The Gopro is one piece of kit I carry with me most of the time. Local walks or high climbs sometimes prohibits carrying of a bigger proper camera around or maybe I just want to walk light.
A Gopro is so small it fits into my pocket very easily for those, you never know, moments. It gives me so much adaptability over the smartphone camera use too. That something extra. It is not just for action video use, far from it.
Even in your own garden you do not have to travel anywhere to get unique animal and wildlife photos as can be seen from the GardenCam article.
Camera Mode
One big tip I can give you. I always tend to use timelapse mode, not single photo.
Set it running taking a picture every second then hold the camera towards the animal. Yes, animals don’t pose for cameras but if you are effortlessly and continuously taking pics, one will be just right when you stop the camera.
Different Angles
The other way a GoPro can make for a great looking photo is the angle and wide lens. Normally when taking wildlife or animal photos we are zooming in to get close up and then making the view narrower.
With a huge 180 degree wide lens and being close up to the animal (around 6 inches), you get a close up of the animals face and the benefit of a huge wide angles background. This is what makes them stand out as different.
Of course being out in the countryside so much I come across animals small and large. Quite often they can be very friendly! This is one of those areas where I find the Gopro comes into its own. No messing around with big lenses and lots of settings. I normally have the GoPro preset for single shots and then timelapse ready a click away if I want a photo like these.
Curious farm animals are great to practice on. Even more so if you are allowed to feed them. Please don’t go feeding horses etc without permission I must add.
Cows
Always curious, cows love to pose too, or like to get their slobbery tongues all over the camera if you are not careful. Their faces do look dynamic when done close up like this. I must try to get more for a gallery this year.
In fact cows are my favourite animal to do this kind of photography with. Their head shape and noses just work I think.
Dogs
Of course, dogs. Having always had dogs around me it is fun to take photos of them in play or resting. And of course, dogs are easier than wilder animals for getting into the photo poses.
It is the GoPro pics I have mainly still on my phone to remind of my beloved companions gone by. Monty above was always a Gopro poser.
And Blade who greeted me every morning when I lived on a farm in West Yorkshire.
Bea, the lurcher, always with a comical face.
Of course now I have Malc, my border collie companion. Action filled days! many more pics of him to come I am sure when we get on our travels together.
Horses
I find horses very comical. I have been on many a walk with people who are terrified of them. So much so that they would walk an extra mile to avoid them.
people most likely get even more scared when I grab the camera out of my pocket and go up their faces.
Personally I find that being confident yet subtle, calm and kind around horses makes a big difference.
When I was in Italy travelling through the Sibillini mountains, I came across some asses that made me chuckle. I don’t know if they were expecting food or what but they came clambering for attention that is for sure..
Birds
Birds are something that with patience and positioning you can get very interesting results. It is also the most requested ‘How do you take those?’ when I post them on social media.
Especially as birds are very shy around us humans and we want a close up photo with the full background behind (as opposed to zooming in from a distance). I will explain here.
The trick I use is first put the Gopro in timelapse mode, personally I have it on take a photo every second.
Then, with a full battery attach it somewhere on the feeder with a background in full view but where the birds will fly in line of sight.
Then you can leave it taking pictures whilst you go inside and have a coffee (if in your garden) or continue your walk. When you come back to it you may have a few gems amongst the many blank photos.. without you around scaring the birds, a popular feeding spot can produce all sorts.
I did whole series of photos separately on sand martins near York, all on a whim, just with the GoPro.
Not just For animals
And finally. and not an animal at all but my youngest daughter playing spin around until we were dizzy. yet another way to utilise the GoPro, Just attach the camera to your chest area and experiment with what you get.
Enjoy the outdoors, enjoy your walks and if you have a GoPro, don’t forget to put it in your pocket. You never know what you may see.
