Ready, Camera, Action

This week, we watched two movies that I would not usually consider watching. One was a Danish-Italian film called Toscana and the other was an Australian film called Dirt Music.

In both of these films, the stars were not Hollywood starlets, they were not teenage heartthrobs. They appeared to be everyday people, who have followed their dreams to be actors and actresses.

Their characters weren’t overly made up. Their outfits suited the scene and setting of the story and their characters were more or less ordinary people. Proof that not everyone captured on film needs to look like a supermodel and be a hero.

It got me to thinking, that sometimes we can spend so long preparing for something, that when the moment arrives, it is fleeting…over in a heartbeat.

Depending on what it is though, it may be incredibly memorable…other times, it may feel like we blinked and missed it.

The value of capturing moments

Deciding to take the time and effort to capture moments in life, needs to happen in advance. But, is it worth it? If we want to live in the present, what is the point of capturing the memory…whether it be writing it down, taking a photo or recording a video.

How often do I allocate precious time to reading about what I have already done, looking through my photo albums, or the scrapbooks that took me hundreds of hours to create?

The answer is, not much. But, the fact that they are there, I have written, looked at or made them, means that I remember the actual event with more clarity than the millions of special moments that I didn’t bother to record in some way or other.

That makes it worthwhile…and that is why I will continue to capture some moments.

Deciding to buy a video camera

Recently, I decided to buy a video camera.

This is not my first time having a video camera, but it’s been a while. When my first child was born I bought a Sony Handycam. It was one that you could hold in the palm of your hand, it was still pretty chunky though and weighted a bit.

The film was an actual 8mm film in a cassette. I have some home movies of Oliver as a baby and toddler on the cassettes in the cupboard. One day, I will have to dig them out and get them converted to something that I could watch again.

Though from memory, they were pretty shaky and not easy to watch without feeling a bit ill.

The good thing about a GoPro

Cameras have come a long way since then.

I remember standing mesmerised in front of a store in a shopping centre years ago, watching footage of surfers and skiers doing their thing, often from their perspective.

It felt as though you were the one on the wave. The video was clear and bright, not shaky, and sure didn’t look like a home movie. It was promoting one of the first GoPro cameras….

I did some research online, and discovered that GoPro cameras have built in stablisation, meaning that even if I shake a bit, the image capture does not. Plus, they are designed for action, so they cope with objects that are moving.

And, the new ones are waterproof! That means no more having to charge my phone on a wireless charger for days after using it underwater!

Getting advice from the professionals

I like to support a local business and buy locally when I can, so went to our local camera store and had a chat with the staff. I did not have a lot of time left before we were due to leave on our trip, ordering online could be a bit risky with potential delivery delays.

I also thought there might be an alternative to the well-marketed GoPro. Something that wasn’t the big brand name but maybe an alternate brand that produces just as high a quality product.

The owner of the camera store advised that GoPro have taken over the action camera market, and it is not worth him stocking any other options. There are a few out there still, that can be ordered, however, when it came to quality and features, the GoPro was generally the preferred option.

He also said that GoPro prefers to sell directly to the consumer and price their online product cheaper than he can sell them for, especially when they package them up with accessories.

Deciding that the GoPro would be sufficient for what I need, considering I don’t yet know what that will be, I figured I would give it a shot. I bought a GoPro Hero 10.

Now as we prepare to go on this new adventure with my new action camera I need to work out how to use it. I’m aware of the need for an enjoyable film to have good light and composition and for the sound to be clear. I don’t know how to do all that yet, but I’m sure it will improve with practice.

I’m yet to work out what it is that I want to achieve. Whether it’s just for my memories, which hopefully will last better than the 8mm film, or whether it’s to produce content for the benefit and enjoyment of others, time will tell.

To see what I have been able to capture, edit and publish so far, check out the video gallery!