Buy the GoPro Hero 2018 for surf photography. The GoPro Hero 7 has no major advantages over earlier Hero cameras for still photos, and the GoPro Hero 2018 can be turned into a GoPro Hero 5 with a firmware update
Tag: GoPro
GoPro Hero 7 appears in leaked images – it looks nearly the same as the GoPro Hero 6, with 4k at 60fps. It’s probably not worth buying for surf photography.
The KNEKT BLUline range is a more affordable range of GoPro accessories
Summary: US residents can trade in an old broken GoPro camera before May 11th 2017 for $100 off a GoPro Hero 5 or $50 off a Hero 5 session on GoPro.com. It’s probably not worth it. There’s a limited time offer available directly through the GoPro website called “Trade Up”. shop.gopro.com/tradeup I tried to figure […]
GoPro have officially announced the new GoPro Hero 5, there’s still a little wait before it becomes available to buy, but we can now stop speculating about the specs and decide if it’s worth the upgrade from your current action camera. Will GoPro Hero 5 surf photography be the new standard? They have simplified their […]
More leaks about the GoPro Hero 5 camera have come out today. There’s some great news, and some potentially bad news for surf photographers, so let’s dig in. GoPro Hero 5 surf photography specs I’ll cover the most important new specs first: RAW photo files! Shutter speed selection GPS built in Raw files are great […]
Here’s another Kickstarter that might be interesting if you use a GoPro and you ride a longboard, SUP or fish. It’s not often that I see a new type of surboard mount for a GoPro, but that’s what the Nosebone is. It’s a pretty niche mount in that it’s only really suitable for longboards, SUP’s […]
I pushed my GoPro mouth mount a bit too far by air dropping onto my face whilst bodyboarding recently. I’m putting the blame firmly on user error, I should have either not bothered with that particular wave, or at least made the drop properly, but it’s easy to say that in hind sight. The plastic […]
The SP Gadgets Section GoPro Pistol Trigger ($59 US) is a cheaper alternative to the KNEKT GPLT and KNEKT GP4 GoPro pistol triggers. It’s the first alternative I’ve seen which uses the KNEKT’s pivoting lever design but with cheaper plastic materials. The actual trigger mechanism is lifted straight from the KNEKT design, there are some […]
360 degree video is poised to be the next big thing in content creation, with Virtual Reality (VR) experiences moving into the mainstream and people tiring of the same old angles it’s a natural progression for any sort of first person point of view style footage and action sports like surfing in particular. Why is […]
KNEKT have launched another innovative GoPro accessory, the KNEKT KTP18 Trigger Pole. And it looks typically well designed and constructed: Here are the key features for us as surf photographers: Mechanical trigger system Floats Compatible with the KNEKT KSD6 Dome 18 inches long (46cm) $179.99 Why use a mechanical trigger? What I mean by a […]
As reported on TechCrunch, the news that the Hero 4 session was being slashed in price probably didn’t come as a surprise to any learning surf photography readers. Here’s what I wrote about the Hero 4 session when it was announced in my post called “Don’t buy a GoPro Hero 4 session”: So this camera […]
I recently discovered the Telesin 6″ GoPro dome port, another option for people wanting to shoot over/under, 50/50 or split shots with their GoPro camera. Telesin 6″ GoPro Dome Port: $89 on Amazon The Telesin GoPro Dome Port is available on Amazon for $89 It’s cheaper than the KNEKT KSD6 GoPro dome port which I […]
UPDATE: GoPro have slashed the price of the Hero 4 Session camera to $199, so it’s now a better option for people who absolutely need the slightly smaller size, but I’d still recommend the Hero 4 Silver if you have the extra money available, it’s far superior for surf photography. There’s another new Gopro, the […]
The guys at SWG have launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise some funds to refine the kit. Here’s the link: www.kickstarter.com/projects/755400751/shoot-over-underwater-photos-with-your-gopro You can get on board for a starting price of 60 Euros (around $66 US or £42), for that price you get a fully assembled GoPro dome port which is compatible with the GoPro […]
GoPro have announced a new camera in their range, the GoPro Hero+ LCD, it looks like a hybrid of the two GoPro’s that I currently have, the GoPro Hero and the GoPro Hero 4 Silver. The case has got most in common with the budget end GoPro Hero, you can’t take it out, although you […]
