GoPro cameras are excellent for capturing amazing video in a wide variety of situations from snowboarding, skiing, skateboarding to skydiving, but these little cameras aren’t just great video cameras. Understanding Gopro Photo Modes and using the right one for the activity you are doing will enable you to capture eye popping photos. GoPro cameras are great at taking a wide variety of picture types. To the ever popular selfie to time lapses a GoPro is just a fun camera, in fact they are the perfect group selfie or family photo camera. Having your GoPro photo modes selected properly can make the difference in capturing a great photo or just missing an epic shot.
GoPro Photo Modes
Time Lapse
captured using time lapse mode photo every 1 second.
Obviously this is a time lapse mode while this mode is great for taking time lapses, this is also the mode that you to use to take any photos. Why you say? Because using the cameras ability to capture multiple shots is how you get that amazing photo. My default time lapse mode is 1 photo every second. Take for example selfies just taking a single picture you may miss the perfect moment, this is the digital age. After you have finished capturing the photos just review what you got and delete the bad stuff.
Time lapse mode settings: 0.5 sec, 1 sec, 2 sec, 5 sec, 10 sec, 20 sec, 30 sec, and 60 sec.
Night Mode
Captured using night mode on GoPro HERO4 camera
An amazing lesser know feature on GoPro cameras is night mode or long exposure mode. Using this mode allows for capture of great low light photos. Having a stable tripod or having the camera mounted on something that does not move is key. Or if you want that streaking light speed look lights and everything not mounted on what the camera is will be blurred or streaking.
Night mode settings: Auto, 2, 5, 10, 15, 20 or 30 second intervals
Burst Mode
Captured using burst mode 30 photos in 1 second.
The GoPro Hero4 Black and Silver cameras can capture up to 30 photos in one second. This mode is great for capturing fast action moments like skateboarding, surfing or playing fetch with the dog. Of all the GoPro photo modes the burst mode is probably the one I experiment with the most. You can capture all kinds of interesting shots such as a water balloon breaking.
Burst mode settings:
30 photos/1 sec (Default), 30/2 sec, 30/3 sec, 30/6 sec
10 photos/1 second, 10/2 sec, 10/3 sec
5 photos/1 sec
3 photos/1 sec
Single Photo
single photo mode this is my default mode that I set all my GoPro cameras to for general use. It is just like having your GoPro as a normal camera.
