Monthly Archives: May 2012

We went to Oregon this past weekend and took some Instagram shots of our kids at Three Oaks Amusement Park in Portland. I was struck at how perfectly these retro filters captured the moment. The crap-tastic amusement park rides, faded color, and 70′s hair all perfectly complimented the filter. It could have been me on a ride in the 70′s.

Most of the time I loathe the ill-used filters that are randomly thrown on top of pictures  - how retro can a contemporary gallery exhibit be? Is a piece of toast avand-guard artsy because it has the Pro-X filter? The post “Why I Hate Instagram” pretty much sums it up.  However….I DO like the sharing community aspect, and like any social media tool, it becomes a habit. There’s also some crossover happening in the video world. Clients are asking for the “Instagram” look to be applied to video – sigh….just when DSLR is at the top of its game in quality and color….I understand though, and agree there are instances where it may be appropriate. Cineblur.com features a blog about applying Instagram-style video filters through using LUT’s (look up tables). It gives you instructions on how to download and install the free Magic Bullet LUT Buddy from Red Giant Software (for After Effects and FCP7), and also includes a link to a video tutorial on how to use the filter (watch it – so much better than randomly applying the filters incorrectly). I’ll test it out on some skatepark video I took this weekend with my new 24-70mm f.28 Sigma Lens, which I love it btw- it’s affordable, sharp image, and works well at the low 2.8 fstop (here’s a review, and a great comparison between the Canon, Sigma and Tamron if interested).

The video I shot for Sandcastle web design is up! Click on their link at http://www.sandcastle-web.com/aboutus/default.aspx# to watch it – very happy with how it turned out!

I recently watched a commercial for Windows Phone that impressed me. Customers in the Microsoft store went head to head with the Windows phone rep and tested out how fast their phones were. Of course the Windows phone beat them every time (it IS a Windows phone commercial – watch it HERE). Being a video geek this got me wondering  – just how good is their camera? I am really impressed with the iphone camera and video capabilities -  I rarely take my DSLR on family outings anymore. But my brother has a Windows phone and always brags about the camera and video quality -  could the Windows phone actually be better? The specs on the Windows phone are impressive – the HTC Titan II has a 16 MP, 2.6f 28mm wide-angle lens and records video at 720p HD . In comparison, The iphone 4S has only 8MP but has a lower f-stop with a 2.4f lens (those little f stops are a big deal), and shoots in higher-quality 1080HD video. They seemed to run neck and neck. I needed to see for myself – so I headed down the street to the Microsoft Store in Seattle, and took some test shots and video. I got the friendly sales associates to take a picture and video of me with each phone, then email them to me. I took the original photos and videos and made a little video – the originals are at 100% resolution, and they have NOT been re-touched, compressed (before uploading) or altered (which is slightly embarrassing being that I’m the subject and just came from a run and don’t look…ahem…my best). You can see the photos and video at 200% to see how the image quality performs when it’s blown up. Here are the results:

iphone vs. Windows phone camera test

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As you can see, The Windows phone outperforms the iphone in the camera test hands down. The resolution, pixels, color depth and clarity are all stronger on the Windows phone. My hair looks redder, the color temperature’s a little warmer, and the resolution is simply better. Video was a closer call but I say Windows Phone won there too – again, the colors are richer, the image is clearer and it wins hands-down in resolution when the video is blown up to 200%.  I’m impressed and need to concede to my brother that he has a better camera on his phone.

Guess what else I got to test drive at the Microsoft Store? The not-yet-released Windows 8! I saw the ads, but experiencing it yourself is a totally different experience. As you can see, it’s a tablet…yeah I know….we’ve all seen those before. But guess what? With this tablet, you can do all the ipad-type stuff, then turn around and plug in your keyboard to the USB drive and actually do WORK on it. It’s got a quad Intel processor that can run your office docs and Adobe programs  – pretty sweet.  It’s twice the price of an ipad, but my first thought was “wow, my almost 11-year old wants an ipad for Christmas, but what he really needs is a computer for school – done!” It’s fun and easy to use and I can’t wait to get one when it comes out!