I’ve managed to get my hands on a KSD6 dome port from KNEKT, it’s designed to shoot over/under style photos using your GoPro camera. Here’s my un-boxing video showing you all the features and how to assemble the port with the KNEKT GPLT trigger: Here are links to the products I’m using in the GoPro […]
Ian Matsko e-mailed and asked me for some advice on where to get a dome for a DIY GoPro Dome port, I let Ian know that if you’re in the USA you can get good quality acrylic domes from marine compass suppliers. I also said that I’d probably recommend hanging on and waiting for a […]
If you shoot surf photos with your GoPro you have probably looked into a pistol grip style trigger for it already, I’ve done my research, tested out the options and come to the conclusion that KNEKT currently make the best option for surf photography. See my video review after using all the best options in […]
The KNEKT Dome port is here, you can now purchase the KSD6 dome port for $299 from Amazon: amazon.com/KNEKT-Six-Inch-GoPro-Hero3-Hero4 It connects to your GoPro housing and offers control over all the buttons, so you can use it with most other accessories including the KNEKT pistol grip style triggers that I really rate highly for surf […]
I’m currently trying out a few different ways of mounting my new GoPro Hero 4 Silver edition when I surf, the latest one is the Grill Mount from Pro Standard, I’ve made a brief unboxing video for the learningsurfphotography Youtube Channel: You can buy the Grill Mount via Amazon for $33. I almost added a […]
You might have seen my post about the options you have for GoPro pistol grip triggers, this style of trigger makes it much easier to shoot photos in the surf by offering a more intuitive pistol style shutter release. I’ve assembled the top four options for anyone shooting surf photo’s with a GoPro and I’ve […]
UPDATE: you can now watch my review video where I compare the SPL Dome Port and housing system with the KNEKT GPLT trigger system. I’ve had the SPL GoPro Dome port and housing for a few days now, so I’ve put up a short video on the learningsurfphotography.com Youtube Channel. It explains why you might […]
UPDATE: you can now watch my review video where I compare the SPL Dome Port and housing system with the KNEKT GPLT trigger system. There’s a bit of a movement happening with GoPro surf photographers wanting to shoot over/under style photo’s,you can read all about how to take this kind of photo, and why the […]
GoPro are expanding their team of sponsored surfers, as reported on Stabmag.com GoPro’s video of the day features one of the new riders Chippa Wilson: The new members of GoPro Surf team are all listed in Stabs post, there’s a lot of them, and GoPro is a big sponsor of the ASP tour too, so […]
Burg Thurston takes photo’s which mostly feature really heavy, beautiful waves in Australia, and he makes videos using a GoPro and some unique home made mounts. I’ve linked over to his site before when I was talking about drone photography with the GoPro, definitely one to check out for some inspiration on photography and GoPro […]
I wrote a post a few years ago on how I mounted my GoPro on my bodyboard, in it I suggested using an FCS softboard plug and a GoPro FCS plug mount to secure the camera to the board, well now there are several off the shelf alternatives that will allow you to do the […]
The latest Aquabumps e-mail has some really nice elevated angles in it, just in case you’re one of the few surf photographers who isn’t signed up for the e-mail, you can check it out here: http://www.aquabumps.com/2014/05/21/new-angles/ Here’s what Eugene says about the photo’s: Here at Aquabumps we pride ourselves on new angles… Well…here’s 11 angles […]
UPDATE: you can now watch my review video where I compare the SPL Dome Port and housing system with the KNEKT GPLT trigger system. I saw this SPL GoPro Housing on the surf photographers united forum, I tried to find out a bit more about it but there’s nothing on the SPL site that I […]
I’m going to put up a big post at some point on a shoot I did for Red Paddle Co, they make inflatable stand up paddle boards, and since I first got to try one out I’ve been thinking of creative uses for an SUP involving photography. Now I’ve finally got my hands on one […]
I ended up on The Surfer’s Journal website the other day, after listening to the excellent interview with Steve Pezman on the Surf Splendor podcast. The first thumbnail that caught my eye features Mikala Jones and accompanies this article: http://www.surfersjournal.com/mikala-jones-bali-1 You’ve probably seen Mikala Jones‘ self shot GoPro videos, and the article talks about his […]
