"Water Hole" GoPro Selfie

Hello everyone, this is my first instructable, hope you like it.

In Italy we have an expression "fare un buco nell'acqua" (literally, to do a hole in the water) which means "to fail", "to flop". Why? Maybe because it is useless and almost impossible to make a hole in water. But..are we sure about it?

The idea of this project comes from an image I saw time ago on the internet, with no explanation or credits. Probably it was caught randomly but still impressive: a selfie shot from a hole in water. Such a great effect! Water was sort of a frame surrounding the subjects.

That is why I thought to build a "GoPro contraption", as I call them, to replicate and improve that effect.

It works more or less like this: submerging the camera with a rapid movement, it will "cut" a hole on the surface of water for an instant, just before water itself covers the cam and closes the hole. We want to capture exactly that moment. So..let's do it!

Two more little information:

• I usually build my projects with materials I have at home, this is my way but you could find many other methods to connect parts together.
• If you want to try this effect before building the whole mount, you can skip all steps and go directly to the last one "Step 8: Previous Versions".

Step 1: Materials and Tools

Materials:

• GoPro or similar action cam
• GoPro selfie stick or pole
• 2 GoPro thumb screws
• 1/4'' female tripod adapter
• 1/4'' male tripod adapter
• Adjustable locking nut

• CD or DVD you don't use anymore
• Water hose rubber gasket (5mm hole, 3mm thikness)
• 2 big washers
• 60x65 pre-drilled L bracket
• M5x15 flat head screw
• M5 wing nut

Tools:

• Drill with 7mm bit

Step 2: Enlarge L Bracket Hole

We need to enlarge angular bracket hole in order to allow 1/4'' male adapter screw to pass through it.

Clamp your angular bracket with a vise and enlarge hole 3 on the long side (view image for reference) with the drill and the 7mm bit.

Step 3: Connect CD to the Bracket

The aim of the CD is "to dig" an almost perfectly round hole in water, compared to the one that will result by submerging the camera only.

The flat head of the M5 screw allow us to maintain the cam very close to the CD.

So, position the screw through hole 1, with the head on the internal side. Then on the other side, place in order: a washer, the CD, the other washer and lock all with the M5 wing nut. Doing it, try to center the CD on the bracket.

Step 4: Connect the Adapters

We need two GoPro mounts, one for the cam and the other for the selfie stick.

So, position 1/4'' female adapter on the upper side of the enlarged hole 3, then, on the lower side, put in order: the rubber gasket (it will provide enough thickness and grip to lock all in position), the adjustable locking nut and the 1/4'' male adapter, screwing it to the female one.

Keep in mind that the two adapters must face the same direction.

Optional

If you don't mind to modify it, you could simply shorten the screw of the male adapter at the right size to avoid the use of adjustable locking nut and rubber gasket.

Step 5: Connect the Cam and the Stick

Simply connect the cam on the female adapter with one thumb screw and selfie stick to the male adapter with the other one.

Camera should be almost perpendicular to the selfie stick, as you see in the images.

Congratulations, you have done it!

Optional

If you want to give a neater finish to your project, you could cut the excess from the L bracket and round the edges with a flat file.

Step 6: How to Set Up Your Cam

You need to capture a very short moment, so you have two choices to set up your cam.

• Video mode: choosing a very high framerate, you will have lots of frames with the hole effect.
• Burst photo mode: you will probably have higher resolution images but less frames to choose from.

Step 7: How to Shoot

Stand in shallow water, possibly with sunlight in front of you, keeping the CD parallel to the water surface.

Then, with a rapid movement, submerge it. If you are doing it right, you will hear a sort of "blop" sound.

Try it several times, so you can choose between more frames and you will find surely the right one.

Play with position, backdrop and light to shoot every time a completely different image. Good luck!

Step 8: Previous Versions

If you want to try this effect before building all the mount, you could simply attach the CD to the back of the cam with few elastic bands, maybe engraving little carvings on the CD border with a small file in order to keep bands in position.

Comments

[techicreate]

Thanks Gibetto for sharing this beautiful things with us.your creativity is awesome.

I love you project and I will also give my vote to you.

Thanks for sharing this awesome things. So,keep sharing this type of things with us.

[gibetto]

Thank you very much!

[winneremerald12]

Voted. Voted. Voted. Voted.

[gibetto]

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[winneremerald12]

XD

Wish I could vote more than once. I’ll see if I can get my friends to vote. Some have accounts on here. ;)

[gibetto]

It would be great, thanks a lot!

[tisaconundrum]

Huh. This is interesting. I would have stuck a camera at the bottom of a clear plexy glass tube and called it good.

[gibetto]

You could also try this technique!

[necchiom]

Well done! Very nice idea: I will try it at "Ferragosto"...

[gibetto]

Thank you, let me know about how it goes

[TheOriginalNerd]

When I first saw these pictures, I thought they were taken during the flush of a toilet. (Sorry, but someone was going to say it. I might as well.)
Neat effect though. Thanks for sharing!

[gibetto]

Hahaha thank you

[winneremerald12]

Wow...didn’t even think about it like that until you said so.

[MillennialDIYer]

Someday, hundreds of years from now, someone will find this is buried somewhere in some ruins, and will reach a pretty interesting conversations about humans in 2018... ;D

[gibetto]

Hahaha thank you

[Matlek]

Cool idea, to take unusual selfies!

[gibetto]

Thank you!

[audreyobscura]

What a cool effect! I'm fond of how the water distorts the light and makes a frame around the image. This is a perfect first Instructable! Great job!!

[gibetto]

Thanks!

[Penolopy Bulnick]

That's a neat idea! I love the way those selfies look :)