When summer hits, so does the urge for adventure. Spending more time outdoors, we want to hit all those thrilling activities while the sun is out longer and the weather is warm, and what better way to capture and share those memories than with an action camera! Whether you’re embarking on a long road trip, exploring off-road terrain, cruising scenic highways on your motorcycle, or hitting the water on the boat, having a GoPro or other action camera can be your ultimate companion. In this post, we’ll explore some valuable tips and tricks for using your action camera to get the best shots, with the help of camera mounts, accessories, and editing techniques. Just like our phone mounts, Mob Armor makes some of the toughest Action Cam Mounts like the Action Cam Claw, Action Cam Pivot, and Action Cam Direct Mag, allowing you to mount your camera in unique settings to get the best footage.
Mounting Your Camera Appropriately
With a wide-angle action camera like a GoPro, there are a lot more opportunities to catch footage in unique spots. Depending on the activity, you will want to have different style mounts at your disposal. The most popular style are body mounts, which strap the camera to yourself in different areas for different views. You can get an adhesive helmet mount or a hat clip for a first-person view, a chest strap mount for steadier shots on the move, or a wrist strap mount that gives you more control over the direction you’re shooting.
However, when filming something in a vehicle, you may want to use something more permanent to lock down your expensive camera. While a suction cup mount may work for a bit, it can become a worry when used for longer or rougher drives. This is where you can instead use the Action Cam Claw as a handlebar camera mount, or have it grab onto your roll cages if you’re off-roading. If you want something inside your vehicle to capture the entire trail, you can use a magnetic camera mount like the Action Cam Pivot, or Action Cam Direct Mag, which can attach to the body or dashboard with adhesive mounting discs.
Tips For Filming Summer Activities
Filming Road Trips
Whether you’re on a solo road trip or lugging around family with you, filming the scenic routes will not only let you relive the memories later on, but can also be helpful to show those who were sleeping on the drive what they missed. A GoPro car mount like the Action Cam Pivot or Action Cam Direct Mag will allow you to mount directly to your dashboard, giving you an incredible wide-angle view of the open road ahead.
Our Tip – Road trips are long, and they don’t need to be relived second by second. Set up your camera in time-lapse mode to capture the changes in landscape, dramatic twists and turns, city skylines, or great sunsets along your drive.
Filming Off-Road Adventures
Depending on what vehicle you’re riding, there are numerous ways you could mount your camera. On a dirtbike or ATV, mounting the camera on your helmet can be a great option to give people a first-person POV (point of view) of your ride – sometimes, people just aren’t cut out for the ride itself, but want to see the thrill of the ride. Another option is to mount to your handlebars or roll cage. This will secure your camera a bit better than on your helmet, and can give a unique close-up view to the trail. If you have external vehicle spots to mount your camera with the Action Cam Claw mount, try it out! Just remember the camera is there when hitting rough terrain, you don’t want to damage it.
Our Tip – Make sure you’re filming with a high framerate, or in a slow-motion mode. Some of the action is best seen slowed down, like going through puddles, taking sharp turns, or getting some air.
Filming Motorcycle Rides
Much like off-roading, you can attach the camera to your helmet, body, or handlebars. However, on the open road, you’ll likely want to capture the road ahead of you with less of the bike in the frame. Using a handlebar camera mount is your best bet to capture scenes like this. You can also turn the camera around and film yourself or your crew cruising along!
Our Tip – This is another great time to utilize your cameras timelapse feature! Not only will you be able to fit a long ride into a few minute video; it can also often make the video more steady and smooth out the vibration from your engine. Also, try mounting the camera on lower parts of the bike (that won't interfere with the engine or riding) to give a unique and dramatic angle.
Filming Boating, Kayaking and Watersports
Depending on what you’re doing, there’s many ways to capture your day on the water with your action camera. If you’re out wakeboarding or waterskiing, use a chest mount to capture your point of view behind the boat, or use the Action Cam Pivot mount to affix the camera to the stern of the boat looking back towards the rider. If you get both of them filming at the same time, you can put together some sweet action sequences! If you’re just out for a cruise, or kayaking some new waters, using an Action Cam Claw or Action Cam Pivot facing forwards can capture your trip from a unique, steady perspective, and give you a chance to appreciate the ride later on without having to focus on the boats around you.
Our Tip – Get the camera low – or under – water! Use the Action Cam Claw on a paddle or something similar to see under the sea, and get those essential transition shots with a slow rise out of the water. Slow motion is your friend here, too!
Video Editing Tricks that YOU Can Do
Believe it or not, you don’t need a supercomputer or expensive software to make professional looking video edits these days. Take your action camera footage to the next level by utilizing some simple tricks, making your video look professional and getting more attention online when sharing on social media.
With your time-lapse footage, try breaking it up into the best, most scenic parts, as well as adjusting the speed of it to create captivating montages of your summer adventures. You can even do your best to synchronize the speed and clip transitions to your favorite music, building energy and setting the mood of the clip. If you’re sharing it online, you’ll most likely have to use royalty-free music to avoid licensing issues. You can also highlight the most exciting moments by utilizing the slow-motion footage you captured, adding drama and giving your viewers more time to appreciate the activity and details. Lastly, if you used multiple cameras while filming, mixing the different views together can really take your video to the next level. You can weave a more complete story and build suspense by giving viewers multiple perspectives of your adventure. Most video editing software will have multiple video layers for you to drop your clips onto, making it easier to slide them around and get the appropriate transitions.
In Conclusion...
With the right techniques, action cameras and Mob Armor accessories can help you capture your summer adventures in stunning detail. Whether you're embarking on a road trip, conquering off-road terrain, enjoying motorcycle rides, or getting out on the water, these tips and tricks will elevate your footage to new heights. Remember to experiment with various mounts and angles using the Mob Armor Action Cam Claw, Action Cam Pivot, and Action Cam Direct Mag. Furthermore, have fun with video editing, incorporating time-lapse sequences, music synchronization, slow-motion highlights, and multi-angle storytelling to create captivating videos that bring your summer memories to life. So, get out there, embrace the thrill of summer, and let your action camera capture the moments that will last a lifetime!