GoPro Burst Mode – (Capture Photo Bursts While Skiing)
Taking photos of fast moving action in front of a camera lens can be tricky at times. GoPro Burst Mode makes it easier with the right settings to capture the best frame from a sequence of photos.
This article shows how to use Burst Mode with the GoPro Hero 10 mounted to a ski stick as you’ll see from the image directly above. However, you’ll be able to use many of the techniques shown to capture burst photo sequences for other action sports as well.
Burst Mode, What Is It?
The triggering of the cameras shutter which starts a sequence of photos taken in quick succession or a burst of photos as the term suggests.
The Burst Rate menu setting allows you to select the number of photos in the burst. From a maximum of 30 photos to a minimum of 3 are available to select as a burst.
Interval is the period of time in seconds in which the burst of photos is taken. As an example, if you take a look at the picture above you’ll see 10 photos which were captured over 3 seconds.
Hero 10 Burst Rates
Below is a list of all the Burst Rates available for the Hero 10 Black.
- 30 photographs / 10 second interval
- 30 / 6s
- 30 / 3s
- 10 / 3s
- 25 / 1s
- 10 / 1s
- 5 / 1s
- 3 / 1s
Finally, there is an Auto setting which takes up to 25 photos in 1 second depending on the lighting conditions. This means each photo taken in the burst has a unique exposure in auto mode. Whereas with manually set burst rates the exposure is constant throughout the burst.
File Formats
There are 2 file formats available in Burst Mode. JPEG and RAW. Under the Output setting in the Burst Mode Menu you can select between the 2 formats available. Note: JPEG is called “Standard”.
JPEG format takes up less storage space on a micro SD card with the trade off being lower quality due to the extra compression. You can however choose between 3 Field of Views (FOV) with the JPEG format.
The RAW format is not only higher quality of the two formats. it also allows you to adjust the final photographs settings in software such as Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom.
Personally I prefer shooting in RAW format as SD card storage space is rarely at a premium as I always have spare micro SD cards in my GoPro camera bag.
Field Of View
Earlier I mentioned field of view (FOV) settings. When shooting in RAW format you can only set the FOV to Wide. However JPEG format allows the choice between the following 3 FOV.
- Wide
- Linear
- Narrow
In most cases, the camera set to a wide field of view works well. Remember it’s far easier to capture all of the action in frame in a wide field of view.
Delay Timer
This allows you to set the shutter to activate at either a 10 second or 3 second delay which is very useful for getting up to speed when taking part in a fast paced sport such as skiing or mountain biking for example.
10 seconds is enough time to allow you to be at full motion in whichever action you’re participating. Experimentation is very much the key here.
Burst Mode While Snow Skiing
The example I’ve used throughout this article is of me skiing down a mountain (See Photos). You can see the transfer of weight from the downhill ski to the uphill ski as I complete a parallel turn. 10 photos taken over a 3 second time period in this case.
I achieved this by mounting the Hero 10 Black to a ski stick using a Swivel Clamp mount clipped close to the basket of the ski pole.
Setting the delay timer to 10 seconds gave me enough time to gather enough speed down the slope before the camera’s shutter automatically triggered. Over a 3 second period as I was making turns down the fall line the GoPro captured 10 photos.
Final Thoughts
My aim with this article is to give you enough information to try out for yourself the Burst Mode feature on the GoPro camera. It’s all about experimentation.
Have a play with the Burst Rates and the Interval to see which yields the best results for your chosen activity. Lastly, having fun and sharing the results with friends and family is all part of owning a GoPro camera.