I’ve let up on the posts recently but I’ve been working behind the scenes on some more interesting stuff, and to be honest, nothing’s really grabbed me on the every day front recently, I’ve bookmarked a few stories that were kind-of note worthy, but nothing grabbed me enough to take the time to make a […]
Here’s a couple of links to Errantsurf.com, one that will be interesting if you haven’t already bought into the GoPro range of action cameras, and another that is worth a read whichever tiny video camera you’ve ended up with. The Top Six Action Cameras: http://blog.errantsurf.com/2014/03/top-six-surfing-action-cams/ Tim Nunn does a good job describing the attributes of […]
This was posted on another one of my other sites back in 2011, it’s been fairly popular, and thanks to GoPro being sensible and keeping their mounts the same over the last few years it’s sill relevant to readers of this site. I’ve been getting a few questions about the board-cam I made for my […]
You might have seen Fred Compagnon before, he’s a French surfer/bodyboarder/experimenter who often crops up with unexpected, ingenious ideas, like a detachable nose section for riding drop knee on a bodyboard or strapping himself into an alaia and jumping off an SUP for a one man tow-in. This time he’s uploaded a frame grab from […]
I know this is the third post in a week on aerial photography, but it’s the best one yet, super smooth, long rides, good surfers, watch below: It’s shot by David Levin, here are his Youtube channel and Instagram feed, looking through his previous videos I can be pretty sure he’s using the following kit: […]
I recently bought a new mount for my GoPro Hero 3+ Black Edition, it’s called the Jaws Flexible clamp mount and it’s basically a sturdy clamp with a standard GoPro mount built in, and an adjustable section made up of sections of hollow plastic with GoPro clips on each end. Clamp your GoPro to objects […]
This time it’s a big wave session at Jaws on the Hawaiian Island of Maui that is the subject of a quad copter/GoPro video, shot by Justin Brown. EPIC PEAHI AERIAL SURF VIDEO 1-19-2014 from AERIAL 808 on Vimeo. You might have noticed the drone in the shot when browsing some of the photo’s of […]
Pipeline Winter 2013 from Eric Sterman on Vimeo. This is a great aerial video which has been doing the viral surf video rounds, it’s produced by Hawaiian Eric Sterman, and naturally I wanted to know what kind of kit he was using to get these images, and compare it to my own drone video gear. […]
I learned a couple of things whilst shooting yesterday at Spot M, if you just want to see some of the photo’s check out the album on facebook, but read on for some more basic lessons on shooting (and preparing to shoot) fisheye. Lesson 1: Sunrise is not predictable Firstly, I was shooting in Shutter […]
This one’s not strictly surf photography related, but it is all to do with GoPro, and it reminded me of something I mentioned in a past post on the future of GoPro’s. Back-Bone, a Canadian company, is making a product called the Rib Cage, basically it’s a permanent adapter that replaces the front face of […]
Here’s a quick one, a few videos have popped up on Stab Mag and other places recently which highlight the differences between GoPro self shot footage and more traditional angles. The latest one features Nathaniel Curran: Inner Views from Kyle MacLennan on Vimeo. Here’s Stab’s caption: We live in a time an age where anybody […]
You might have noticed me mentioning a new toy of mine, a Blade 350QX quad-copter, I’ve been fascinated with the possibilities for aerial photography (and videography) for a while, I purchased a helicopter to try and get air born but never got further than the simulator on my computer, it’s incredibly hard to fly a […]
The surf was small and off shore this weekend so I took the opportunity to take plenty of photo’s, I’ll be writing up a few posts that I’ve been meaning to get around to for a while this week hopefully, so for now you get a little teaser of the forthcoming posts in the form […]
I shot a bunch of photo’s on Friday last week, one of them is up on magicseaweed now, and a few more will feature in my forthcoming post about the new manual control script I used to make sure I got in focus shots from my 28mm f2.8 lens. But I also shot a whole […]
I’ve put up a couple of posts about the follow cam angle, Laurent Pujol and Seth Stafford being the two main proponents of it that I’ve seen recently. This is just a quick update after I saw Laurent post a photo of the land angle of him shooting photo’s on Instagram, they are both jet-ski […]
