom-pah Hofbrau House music, etc.

kinda like using 'Baby Elephant Walk' or anything from 'Out of Africa', 'Daktari' or the 'Lion King' for my Africa video.

ndvb

AlanS wrote:

I thought that too!

What editing software do you use? iMovie gets the job done. I don't know if you are using a MAC or a PC, but I use MACs and they work out great. I am sure PCs have good editing software for amateurs. I don't do anything particularly fancy.

I was thinking about that, but figured the SegwayTour company might not allow me to clamp the camera to the bar, so I got a GoPro helmet mount that straps to a vented riding helmet. At least that way it films whatever I am looking at. What they don't know won't hurt them. It is ten times easier to say, "I'm sorry." than to ask for permission. You could use a variety of things to attach it...magnet, suction cup (if you have a flat spot), wrist strap, duct tape (yes, good old Duct tape), bungy cord, who knows...hell, rubber bands if you have them. I have all kinds of straps and attachments. Sometimes you just have to be creative. I plan on putting a camera on my grandkids heads, with a strap, and on their chest, with a strap....when they go down those big slides on the Disney Magic, I'll have shots of where they are looking and how they are looking. Can't beat that. It would be the same for you on the Segway. The worst the Segway company can say is "No." I don't think they'll care....

I have a nice, light-weight folding Folstaf with a tripod mount top. I have Joby flexible tripods with magnetic feet. You can set it up as a tripod anywhere, or use the magnetic feet to attach to something metal (Jeep), or wrap the legs around something (Jeep roll bar).

Well, you know, some of the music will undoubtedly be 'Edelweis' and 'The Hills are Alive' (with the sound of music), some Volksmusik or Oom-pah Hofbrau House music, etc. kinda like using 'Baby Elephant Walk' or anything from 'Out of Africa', 'Daktari' or the 'Lion King' for my Africa video.

"The Lion Sleeps Tonight" and a whole bunch more!!!

ndvb

I just got an email on this accessory. Looks interesting. I might try one out on the trip.

http://gopro.com/camera-mounts/3-way?utm_source=product-launch&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Body_Image_4&utm_campaign=20140602_army-mount-launch_us&utm_term=ProductFour&ExactTarget=true

AlanS, see what you think.

ndvb

AlanS,

Here is another accessory. I saw them for $10.00 at BestBuy, if you have one of those close by.

http://gopro.com/camera-mounts/handlebar-seatpost-pole-mount

This should work well on a Segway.

jdurkin

)) You guys are on a roll! Can't wait for the previews!

AlanS

ndvb wrote:

I just got an email on this accessory. Looks interesting. I might try one out on the trip.

http://gopro.com/camera-mounts/3-way?utm_source=product-launch&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Body_Image_4&utm_campaign=20140602_army-mount-launch_us&utm_term=ProductFour&ExactTarget=true

AlanS, see what you think.

I got that email too. I need to spend some time thinking about how to do all this without detracting too much from my enjoyment of the trip. I don't want just electronic memories. :-)

British

I had mentioned to Ndvb. A while ago that especially on trips to Africa, one needs to 'sit back and enjoy the roses' as it were. I just felt that my first trip there, everyone was so intent on photo taking the wildlife that they were missing out on the full overall view. So, after that I began to sit back and just enjoy! I know my opinion is unusual, but I have read here that someone else made a comment that after a while you think, 'oh, just another giraffe!' Then about a week ago, I listened to part of a PBS radio show about PHOTO TAKING IMPAIRMENT EFFECT and read more about it online, that 's just what I found in Africa. Since that time i have a balance of photos/no photos when I am enjoying a vacation. After all, if we could get a real idea of a place by looking at a photo of it, there would be no reason to visit, but we travelers all know nothing beats being there. A photo just helps us remember the trip a little, no substitute to the computer in your brain.
Pleas give me your opinion when you return from Kenya and Tanzania Ndvb and when I get back from Tanzania I'll see if I went overboard on photo taking in my excitement of being in Africa again. Last time in East Africa, we failed to see a male lion, so my hubby may go crazy if we see one this time around.

ndvb

British, I actually got your point the first two times you told me. I just basically ignored it...until now. I don't think I will have what some PBS broadcaster would call PHOTO TAKING IMPAIRMENT EFFECT. Who made him/her, or you, the "Vacation Enjoyment Police?"

