Have you had a chance yet to check out any of the new wearable cameras like what’s available from companies like GoPro? For fans of awesome first-person footage shot in high definition, this technology is truly the bee’s knees. I can only imagine what some of the my favorite ’80s and ’90s fish-eye skateboard videos would have looked like if they had the GoPro around then as opposed to these bulky things.
In honor of this new brand of camera and video technology, we are counting down our favorite and most popular uses for it. So, without further ado:
1) Aerial photography
No matter how the shot is taken – whether it’s thanks to a drone, a pet eagle or something else with wings – the aerial photography that these kinds of cameras can facilitate is simply awe-inspiring and breathtaking. You get all of the visuals of skydiving but without the white-knuckle fear or the waivers. You can keep taking Instagram pics from your airplane window seats – we’ll take this aerial photography any day of the week.
“I love the creativity of it and then the surprise of seeing the shots I got when I get the copter back to the ground,” said drone aviator and aerial photography enthusiast Jody Johnson, according to The Daily Record. “Things look different from above and it’s especially fun to see people’s responses to the pictures.”
“It’s hard not to be wowed by wearable cameras.”
Yes, it can be a little creepy knowing that tiny robots or birds in the sky are recording and photographing you without your knowledge. But, when you see the final footage and gain a point of view that was previously unobtainable, it’s hard not to be wowed.
2) Real-time sports action
As you can guess from our previously stated love of dated skateboard videos, this point probably should not come as too much of a surprise. Of course enthusiasts of skateboarding and other extreme sports have already embraced this technology (I mean, just look at this video – it’s like you’re flying!). But, they are far from the only athletes to be showing off the full potential of these videos:
- Thanks to wearable cameras, some of the best skiers in the world get even better at their sport by being able to track body movement with new detail, according to Wired.
- If you thought hockey was already an exhilarating sport, just wait until you see what happens when players strap cameras to themselves and hit the ice. The National Hockey League earlier this year signed an agreement with GoPro to outfit players with cameras, and already the partnership is yielding big dividends for rabid fans. If you don’t believe us, then check out this video ASAP.”Together we will push the boundaries of video content production in hockey and provide fans of the sport with unique, immersive perspectives of the game that they’ve never seen before, from players and officials to in-goal and rink side,” said Todd Ballard, Senior Director of Lifestyle Marketing at GoPro.
- Think sailing is a leisurely and relaxing sport? Well, yeah, sometimes it is, but as this footage of the Oracle Team USA sailing team shows, it can be an exciting and thrilling activity too. Let’s just say that this footage is the closest we’ll ever get to trying to get a boat to travel 50 miles per hour across San Francisco Bay.
This is just the tip of the iceberg too, we think, as far as what wearable cameras can bring to sports. Imagine seeing a big hit in football up close or a soccer ball come toward you during an important penalty. Heck, it might even make baseball or lawn bowling less boring!
Wearable cameras can make any sporting event a lot more exciting.
3) Better concert footage
Back in our day, you needed to wait until the epic concert movie came out if you ever wanted to relive a major musical experience in the comfort of your own home. That all changed, however, when smartphones began to replace lighters as the audience participation instrument of choice. But, if you’ve ever tried watching the shaky concert footage most phones churn out – or been stuck behind that one jerk who takes pictures in front of your face for the entire show – then you know that smartphones are frankly not ideal for any musical event.
Enter wearable cameras. With this technology, you can get crystal clear videos and pictures of your friends and favorite artists without bothering your concert-going neighbors. Plus, as these videos from Tomorrowland and of this piano-playing aficionado show, wearable cameras can give you a bird’s-eye view of what the musician sees during a show. If you’ve ever been stuck staring at the big screen during a major festival then you know how exciting this application can be.
These are just some of the amazing capabilities offered by wearable cameras. To see what else we included in this list, be sure to check out Part 2 of this series.
