Guides
Travel Photography Tip #7: Have Fun With A GoPro
The GoPro has revolutionized the way we can capture our adventures at every angle and during every exciting moment.
In this installment in my series on travel photography, we’ll discuss the importance and awesomeness of the GoPro. I feel like I should mention that I have received nothing from GoPro and am only writing this on my sincere recommendation.
The GoPro has revolutionized the way we can capture our adventures at every angle and during every exciting moment. The camera shoots still photos and video with an interesting fisheye lens. They are waterproof and shock resistance so you can basically do any activity with these bad boys capturing every moment.
The best part is GoPros are very affordable, the batteries last a long time and you can take GoPros where normal cameras can’t go. You can shoot for hours on one battery life and memory card and these cameras can literally anywhere and under almost any circumstances.
The only caveat is the fisheye lens takes some getting used to. I advise some practice shoots before your big trip so you can get accustomed to the camera and lens.
Here are my tips for taking the best GoPro photos and video.
KEEP IT STEADY
These little cameras are super sensitive so make sure you keep them steady. Any movement can make the video seem shaky or images seem blurry. Remember this when you are taking video the most as movements can really affect the quality of the video. Of course with an action camera movement is going to happen, so try and make the movements smooth.
These things shoot incredible video and stills so practice makes perfect and getting used to the lens takes some time.
SHOOT FROM THE HIP
With this I mean, remember that this camera shoots with a fisheye lens, so you must account for this when lining up your shot. Try to shoot for a lower center and you will have the best composition possible. Luckily with digital photography, we can mess with the composition in post to correct little adjustments. If you are taking a selfie with a GoPro, remember to aim lower so you capture your whole body instead of just your face and a lot of sky.
TIME-LAPSE
Try out the time-lapse function of the camera to get the best selfies. Remember to switch the camera angle and your expression to get the best picks. You can trash the unwanted ones later, but the time lapse is a great tool. The camera shoots in bursts from 2 to 10 seconds in between shots.
GET THE RIGHT ACCESSORIES
Accessories make the GoPro so accessible and adventure ready. Make sure you get the right accessories for your trip. What are you going to be doing and where?
WATER
Grip Floatie: Get the floatie grip for snorkeling and scuba trips. This handle extender also acts as a float in case you drop your camera from excitement.
Surf Mount: Get the surf mount obviously if you plan on hitting the ocean waves. It clips to the nose of your board so you can get some awesome shots of you ripping up the waves.
Anti-fog: Get these inserts for your waterproof housing so your camera doesn’t fog up and become unusable.
ADVENTURE
Chest Mount: Get the chest mount for hands-free adventures. Your camera mounts directly to your chest so you can record first-person video form some awesome locations.
Selfie Stick: These convenient devices have gotten a bad rap, they are extremely useful and a must buy.
Sticky Mounts: These one time stickers can be mounted on anything and gives you the opportunity to get some interesting and exciting camera angles.
MAKE SURE THE LENS IS CLEAN
This is serious, these little cameras can get dirty easily and a small smudge on the lens or housing can ruin all your pictures. Carry a lens cleaner and constantly check your lens for the best pictures possible.
Destinations
New Travel Alert for Europe During The Summer
The US State Department issued another and more widespread travel alert for much of Europe this summer.
The US State Department issued another and more widespread travel alert for much of Europe this summer. This comes on the heels of recent travel warnings for Europe, which are a response to increased chatter from terrorist organizations. There have been some major terrorist attacks and activity in Europe and specifically France in the past few years. Summer is the busiest travel season and many European nations count on this yearly boom for their gross national income.
Details
The travel alert is issued on May 1, 2017 and runs until September 1, 2017. The US State Department believes that with all the recent terrorism at busy tourist attractions in Europe and increases chatter show signs of impending danger. The extremists are hell-bent on spreading their fear and terror by attacking the western civilization at the heart of their freedom.
France
Recent attacks in France have made huge headlines and many people have been affected by these incidents. Paris is an international city with millions of tourists each summer, so a travel warning like this could hurt their bottom line. Will this travel alert make people reconsider their summer travel plans, only time will tell?
The Alert mentions Paris as a possible site where terrorism could occur and that should worry people with plans through that city.
Russia
Russia seems to be in continuous turmoil and this summer season is no different. The country has been the target of terrorists in the past and many of those are homegrown threats. If you have plans to visit Russia, I would check with the US embassy just in case.
Great Britain
Great Britain has many strong ties to the United States and that makes them and their territories targets of terrorist organizations. London is one of the most visited cities in Europe and now the State Department is warning US citizens about the threat of a terrorist attack in that city this summer.
Islamic State and al-Qaida
The two main terrorist groups responsible for all these threats and attacks are the Islamic State (ISIS) and Al-Qaida. They have plenty of operatives already in place all over Europe and these sleeper cells are waiting for the opportunity to strike. The US State Department doesn’t believe that these attacks are imminent but there are strong possibilities.
What You Should Do
If you already have travel plans for Europe this summer, it may be too late to change your plans. If this is the case, don’t worry, the odds of being in a terrorist attack are very minimal and just being smart will help you out. If you plan on traveling to the alerted areas, contact the local embassy or consulate and see if there are any new developments. Watch media and see if there are any new warnings.
