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Day 100 of 365

by Hannah|on May 4, 2012 |in Lifestyle, Photography |tagged 365 project, iphone, lifestyle, photography |Leave a comment

I’ve previously talked about my interest and inspiration for starting a 365 photography project and yesterday I uploaded my 100th photo. It feels like quite an achievement and I look forward to at least finishing the year but who knows where it will stop.

I eventually started on the 20th January 2012. A principal reason for starting was to improve my photography skills but I think I’m already beginning to enjoy having a photographic record of the last few months. Just by seeing one image your mind can be jogged to remember events from the whole day.

I made a decision to only take photos on my iphone 4S as I wanted to keep the project pretty simple. Something which could easily be integrated into daily life rather than becoming too much of a chore. Using only my iphone means I’m limited in terms of improving my technical photography skills but I’m hoping it will help train my ‘photographer’s eye’. Maybe next year I can start again with a DSLR.

See the whole set on Flickr

Permalink to Action Camera Review: GoPro HERO2

Action Camera Review: GoPro HERO2

by Hannah|on April 13, 2012 |in Adventure, Film Making, Photography, Reviews |tagged action camera, Adventure, GoPro, outdoor, photography, Swann Freestyle HD, timelapse, web video |1 Comment

The action camera market is getting busier and there are some great products out there. I’ve recently taken on the role of ‘video expert’ for Outdoors Magic which means over the next few months I’ll be putting a variety of action cameras to the test and writing up a reviews with lots of test footage. I’m on a mission to find out which provides the best all round package for your money. Check out my first review which was of the Swann Freestyle HD action camera.

I’ve been using the GoPro HERO Original since summer of 2011 and have had a lot of fun with it biking in the Alps, paddling in Sweden and messing about on the trails at home. It’s allowed some great shots without the worry of smashing up the DSLR. It’s even got me all excited about DIY and we recently made a GoPro cable cam which became GoPro’s official video of the day back in March.

As one of the first action cameras on the scene the GoPro HD cameras receive a lot of love from their very strong fan base. GoPro users are swapping tips, sharing videos and helping each other out like no other action camera community.

How does the GoPro HD HERO2 really compare to other action cameras on the market?

At £299.99 the HERO2 isn’t the cheapest action camera option but the it does come in three different packages, the Surf, the Outdoor, and the Motorsports Edition. They all cost the same but each one comes with sport specific accessories. The Motorsport comes with a suction cup mount, the Surf with board mounts with keeper leashes and the Outdoor with helmet and head mounts. I was sent the surf edition which suited me fine as I have a lot of the other mounts already.

The surf edition kit includes: HD HERO2 Camera, battery, USB cable, surf HERO mount, FCS plug mount, floaty backdoor, waterproof housing, non-waterproof wrist mount compatible housing back, 4 assorted adhesive mounts.

So what’s new in the HERO2.

Billed as ‘2x more powerful in every way’ they certainly promoting it as a major overhaul to it’s predecessor the HD HERO Original. On inspection it’s the same square little camera with the same buttons and the same mounting options. What seems to have changed is what’s in the little box.

HERO Original and HERO2 comparison

The HERO Original is fairly simple to use however I found it essential to carry the instruction book around as I don’t have a photographic memory and the 3 digit code menu system is a touch confusing to say the least. The new unit has a vastly improved

Action Camera Review: Swann Freestyle HD

by Hannah|on April 12, 2012 |in Adventure, Film Making, Reviews |tagged action camera, GoPro, Swann Freestyle HD, web video |4 Comments

I’ve recently taken on the role of ‘video expert’ for Outdoors Magic which means over the next few months I’ll be putting a variety of action cameras to the test and writing up a reviews with lots of test footage. First up is the Swann Freestyle HD.

There’s been a positive boom in the number of action sports cameras over the last few years. Whilst the GoPro HERO seems to dominate the market there are many other models worth your attention. I recently got my hands on a Swann Freestyle HD and I was excited to put it to the test. I had heard a few good things and at £279.99 it’s certainly competitively priced. I was looking forward to playing with the extra features such as the remote control, voice activated recording (VOX) and the laser transmitter to help line up shots.

Performance

To help familiarise myself with the camera and test it’s many features I devised two tests which would highlight the cameras performance in different scenarios.

