Nick Woodman, the 37-year-old CEO of GoPro, was recently named one of Forbes' young billionaires. His moneymaker has revolutionized the world of travel photography and videography. The HERO3, the latest release from GoPro, is a hands-free mountable camera that you can wear on your head, your chest, the handlebars of your bike, your surfboard...the possibilities go on and on.
Surfing with GoPro — Photo courtesy of Gordon Tarpley
Inspiration for the camera came on a surfing trip to Australia in 2002, when Woodman found himself wishing for a camera he could use to record his surfing exploits to show his buddies. The idea was a good one, and GoPro managed to sell three million $200 to $400 cameras in a period of just three years, making Woodman one of the country's youngest billionaires.
GoPro after a paintball game — Photo courtesy of Gordon Tarpley
Since those first disposable strap-on surfing cameras were sold, GoPro's mountable, waterproof cameras have traveled at Mach 5 speeds, surfed 100-foot waves, dove out of airplanes and recorded history making moments, like Felix Baumgartner's record breaking skydive from space – he wore five GoPros.
Puppy cam — Photo courtesy of Richard Masoner / Cyclelicious
To Woodman, these tiny point-of-view recorders reach beyond just adventure travel. The young inventor strapped one on his chest to record the birth of both his sons, highlighting the possibility of reliving life-changing moments from a first-person perspective instead of third.