As I had previously mentioned (in the article titled, “Uncharted Territory”),we are experimenting with adding digital video, a service that will probably be of growing importance in commercial photography. To that end, we have made some progress. As I mentioned in the earlier article, we have picked up a Nikon D7000 and now I have taken a great class on video given by Jem Schofield of the C47. We worked through the processes of creating great content with video. Video can be great way to communicate with customers and build brand awareness. Unless you’re lucky enough to have two cute english boys biting one another’s fingers, you have to put some work into these things.
I realized, at the seminar, that only a few of my skills in still photography can help me in video production. The steepest part of the learning curve for me might be follow focus. In the studio, I normally focus once and never have to mess with the focus until it’s time to set up another shot. Keeping your subject in focus while it moves, all the while handling the camera can be a real challenge. And I never had to think about recording good sound. I have been looking at some kit to make the transition easier. I did pick up a Hoodman Cinema Kit Pro to help setting up the shot comfortably. There’s still quite a bit of gear that I’d like. When you’ve got the whole rig, the camera becomes the cheap part. I’ll probably rent some of this stuff for a while until I find out if I have any marketable skills.