My first test – There was snow on the ground and the skies were blue. It was a great day to test the Freestyle HD’s performance in almost perfect lighting conditions on a relatively low level adventure. I attached the camera to the GoPro chesty mount and filmed random shots as I went for a walk in the Peak District. I shot all footage in 1080p which on the Freestyle HD is always a 130° view.

Before you watch the footage it’s worth mentioning my obvious error, which was to have the time and date stamp switched to ‘on’. To make matters worse there is a known trick to record footage upside down to get the best angle when using the chesty mount, however the Swann Freestyle HD doesn’t have the same upside down option as the GoPro camera so I intended to rotate the footage by 180° in postproduction. Of course the upside down date stamp makes the video look a little confusing.

Bright blue, cloudless skies, provided perfect conditions for filming and I can confidently say the Freestyle HD captured crisp images comparable to the most well regarded action cameras. I think it also coped really well with the contrast of the snowy landscape maintaining good exposure (or at least adjusting quickly) throughout. Occasionally the colour saturation can

Little by little, one travels far

by Hannah|on April 4, 2012 |in Adventure, Bikes, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Photography, Travel |tagged Adventure, bikepacking, Biking, GoPro, lifestyle, mtb, outdoor, photography, travel, Wales |Leave a comment

Permalink to Bikepacking & Bivvy Kit List

Bikepacking & Bivvy Kit List

by Hannah|on March 31, 2012 |in Adventure, Bikes, Camping |tagged Adventure, bikepacking, Biking, bivvy, mtb, outdoor, Wales |Leave a comment

We learnt a lot from our first unsuccessful bikepacking adventure back in February. With an almost perfect weather forecast we thought it about time we embarked on our second and more successful attempt. Here’s our basic bikepacking and bivvy kit list for a 2 day trip to Wales. We we’re packing for an unseasonably warm and dry couple of days in March.

Osprey Hornet 32 pack
Rab Ridge Raider Bivvy
Mountain Hardwear Womens Laminar 20 Sleeping bag
Silk sleeping bag liner
Arc’teryx Alpha SL waterproof jacket
Arc’teryx Atom LT Hoody insulated jacket
Icebreaker 200 thermal top
Woolly Hat
Sunglasses
3 litre water reservoir
3/4 Thermorest
Pocket Rocket MSR stove
Gas canister
MSR Titanium Kettle

Titanium spoon
Dehydrated Stroganoff, White Mouse dessert and porridge
Water purification tablets
Energy Gels
Map
Petzl head torch
GoPro HERO 2 Camera & spare battery
GoPro Chesty Mount
Multitool
Bike repair & spares kit including: chain link, brake pads, break cable, inner tube, tyre pump, tyre levers, tool, tyre bootie

Not included in the photo because I forgot but we also took suncream, warm gloves and a hip flask of whiskey. All in all our kit list worked really well and weighed in at approx 8kg including 3 litres of water.

Permalink to GoPro Video of the Day!

GoPro Video of the Day!

by Hannah|on March 28, 2012 |in Adventure, Bikes, Film Making |tagged action camera, Adventure, awesome, Biking, cable cam, DIY, GoPro, mtb, outdoor, screenshot |Leave a comment

I had a pretty big grin on my face yesterday when GoPro discovered our DIY Cable Cam Video and made it their ‘Video of the Day’. We had 26.3K views yesterday and people are still watching!

Permalink to Snow Bike at the Chill Factore

Snow Bike at the Chill Factore

by Hannah|on March 24, 2012 |in Adventure, Bikes, Video |tagged action camera, Adventure, Biking, DIY, GoPro, manchester, mtb, snow bike, snowscoot, web video, winter |Leave a comment

One Friday morning we had an hour to film our mates who had just built themselves a ski bike. The Chill Factore (a.k.a. the Manchester Alps) were very kindly letting us test the bike out on their slopes before the centre opened. We didn’t have long to film but we made use of unusual angles and lots of gadgetry. We filmed using a Panasonic GH2 & GoPro HERO’s 1 & 2.

About the bike: The idea was to make a mountain bike into something capable of sliding down pistes, and snow covered hills, in such a way that the bike could turn back into a bike, and also ideally the result should not be catastrophic failure, injury to rider or other snow users etc. It was a big success and a lot of fun.

