PHOTOGRAPHY
How to Film the Perfect Winter Sports Action Shots
Whether you’re on skis, a snowboard or a sled, keep every rad jump and sick shred in frame and in focus.
In winter, there's nothing more thrilling than hitting the slopes. But between the subzero temperatures, the glare of the snow and the breakneck pace of the action, capturing the perfect powder run or snowboarding video can sometimes be a meaner trick than nailing that triple cork.
That's why we asked professional photographer Mason Mashon (@mason_mashon) to take us out into the Canadian backcountry and show us how he uses the Galaxy Z Fold3 5G to immortalise his winter sports adventures around Whistler Mountain.
How to Film the Perfect Winter Sports Action Shots / @mason_mashon
Just two skis and an S Pen
When you're out in the elements, you don't want to be pulling off thick snow gloves to use your touchscreen. That's why Mashon loves the S Pen Fold Edition for snowy shoots. "The S Pen is incredibly handy for controlling the manual camera functions when it’s too cold to expose your bare hands," Mashon says.
Never miss a fleeting moment
The window to capture a perfect jump in a snowboarding video happens in milliseconds. To save time when it counts, Mashon uses his S Pen to drag the camera features he uses the most (like Pro Video mode, Super Steady, and Slow Motion) to the bottom toolbar in the Camera app, so they're only a tap away. And Mashon has another pro tip for capturing those fleeting moments on the Galaxy Z Fold3 5G. After turning on the ‘Quick launch camera’ option in Advanced Settings, you can double-click the power button to automatically open the camera to your last used settings without unlocking your phone first.
Smooth as ice
There's no need to drag a tripod through the drifts to capture a steady shot. Just open the Galaxy Z Fold3 5G in Flex Mode and place it on a nearby rock or tree trunk to get a shot of your next 1080°. Mashon even has a killer trick for using Flex Mode to create a cinematic effect in your shots: put the Galaxy Z Fold3 5G on a snowboard to create a makeshift dolly that you can slide across the snow as you film.
Lose the rumble, keep the excitement
There's nothing more exciting than racing down a black diamond, but Mashon warns that if you're not careful, any footage you shoot could come back very shaky. That's where the Galaxy Z Fold3 5G's built-in video stabilisation features can help by making even the most frantic powder ride rumble free. And if you need some extra help keeping things in frame, just tap the Super Steady icon to make your footage feel so smooth, it glistens.
Slow it all down
When asked about his top Galaxy Z Fold3 5G feature to use on the mountain, Mashon gets excited. It's all about Slow Motion, which allows him to appreciate all the detail of a winter action shot. "My favourite was a slow-motion video of skier Mark Abma, where I used a tree as a foreground element to reveal the action using a handheld 'dolly' move," he says. "The snow was incredibly deep, and Slow Motion allowed me to capture all the subtleties of riding through such high-quality powder."
Back at the lodge
Every snow adventure eventually ends looking back on the thrills of the day, ideally at a lodge over hot cocoa. After hitting the backwoods of Whistler, Mashon came back to edit the footage he shot on his Galaxy Book Pro 360 “It’s by far the most versatile laptop I’ve ever used,” Mashon says, in part because of the way he can use it in tablet mode with the included S Pen to perfectly calibrate the levels on his footage. “It’s just so intuitive, a truly hands-on experience.”
Ready to hit the slopes?
Bring the right snow gear.
Galaxy Z Fold3 5G
S Pen Fold Edition
Galaxy Book Pro 360
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* Images shown here are for representational purpose only, actual may vary. All features, specifications and prices are subject to change without prior notice. Model availability may vary from location to location.