Just a quick tip for GoPro Hero 3 users, if you’ve also got a copy of Adobe Lightroom 5, you can now use the Lens Corrections panel to correct the distortion from the fisheye lens, it doesn’t cover the GoPro Hero 3 + Black edition yet, but it’s got the original Hero 3 white, silver […]
UPDATE: you can now watch my review video where I compare the SPL Dome Port and housing system with the KNEKT GPLT trigger system. One of the drawbacks when using my GoPro Hero 3+ Black Edition for taking still surf photo’s was the lack of a pistol grip shutter release, there are other drawbacks which […]
You can read my first post on the GoPro Hero 3+ for my first impressions on the camera and housing, this first part of the in depth review will focus on the stills that you can capture with the Hero 3+ Black Edition, and how they compare to something taken with a DSLR in a […]
I’m going to have to do a full post on my latest toy over the next couple of days, right now I’m just starting to get to grips with the new settings, hopefully I’ll have some more sample photos and footage to show you soon, so far I’ve just had one session with the camera […]
I did some video work recently for the swFish.co.uk website, you can see a few of my shots in this video, including the opening clip with the crab pot being pulled up into the boat. I was shooting with my Canon 60D in my Aquatech housing, with a GoPro HD Hero 2 attached to the […]
GoPro recently released an update for their iOS and Android App, so once you update your camera’s firmware you now have access to a live preview of what you’re filming and, best of all, you can play back or transfer files via WiFi to your phone or tablet. Full details: http://gopro.com/software-app/gopro-app?utm_source=update&utm_medium=email&utm_content=gopro-app-update-2-top-image-learn-more-row&utm_campaign=gopro-app-update-2-row#COMPATIBILITY Here’s the launch video: […]
I noticed a couple of people with GoPro cameras mounted on their backs at Spot M the other day, I think the mount has been made popular by the use of it during the IBA GoPro Pipeline competition earlier this year. This is Jonny Roberts using a back cam at Spot M. The first time […]
Whether I plan on shooting photo’s or surfing I always have a GoPro camera with me when I go to the beach, I’ve posted before about which one to get and the settings I use when I shoot with mine on top of my housing. This post is about how to use it when you’re […]
I have been asked a few times about how I get frame grabs out of GoPro footage, here are my tips on how to get it done easily on the go. I use a cheap Acer Aspire One netbook when I’m not at home, it’s pretty low powered so viewing any HD video is hard […]
Even if you’ve never edited video before it’s pretty easy to get a simple surf video up online for everyone to see, it’s something anyone learning surf photography will eventually want to do so I’ll show you how. This is my latest video, I wanted to get it on line quickly so my friends who […]
This popped up on my Facebook feed via Aquatech, Chris Bryan with what appears to be a 7D housing strapped to his brilliantly no frills Phantom camera housing, so he can shoot stills whilst shooting ultra high frames per second footage with the Phantom. I assume this is just messing about, I doubt he’ll actually […]
Last week at work I put together a buyers guide for GoPro HD cameras, in the style of a DP review comparison table, it features the GoPro Hero 3 range and my current camera of choice, the GoPro Hero 2. Here’s the link to the full buyers guide with some more FAQ’s and links to […]
I’ve been researching and generally looking into the kind of gear that most keen amateur surf photographers use, not the pro’s who make a living out of it necessarily but people like me who have a full time job and want to pursue surf photography as a hobby and get decent results without breaking the […]
My name is Ben Pascoe, I have been surfing for around 20 years and for about 15 years I have been documenting my hobby with a variety of cameras and camcorders, most recently I have been using GoPro cameras and Canon DSLR’s. I’ve recently got myself a decent water housing and upgraded my DSLR so […]
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About Me
I've been shooting photos and video of surfing for over 20 years.
I want to help surf photographers like me get the right gear and improve their surf photography.
Contact me: ben@learningsurfphotography.com