Permalink to How to make your own lightweight GoPro DIY Cable Cam

How to make your own lightweight GoPro DIY Cable Cam

by Hannah|on March 21, 2012 |in Adventure, Film Making |tagged action camera, awesome, cable cam, GoPro, How-to, mtb, outdoor, Swann Freestyle HD |26 Comments

We’ve experimented with DIY Cable Cams a little over the last 12 months. Our first attempt was back in March 2011 when we used our Panasonic GH1 and 10mm semi static rope as our ‘cable’. It worked a treat. In the following few months we received quite a few comments about a potential lighter weight model that would be ideal for filming on-the-go. In response we’ve put together a new model for use with a GoPro HERO camera (but you could use any other action camera or light weight model).

Lightweight DIY GoPro Cable Cam Video

by Hannah|on March 20, 2012 |in Adventure, Film Making, Video |tagged action camera, Biking, cable cam, GoPro, mtb, outdoor, web video |4 Comments

We set ourselves a new goal to build a smooth light weight cable cam that is small enough to fit in your day pack and able to accomodate a GoPro HERO or similar action camera. And after a little experimentation I think we have finally achieved what we set out to do. There’s still a few improvements we could make but overall we’re happy with the results.

We’ve experimented with DIY Cable Cams a little over the last 12 months. Our first attempt was back in March 2011 when we used our

Permalink to What is an Action Camera?

What is an Action Camera?

by Hannah|on March 15, 2012 |in Adventure, Film Making |tagged action camera, Adventure, GoPro, outdoor, photography, Swann Freestyle HD, web video |Leave a comment

Outdoors Magic Article

I recently wrote this article as an introduction to action cameras for Outdoors Magic but thought it was worth sharing here too. If you’re interested in adventure outdoor filmmaking or not entirely sure what an action camera is then read on.

Choices can be overwhelming when looking for a camera to film (and photograph) your various outdoor adventures. But it doesn’t matter if you’re sport of choice is hiking, climbing, paddling or biking there will be an option suitable. There’s no easy answer in terms of which is the best camera to use to capture adventures but a great place to start is by considering the growing market of action cameras.

What do I mean by action cameras?

Small lightweight cameras designed for use as a rugged, multi-purpose HD sports cameras. On the whole action cameras are super easy to use. They are generally point and shoot and won’t require any manual focusing. That said there is a lot of variation in functionality, video quality and how easy or intuitive the different cameras are to operate. In the past I’ve found the menu systems on some to be more than a little confusing.

There is a vast array of mounts available on the market for many of the action cameras. Mounts provide the potential for interesting angles and the ability to film hands free whilst you’re doing your sport. Ultimately it’s the mounts that make action cameras so

Delivery of New GoPro HERO 2

by Hannah|on March 7, 2012 |in Film Making, Reviews |tagged action camera, GoPro, photography |Leave a comment

A new GoPro HERO 2 arrived in the post today from Madison. I’ll be putting it through it’s paces to see how it compares to it’s predecessor and other action camera models. I’ve been sent the surf edition which suits me as I have most of the other mounts and I look forward to seeing the Floaty Backdoor in action. Once I’ve had a play I’ll be writing a review for Outdoors Magic which I’ll also post up here.

The surf edition kit includes: HD HERO2 Camera, battery, USB cable, surf HERO mount, FCS plug mount, floaty backdoor, waterproof housing, non-waterproof wrist mount compatible housing back, 4 assorted adhesive mounts.

Permalink to Granted a Permit to Paddle the Grand Canyon River

Granted a Permit to Paddle the Grand Canyon River

by Hannah|on February 27, 2012 |in Adventure, Paddling, Travel, Video |tagged action camera, Adventure, awesome, Colorado River, Grand Canyon, outdoor, paddling, rafting, travel, USA, whitewater |2 Comments

Six months ago I sent Patrick an email with the title ‘Paddle Down the Grand Canyon’. And on the very next line I wrote;

I NEED to do this. I have set a calendar alarm for February and we should apply each year until we get it! There’s some pretty big rapids.’

And that’s how it started.

But we didn’t have to apply each year because only a few weeks after entering our first US National Parks Lottery for non-commercial Grand Canyon permits we were told we had been successful. I was grinning from ear to ear and so was Patrick. We opened a bottle of champagne to celebrate. It’s only been a couple of days since we found out and we’ve done a lot of internet research in those few days. Occasionally I have doubts along the lines of ‘can we really do this’ but deep down I know we have to and it will be AWESOME!

Patrick and I had been planning a big trip for a while. We’re getting