I just shot video for 2 events in the past 2 weeks. One event was a three-day conference, the other was an evening fundraising event.  Both events wanted videos to produce a “sizzle” reel  - a fast-paced, stylish, fun video to promote the event next year and showcase what a blast everyone had at the event this year – very smart and great marketing.  Here are a few tips and tricks I learned from shooting different events that may help you the next time you’re asked to videotape a live event (note* weddings are not included because they are a different beast  - and a future blog)

1. When the client is organized, you are organized. My client held an orientation meeting with me a week before the conference. I was given a thorough description of the conference, their expectations for me, a schedule of events, interview list and specific shot list for each day. Questions were answered and I walked into the conference armed and ready. Good pre-production allows you to be organized, prepared and focused on your work – not running around trying to find the client who has no time for you during the event – do what you can to be prepared.

2. Be Portable. There’s a time and place for extensive light kits, pocket dolly, and potable jibs – conference shooting is not one of them. Crowds, extensive breakout sessions, and constant running around make carrying a ton of gear exhausting and hindering. I use my rig for most of the shooting and make sure I have my tripod set up and ready at least 10-15 minutes before the Keynote speakers – you don’t want to be holding a rig steady for 10-20 minutes while the keynote speaker delivers a speech – have it in the room ahead of time ready to go. An oversized fanny pack can tote your lenses and audio, and my zoom audio recorder, light, and LCD screen were already mounted on the rig.

3. Vary the shots: Getting the shots on the list provided is one thing – getting a great variety of these shots for editors to choose from is another. Being a DSLR shooter, it’s crucial for me to have a wide angle lens, such as a 16-35mm, or a 24-70mm, and either a zoom telephoto like the 70-200mm or a prime lens like the 50mm. Shoot your wide shots – static, pans, whip zoom etc, then throw on your telephoto and get all your close-ups – static, rack focus, tilt – whatever you want. But what if you’re shooting a group of people talking and you know you won’t have time for that? A good all around zoom or your 50mm will be your best best. I would get as close in as I can with the 24-700mm (without sticking the camera in their face and being obnoxious) or stick with the 50mm prime that plays nicely with focus and depth interchangeably. The objective is to get at least 5 varieties of the shot listed so your editor (or you) will have lots to choose from. Make sure each shot is at least 10 seconds long.

4. Work with the light you are given: You will not be able to carry around a light kit. Portable LCD lights are great for spot interviews, but placing someone alongside a window, under a nice tungsten flood light, or even outside if possible, are all great options. Constantly look at where your light source is coming from and adjust your white balance as needed. I adjust the kelvin temp on my DSLR to have a little more control over the light temp and warm it up or cool it down if I like. Of course 2.8f Canon L-series lenses don’t hurt either – every dollar spent on those lower f-stops is worth it when it comes to preserving the image quality of your video.  Conference halls are notoriously dark and many times I have to get in as close as allowed to the speaker – I have no quarms about also going behind the speaker onstage  - stay pretty much backstage and don’t get in their way and it’ll be fine. Noise will be reduced and you’ll get another great shot of the speaker with the audience listening.

5. Check in with someone at beginning, middle, and end of day: Establish during your pre-production meeting who your contact person will be during the event and get their cell number. I like to check in when I arrive to a) cover my own tracks so that there’s no question I arrived on time and b) make sure everything is still on target for the day. Same goes for lunch and end of day. If any questions or problems arise during the event-  a quick text to your contact person will sort things out. Keep check-ins very quick and professional.

6. Back up, back up, back up – I’ve learnt the hard way to carry an army of back up supplies at events where i’ll be shooting alot. Battery charger, laptop computer, portable external hard drive (I love the Lacie Rugged), and card reader – can help you transfer and back up video while you eat lunch. The stress of running out of compact flash cards or battery power is gone and you can shoot to your heart’s content!