Look for things that are odd or out of the normal but overall just try and enjoy yourself. Life is too short to let the terrorists win, let’s keep living our free lives and we will always win in the face of adversity.
Destinations
Have Fun In New York City for Free
You can enjoy New York like a local and have a blast in the Big Apple for free.
New York, the city that never sleeps is easily one of the most expensive cities in the world, but it doesn’t have to be. You can enjoy New York like a local and have a blast in the Big Apple for free. Sounds impossible, well, it isn’t and I’m about to show you how to have fun for free in New York City. This city is magical and full of fun activities and events to enjoy that won’t cost you a dime and will show you just how awesome New York truly is.
Museums
Many museums in New York offer a few days a month or week for free and that is a great deal. New York is known for it’s incredible museums full of culture and classic works of art, but often they have a hefty price tag attached. If you know where to look, you can find out that most of these museums offer free or discounted rates, so keep your eye out and enjoy in some of NY’s incredible culture and class.
Art Galleries
Most art galleries in New York are free to enter because they want people to browse their art and hopefully make a purchase. Believe me, it feels good to pretend to be art shopping while checking out the thriving art scene in Chelsea. Within a 10 block radius are some of the best art galleries in all of New York, so check out 18th to 28th streets between 10th and 11th avenues.
Public Parks
New York is known for having some epic public parks and we aren’t just talking about the big daddy, Central Park. Most of the urban parks have awesome sculptures and statues, while some feature fountains and playgrounds. All are free and most are wonderfully maintained. Take your kids to the Washington Square Park fountain or Jacqueline Onassis reservoir in Central Park. These parks are here for your pleasure, so enjoy them.
Free Ferries
I’m on a boat! Get out there and see The Statue of Liberty for free by taking a free ferry. The ferry runs from lower Manhattan to Staten Island every 20 minutes and takes passengers pretty close to Ellis Island and old lady liberty herself. Best thing is you don’t have to stay in Staten Island, just get off and back on the ferry and head back to the city. You can get amazing pictures of The Statue of Liberty from the deck.
Iconic Sightseeing
There aren’t better places in the world to just walk around and sightsee. The city’s huge buildings surround some of the most iconic sights you will see anywhere, so check out the city. Only a few buildings charge to get to the top but many times you can find views for free. Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge or checkout times square. The busier the attraction, the more there are to see, so check out what this huge city has to offer.
Free Comedy
Most comedy clubs in the city charge a flat fee for entry where you can see some of the world’s greatest comedians. But if you are looking for a great comedy show without paying an entry fee, look no further than UCB (Upright Citizens Brigade) on Sunday Nights for ASSSSCAT, a free comedy show with plenty of celebrities. The first show of the evening is $10 but the second show is always free, all you have to do is wait in line for about an hour.
Destinations
Funniest Tweets From The Disastrous Fyre Festival
Here is a collection of the funniest tweets from over the weekend, so sit back and enjoy in others misery as the Fyre Festival gets roasted and toasted on Twitter..
The Fyre festival was supposed to be this super luxurious music festival but quickly revealed itself as the biggest disaster in entertainment in recent years. The festival had no organization, no signs of luxury and was a total dumpster fire from the onset. The site resembled a disaster movie more than a music festival and festival goers and the general public had a field day roasting the festival and it’s organizers. Here is a collection of the funniest tweets from over the weekend, so sit back and enjoy in others misery as the Fyre Festival gets roasted and toasted on Twitter..
You can’t tell me Ja Rule didn’t know his festival wasn’t ready, why is he lying to the festival goers, poor people had no idea the horror they were in store for.
He gets it, after Donald Trump was elected President, all chances of being shocked are out the window. Fyre fest is a huge success, just like Donald… oops.
Comedy is sometimes the best medicine.
You are correct sir, this photo of an unfinished concierge desk perfectly sums up this mess.
The luxury accommodations are actually FEMA relief shelters used in the event of a disaster, not a music festival.
Looks like a safe place to keep all your valuables…NOT.
Expectations vs Reality is not so funny, well, yes it is.
Looks like luxury dining to me, what did this guy expect, what was promised to him?
Haha, The stereotypical rich guy on Twitter is getting roasted hard on here.
People are already roasting the festival for next year, tickets include MREs and a crossbow for self defense.
She perfectly roasts the Instagram influencers who al thought this festival would be the greatest thing ever, and it turned out to be the best thing for everyone else to roast.
Couldn’t of said it better, at least the festivals I fork out too much money for actually happen.
Yes, one hundred times over. Who trusts Ja Rule to do anything worth a damn today?
Haha, this tweeter put all the rich millennials right in their place.
This tweeter took the opportunity to make a political statement.
Calling it the Fraud Fest may be a better, more fitting name for the festival going forward.
Now people are just taking cheap shots at Ja Rule, isn’t he already down, why pour salt on the wound?
The Hunger Games was such a relevant comparison it was even named in the civil lawsuit filed on Monday.
This tweeter takes the high road.
These tweeters all make their little political statements which is perfect in our tough political climate.
Instead of luxury meals, these millennials were forced to eat cheese sandwiches and undressed salads, oh the humanity.
breaking out the Hunger Games comparison again, see I told you it just fits.
Calling it a concentration camp for instagram models and rich white kids is hilarious and extremely accurate.
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