You have a GoPro camera? If so, what do you use it for? What do you shoot with it? Be honest, do you actually strap it to your helmet, surfboard, skateboard, bike, motorcycle, or dog and capture that super awesome POV GoPro footage you see in all those super awesome promo videos? Or do you just use it as a small handheld video camera when you're on vacation like, I would hazard a guess, most of us do? Have I strapped my GoPro onto moving objects? Of course! Do I do it very often...alas, no. 

What I DO use my GoPro for is to capture footage when I'm at sporting events, and since the majority of sporting events I go to are cycling and skateboarding events, the GoPro camera is a perfect little camera to get the epic footage that I'm looking for, whether it be a cool close up of a skater blasting out of a bowl, or a mountain biker launching off of a jump, or a cyclocross racer sloshing through the mud. The little GoPro is perfect size for me to carry in my pocket when I'm on site, and allows me to pull it out and shoot some footage while I have my SLR in my other hand. I have a good SLR camera that shoots good 4K footage, but really, unless I have a 10-20mm lens on it, the 70-200mm I usually have on it, is not THAT conducive to shooting footage. I find that the GoPro has amazing capabilities to shoot what I need, and if you have one of the latest models, like anything from the Hero 8 Black to newer, you can dial in the right lens "look" (super wide, wide, linear, etc) and frame rates (up to 240fps) to get the look you want. For my stuff, I almost ALWAYS shoot in 2.7K, Wide, 120fps. I'd shoot in 4K 120fps, but I use the Hero 8 Black and the highest frame rate it does in 4K is 60fps, which will STILL get you good slow motion footage, but 120fps is SO MUCH FUN!  2.7K is still high enough resolution to allow you to crop in, or do some moving around of the footage in post if you want, and since 99% of my stuff is going up on Stock Footage sites, or Youtube, I export it in 1080p anyway. 

Here are some examples of some of the stuff I've shot with my GoPro:

On a very wet and soggy day out shooting a cyclocross bike race. I figured if the racers have to race through calf high water, then I might as well get in there with them. Good thing I brought my boots. ;) This is a perfect example of why the GoPro cameras are great for using as just video cameras. You can shoot in pretty much ANY weather conditions. 

A great example of how shooting at 120 frames per second allows me to slow the footage down to 24fps and achieve super smooth action. A photographer at the same event was using a handheld Godox strobe while he shot photos, and this produced the "happy accident" of my footage capturing his flash, allowing me to freeze my footage for a super cool "pause" in the frontside air the skater was doing.

For this one, I had my GoPro on a Zhiyun action camera gimbal and ran backwards as these cyclocross racers headed to, and over, the little jump ramp on the course. The beauty of the small gimbal and compact nature of the GoPro, makes it super easy to get these sorts of shots. 

So as you can see, I am a firm believer in using my GoPro camera as "just a video camera" when I'm out and about at these sporting events. If you attend sporting events as a photographer, either "on the job", or just for your own enjoyments, I highly recommend either bring your GoPro, or picking one up to shoot footage and add to your personal portfolio, stock offerings, or to your clients as another asset. They are super easy to use, very portable and produce great footage.

Now grab your GoPro and get out there and shoot! 

After a 4 year hiatus, the legendary Gastown Grand Prix, in the historic area of Vancouver, Canada known as Gastown, returned in 2023. This was the 50th anniversary of this amazing Criterium bike race and judging by the number of photographers lining the course, it appeared that a lot of us were SUPER happy that it was back in action.

I've covered this race as an earnest photographer going back to 2016, and have come away with some pretty good photos, some prints of which I sell in my Etsy Shop and here on my website, and this year, I went out to try and capture the race a little differently. Meaning I wanted to try and capture the ambiance and the "feel" of the race, and went out of my way to include the crowds, the locale, and the general "feeling" of what was happening in front of my lens. For this endeavou, I packed my trusty Tamron 70-200 f2.8, my Sigma 10-20 f4-5.6 and my Pentax 50 f1.8. I shot with the 70-200 mostly, to try and get shots "through the crowds", from a bit of a distance, and to try and isolate some of riders from both the foreground and the background. For this, I shot at mostly f2.8-f4 max with that lens. 

Here are some of the images that I think came out pretty well. I've got a full gallery of photos from this race in my Portfolio section of my site, feel free to check it out!

For more insights and stuff, be sure to check out my Youtube Channel

Thanks for reading, now get out there and SHOOT! 

You've heard of Go Skateboarding Day, haven't you? No? Well, lemme explain it to you. Go Skateboarding Day grew out of the All Star City Skate Jam in New York, back in 2002. It was renamed to Go Skateboarding Day in 2004, and is, in  nutshell, when a whole whack of skateboarders get together in their respective communities and, well, go skateboarding! Local organizations put on events throughout the day at skateparks, plazas, bowls, or wherever they want to skate. As the day progresses, the mass crowds of skateboarders skate from spot to spot, having a grand ole time doing what they love doing; Skateboarding!  

I'm an old skateboarder who still likes to get on the board every now and then (when my fragile ankles will allow it), and skate around. But what I REALLY love to do is photograph skateboarding. Coming from a skateboarding background, I like to think I know how to capture the action as it's unfolding and knowing where the sweet spot of the trick is going to be, so I can be in the right position to get the best shot I can. 

Go Skateboarding Day in Vancouver this year was a blast. The skaters were awesome, the weather was great, and the skate spots were some of the most iconic spots in the city. 

Here are a few of the shots I managed to come away with:

False Creek Curbs

False Creek Curbs (parking lot)

Victory Square

Victory Square

Victory Square

Vancouver Art Gallery

Vancouver Art Gallery

Queen Elizabeth Theatre

If you've never tried photographing skateboarding, I highly recommend it to not only hone your skill set as an action sports photographer, but to maybe get out of your comfort zone and try something new. The action is fast and sometimes unpredictable, but trying to capture these things will help you understand your camera bit more, make you play around with your settings and ultimately make you a better photographer. 

Now get out there and shoot! 

All of these images and more are available for digital download Here.

Be sure to check out my YouTube channel for more awesome stuff!