I enjoy photography and have been in many places around the world, both on my own and with a tour or cruise. Not only do I enjoy the challenge of getting the "perfect" picture (light, composition, and focus), but I enjoy editing them later and putting them in books that I publish for my home. For the Disney cruise, I will probably make several copies of the book to give them to my daughter, son-in-law, and each of their children. I also edit, enlarge, and frame some of my pictures to use as decoration in my office and home. I give them as presents to family and friends who want them. I already have a long list of people who want a framed picture of the safari. Like a good chef, having someone enjoy my work gives great pleasure to me.

All of this doesn't mean I don't get an opportunity to "smell the roses." Getting the chance to see something (animal, vegetable, mineral, architectural, environmental, etc.) and find a way to preserve it using appropriate lighting and composition is MY, maybe not YOUR, way of appreciating the moment and freezing it for future enjoyment.

My new found way to do this is using my GoPros. They are an amazing tool for preserving movement in a situation. Again, it is the editing that allows these scenes to "come alive" for future enjoyment. I will view hours of video and edit it into a less than five minute videos with music and sound effects that contribute to the enjoyment of the moment. It gives me some focus on the environment that I am in. I can hook them up and just let them run in some instances. For example, I will attach a GoPro to the Jeep, in a variety of spots as the day goes on, and add them to the video I capture using a second GoPro to get other shots of the animals we see. I plan on setting them up in some hotel/tent areas and letting them run during the night or use time sequencing with their low-light capabilities to take a chance on seeing an animal moving around at night.

I also plan to use them on the Disney cruise, both on the ship and ashore. I will give each of my grandkids one and let them film whatever they want when it is appropriate. I will attach the GoPros to the kids in a variety of ways and use poles that expand to get and create interesting angles and save their adventures on the Disney Magic....going down the big water slides, interacting with the Disney characters, etc.

I am NOT telling you that you have to do this, or anything else, to enjoy your trips and don't understand why you have decided to tell me how to enjoy MY trips. As long as I don't get in other peoples' way, I will have a good time, remember the trips, and have mementos I will enjoy at a later time. The books and videos can also be around for the youngsters, who will probably not have clear memories of the cruise since they are only 6 and 7, to look at later and see what fun they had and what exciting sights they visited.

I like challenges and tend to live in the moment. These moments will be wonderful to remember and great pictures are a way to enjoy it. My wife and I also like(d) to get a couple of very nice souvenirs to take home and put in a curio cabinet and add to the other trips we have taken. Since she is no longer with me, I will continue to keep that tradition alive by finding a couple of very nice items. I am not much of a shopper, but I will do it to honor my wife and what she would have wanted to do. When I mentioned that in an earlier post, I was instructed by someone that this is not a "shopping trip." Again, why are people telling me how to enjoy my trip. If they don't want to take pictures or shop it is their choice. Don't put that off on me. I am a seasoned traveler who can pick and chose what I want to do to enjoy the trip. As long as it doesn't interfere with others then let it be. I am sure I'll learn some other exciting things to do from those with me. I always do.

British, I am not interested in telling you what to do to enjoy your trip. Do what you enjoy and preserve it in whatever manner you wish. I am sure you will have a great time based on whatever makes you happy.

Thanks....Happy Trails.

Leo M

Hi AlanS....Just picked up on this GoPro discussion between you and ndvb. Very interesting. One of our guys used the GoPro on our last safari earlier this year. The results were especially good when we had the 25-30 lions competing for shady space on the Serengeti in the lee of our vehicle. The lions were too close to stick our heads out of the vehicle so the GoPro was perfect. When you get back from your trip, let us know so we can get a glimpse of your blog / photos.

Hi ndvb...Enjoyed your comments on the GoPro too. You and Alan have created a very informative and thought-provoking dialogue for us to think about and, hopefully, put into play on the next safari. I, too, enjoy photography but am - by no means - an expert. Always anxious to learn.

Best to both of you...Leo M

ndvb

Thanks, Leo. I'm not an expert either....just learning and trying to get better.

I'll let you know how the GoPros do on both tours. I think it will be kind of exciting to be able to have pictures and videos and be able to mix them up a bit.

Happy Trails.

