Bright blue skies and fair-weather Cumulus clouds at Gullane, in East Lothian, was too good an opportunity not to make another turfing video blog at the coast. However, there was something elemental that would make this quite challenging, the wind. Strong winds from the west together with stinging wind-blown sand, made filming quite difficult but the footage turned out much better than expected. This was almost certainly down to the in-built video stabilization on the GoPro Hero 10 Black making to easier to hand-hold the camera in windy conditions and also deal with gusty wind when tripod mounted.
I was also initially concerned about excessive wind noise but the furry “dead tribble” microphone shield on the wireless microphone transmitter did its job well enough to still show what conditions were actually like on location without drowning out the other audio. On that topic, I solved the problem of the wireless microphone transmitter coming unclipped from the rucksack strap. I drilled a tiny hole in the clip and inserted a short length of cord. This was then looped around the rucksack strap and no more lost microphones!
For those who are interested and who might want to make a similar video blog, all the footage in this video was shot on the GoPro Hero 10 Black, with the following settings:
- Cinematic preset (customised).
- 1080p, 1920 x 1080 screen resolution.
- 30 frames per second.
- Linear plus Horizon Levelling.
- Hypersmooth video stabilization at Boost.
- Screen format 16:9.
The usual Rode Wireless II microphone set was used for audio. I did record some 360-degree footage with the GoPro Max but I’d taken the wrong selfie stick mount, one that was too large a diameter and which left dark areas showing on the clips, rendering them unusable. One small issue I want to resolve is to find a quick way of swapping the GoPro between the 3-way 2.0 hand-held grip/selfie stick to a separate mini tripod. It’s a bit fiddly having to undo the screw each time. A quick release method would be better.
And finally, the grassy areas around Aberlady Bay and Gullane are notorious for ticks and with the start of the mild weather, that means the start of the tick season. Always give yourself the once over and check for ticks when you get home. A mirror and a good torch make finding the little blighters so much easier. For added fun enlist the help of a family member, trusted friend or anyone who takes your fancy. All the best. More turf video adventures soon.
Copyright ©2023 Gary Buckham. All rights reserved.
