My impression is that the camera is only controlled when there is a gimbal present. I have a Gopro 4 Black - I can turn on the camera and push record for video. But I haven't gotten it to take a still picture.
I to have a 3+ black with a gimble. With that setup just set the camera to photo and click away. If no gimble the GoPro can be set on the ground to take a photo at several different intervals. In any case do not use the GoPro remote for anything while in the air.