British

Please note I was expressing my experiences and mentioning a piece of very interesting research that I thought was relevant to my experiences, that's all. Just bypass my posts. British

ndvb

I appreciated your experiences, the first time. It did give me some cause for reflexion. You have given a lot of insight in these posts. Don't quit, just know when to stop.

ndvb

I wonder if Tauck would let me do this on the hot air balloon drive? The better question is WHY would I want to do it?

http://gopro.com/videos/featured/hot-air-balloon-slackline-with-andy-lewis?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=vow-hero_img&utm_campaign=20140604_vow_hot-air-balloon-slackline_us&utm_term=VOW&ExactTarget=true

Interesting piece though.

AlanS

ndvb wrote:

I wonder if Tauck would let me do this on the hot air balloon drive? The better question is WHY would I want to do it?

http://gopro.com/videos/featured/hot-air-balloon-slackline-with-andy-lewis?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=vow-hero_img&utm_campaign=20140604_vow_hot-air-balloon-slackline_us&utm_term=VOW&ExactTarget=true

Interesting piece though.

I don't think the outcome would be desirable, because it looks like they keep the balloon at fairly low altitude. I'd do it in a heartbeat from higher up. In my younger (and crazier?) days I did a little bit of skydiving before I got married and my jump gear was sold to buy a washer, dryer , etc.:-(

I would love to jump one of the airfoil chutes they use these days.

Leo M

Hi ndvb and Alan S....You guys are too much!

We were able to take the hot air balloon ride on our Tauck tour. I was about to share my experience and tell you that it will most likely be the balloon captain who makes all decisions rather than Tauck. THEN, I looked at the video. I've been laughing ever since. I sense all three of us have passed the age where we would pull such a stunt. I know I have and it wouldn't make any difference what the altitude was.

Frankly, I learned in the Army that I didn't care for heights. I balked when ordered to jump out of a perfectly good aircraft. Unfortunately, the jump master was not impressed with my rationalization. I vowed "never again". I thought going up in the hot air balloon would be beyond me but it was among the most thrilling experiences I've ever had. I hope you enjoy yourselves as much as I did.

Consider asking the Captain where you can mount your GoPro. Geronimo....Leo M

jdurkin

Leo M wrote:

Geronimo….]

Is that defence forces lingo for …….. I caaaannnnn'tttttt looooook!

Leo M

Were you watching while I closed my eyes, Jan? After all these years my secret is out! Actually, the guy who jumped ahead of me yelled when it was time to open my eyes. I still don't like heights...but I love hot air balloons.

All the best to you...Leo

AlanS

I just got done editing some of the video I shot while riding a Segway through Munich two weeks ago at that beginning of our Ultimate Alps tour. At first I tried to use a Corel video editing program I got seven years ago but never used. Seven years is an eternity for stuff like this- it didn't work, so I downloaded and used the free GoPro program. The free version (they have two advanced versions) is limited in what it can do, but it should be fine for my needs.

I trimmed two dozen or so short videos and stitched them together into a 20 min. video. I encountered a few issues. While I was aware of the issue of camera motion before I went, I still didn't hold it still enough or pan it slow enough- lesson re-learned (I had it strapped to a helmet, handheld, and mounted to a walking pole).

I also had to continuously check the pdf manual which I kept open in another window so I could navigate my way through the editing process. Since this was the first video I've edited in a very long time and the first time for this software I tried to keep things simple- minimal editing and simple fade transitions between segments.

For anyone who hasn't done video editing before- it is typically a time-consuming 3 step process- (1) import & convert the video clips- once they have been imported, the program changes the compressed MP4 files into an editable intermediate format), (2) edit- shorten or remove segments, add sound and titles, etc., (3) export- re-convert the finished video back into a playable MP4 format matching your resolution needs, i.e. for YouTube, mobile device, TV, etc. I chose MP4 HD 1080P.

The export phase is a killer- it took over two hours for my laptop to process and export my 20 min. video!! If you plan to do a lot of video editing you need a high speed, really capable computer. Other than keeping the video on my computer and showing it there or on my TV (via HDMI cable), I'm not sure what I will do with it. It is probably not worthwhile to upload it to YouTube or anywhere else. I haven't decided what to do with the other video clips- some are just panoramic sweeps of castles and mountains/vistas. I also shot video of surfers in the canal that runs through Munich's English Garden, and two videos during the carriage ride up to and down from Neuschwanstein. Of course all this was just a warmup for Africa.

jdurkin

Goodness, Mr de Mille, that does sound like a lot of work. I thought editing my stills on iPhoto was time-consuming enough. As you say, it's good practise for Africa. Learning curve aside, I'd still like to see your efforts.

Cheers,

Jan

British

Apart from looking at photos myself, and these past few years making nice photo book reminders for us, the only other people who would be interested in our photos would be our children who also enjoy to travel given the opportunity. I cannot think of one person I know, even those who have left the shores of the US quite a bit, who has any interest in visiting Africa, never mind look at any photos I take. I guess that's why I have the unusual view of not getting too involved in getting the perfect shot, I just enjoy it in the 'Now'----but Alan, I would love to see your efforts too!
It's good to be around people who enjoy seeing new scenery and different ways of living life.
I am taking my husband's old camera with me this trip, so I guess I should see how I behave this time.
My only trip to Germany, I spent the entire time with my head in a bucket throwing up-- turns out it was morning sickness that was all day. We were on a Twin Town Exchange visit with our drama group by coach from England. When our driver had a heart attack and we were near Munich airport, we bailed out and flew home. Yes that was a memorable trip, but also our daughter's 'first' trip abroad!

ndvb

A. I still don't understand why British is trying to justify a way to tell ME how to enjoy my trip based on HER experiences. I have a lot of friends and family members who are aware of my photos and have ASKED to see them. I don't force them on anyone. The more I read of the things you say lets me know you must micro-manage everyone around you, or at least you attempt to.

B. The photos are also used to make books to save the photos and viewpoints of the trip. They sit out on the coffee table and are looked at by a number of people. No one makes them pick them up. I will make two copies of the book from the Disney cruise so my daughter's family can have one.

C. I have taken a number of nice photos and are giving them to others on this trip (it is the 4th day and we just did our first "game drive" in the Serengeti. I ask no one to take, or look at, any photos. This is my hobby and passion and I enjoy the challenge of taking the perfect photo (even though that can't be accomplished) and then having them to look at and see the great events of this trip. That challenge is also fueled by a drive to enjoy the "now." There are different ways to enjoy the "now."

D. Enjoy your trip in your own style. I won't tell you to go take photos or to save them, share them, etc. Just have a good time and let the rest of us have a good time in our own way.

OK, like I said, we are on the fourth day of the trip after a day at Lake Duluti and two days in the Ngorongoro Crater. Great stuff!!!! We saw four of the Big Five--although none of us, except the Tour Director, Seth, counted the Rhino that was probably over a mile away and could not really be verified. But we still saw the other three, minus a leopard and the phantom rhino. We saw a leopard today, in a tree, with a fresh kill sitting beside him/her. I have a great picture but I can't seem to attach photos to this page. (It would probably bore British anyway--like I care). The daily trips are great!!!! Yes, the road can be a bit rough, but we aren't traveling in the US....oh wait, with all the pot holes we have, it might be similar. The list of animals we have seen is long. Seth says it is unusually long, but I don't know.

The first two hotels are ok.....not what is usually available with Tauck BUT T.I.A (This Is Africa). Tonight we are staying on the Serengeti plains and the hotel is fabulous. Our rooms look out over the park and wild life is strolling right up to our patios. For example, I was drying off after washing off several pounds of dust and dirt from today's drive when I saw seven (7) giraffes strolling right past my patio. I know this is going to kill British, but I ran onto my patio (as I was told at dinner so did one other guest--also naked--but she was excited to take the picture) naked as a J-Bird (what an ugly picture that would have made, but no one can see our patios) and took pictures of them. They were less than 75 feet from my patio. Males, females, and calves made up the "tower."

Anyway, I am off to bed to get up early for tomorrow's "game drive." More later, if you want to read it. Oh yes, I am taking GoPros too, but I am going to go through all of them when I return home. I'll let you know how they worked.

Happy Trails.

British

ndbv, Why on earth you think my posts are aimed at you, I have no idea. I am just letting people know how I go about MY vacations, not yours. Please refrain from being so mean, I have kept quiet about your replies until now, but really!
I have been looking for your posts from Africa,so it is good to see that you appear to be having a good time. Did you go on any of the local tours around the Duluti? How about round the lake? That's what we hope to do.
And yes, my husband has run out and taken photos in the nude on Tauck tours, I was already out there telling him to run out quick with the camera!

ndvb

You keep making the comments under a forum with my name on it and discussing photography....hmmm, how else am I supposed to take it.

If you want to see mean...re-read your posts to just about anyone....you are pretty nasty to a lot of people.

Just let it rest....I would not have made any comments to, or about, you until you put this one in the post. It is clear you are discussing my plans. Give it a rest..