Recent Videography Articles

Contentious Retouching Just Got Easier: How to Use the Face-Aware Liquify Tool

Beauty and fashion retouching has been controversial for so long that some of the argument's ground has been conceded. For example, skin retouching is rarely debated anymore and it's merely a "given" that someone in an advert or magazine will have had their skin corrected. However, criticizing body manipulation in Photoshop is very much still in vogue (if you'll excuse that glorious pun).

Life in the Future with Google Glass

The hilariously creative people over at Grovo (gogorovo on YouTube) posted this video yesterday showing what life may look like in the future of GWC photography/videography if Google Glass ever becomes the next big innovation it claims to be. While it's obvious that this is just some tongue in cheek humor, I'd imagine that as with any popular product with a built-in camera someone will try to find their niche (ever see someone taking photos with an iPad?) and soon youtube will be flooded with videos of wedding photographers running around the ceremony staring at people.

Five Hacks to Creating Cinematic Looking Video Without Breaking the Bank

Modern DSLR and mirrorless cameras are capable of shooting razor sharp footage in spectacular 4k 60fps and up. But how do you give your footage a cinematic feel without purchasing pricey anamorphic lenses and professional cinema cameras? Fstoppers is here to help with five great hacks to achieving a cinematic feel to your video without spending a small fortune.

Canon EOS RP Versus Sony a6400 Video Showdown

These two newly released mirrorless cameras have a lot to offer, and between them there are compelling trade offs that make it harder to decide where to invest. Here's a breakdown of how they compare for video.

How To Get Hired By Creative Agencies - Interview With Creative Director: Scott Wallace

Most photographers looking to advance their commercial photography careers come to the realization that in order to score the big jobs, they need to work with creative agencies. The question is, how does a photographer get those agency gigs? I sat down with Associate Creative Director Scott Wallace of Magner Sanborn to discuss the creative agency/photographer relationship and what we can do as photographers to get noticed and ultimately get hired.

Will the Panasonic S5's New Firmware Kill the S1H?

Panasonic is overlooked in a number of areas in the industry, but video is certainly not one of them. With this latest firmware upgrade, could Panasonic be cannibalizing their own more expensive camera though?

Testing the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 Against Nikon's f/1.8 Primes

Last year Sigma made history when they released an 18-35mm zoom with a wicked-fast f/1.8 aperture. Up until then, the fastest wide-to-normal zoom you could get for your crop-sensor camera was something in the neighborhood of a 17-55mm f/2.8 (more than a full stop slower than the current offering from Sigma). In this video from The Camera Store TV, the new Sigma glass is tested against Nikon's fabulous f/1.8G wide-angle prime lineup.

Edelkrone Releases the 'World's Smartest 2-Axis Motion Control System'

In the quest to achieve smooth panning shots for cinematographers everywhere, there are several different methods and tools to use. Usually, if you want to do a targeted curved panning shot around your subject, you would have to set up a track and dolly system. With the advancement in drones, you can now use those for outdoor shots, but what if you wanted something that didn’t require as much space and work indoors?

A Crash Course in Video Color Grading with DaVinci Resolve

If you’ve been working with video in the last few years and are looking to take your post-production to the next level, color grading absolutely needs to be something you consider incorporating into your workflow. DaVinci Resolve is not only a powerful software for doing this, but it's base version is actually free for anyone.

5 Affordable Pieces of Gear Every Video Camera Rig Needs

Not too long ago, I remember going through a phase when the process of building up a camera rig was, for me, the most exciting part of owning gear. My decisions were based less on functionality, and more on the question of “will this item make my rig look more like a cinema camera?” Big and bulky was the order of the day, and if people ever advised cliches like: “the best camera you have is the one that’s on you” or “it’s not about what gear you have, it’s about how you use it,” their advice was taken with a pinch of salt.

Powerful Video Filters: Warp Stabilizer

As filmmakers, we often find ourselves in less-than-perfect circumstances; we may be losing sunlight at the end of a shoot or trying to capture a fleeting moment before it disappears. Often times you’ll find that you've captured great moments with an undesirable camera shake. I've found myself in this situation countless times and I want to share something that has changed the way I deal with shaky footage.

A Guide to Secret Features on the Sony a7S III

When a feature-packed camera that has been long awaited and 5 years in the making finally comes, there might be some amazing features that are overshadowed by the overall specifications of the camera.

Panasonic Quietly Release Details for EVA1, a 5.7K Video Camera with EF Mount

Just a few days ago we got information on the new Canon C200, a 4K video camera with a number of interesting features including internal raw recording. While people were scoping the new Canon camera and talking about how it fit into the market with BlackMagic and Sony products, there was no mention of Panasonic for good reason – they didn't offer a feature-rich 4K capable camera, with interchangeable lenses, around the $7,500 mark. But coming this fall, that's going to change with the AU-EVA1.

RED Epic Dragon First Look and Dynamic Range Tests

Magnanimous Media posted a video detailing some of RED's newest technology as they go through the performance of the sensor in the new 6K-capable Epic Dragon. In what is perhaps one of the most interesting and visually appealing ways to display RAW and ungraded vs. graded footage, Magnanimous Media's video shows quite some promise for the new sensor that promises better color, dynamic range, and low-light shooting with clean video at ISO 2000.

Nikon Cinema - A Celebration Of Filmmaking

Nikon recently opened up Nikon Cinema, a website dedicated to HD SLR motion projects that have been created with Nikon hardware. The website currently hosts 3 short motion projects that have been shot with the Nikon D4, D800, D600 and various Nikkor glass.

The three films include Joyride by Sandro, Why by Corey Rich and Chasing The Light by Florian and Salomon Schulz

A Lesson on How Spotting Interesting Light Can Improve Your Street Photography

Light makes or breaks most scenes, whether video or stills photography. In many genres, it's controllable and you can set it up how you like it. But with genres that are candid and wild — street photography for instance — you need to be able to identify brief opportunities as scenes and light interact.

8 Helpful Tips for Photographing in the Fog

Toma Bonciu has a real sense for dramatic landscape photography, but what's more, the Romanian landscape photographer is willing to share his experience and knowledge through videos posted on YouTube. Check out his eight tips on taking photos in the fog.

High Speed Cameras And Colored Powder Make For A Surreal Skateboarding Video

Sometimes the greatest tool for creating unique movement is your own body. Using human-powered camera moves, an aggressive color grade, and high-speed cameras, the final video in the full post is definitely worth a watch. In this behind the scenes video, Sebastian Linda explains how his vision came together using a high speed camera to create a fascinating 'dream world' of skateboarding.

No Drones Allowed? No Problem. These Ideas Will Help You Fake It

There are so many places I’ve wanted to fly a drone, but it’s just not possible what with all those pesky FAA regulations, permit requirements, insurance, and all. But filmmaker Karen X proves that you don’t always need a drone to get a drone-like shot. You just need some creativity.

Test Footage From the DJI Zenmuse X7: How Does It Stack Up Against the X5S?

Recently DJI announced the Zenmuse X7 camera which is a Super 35mm equivalent that can shoot in 6K. Just about a year ago DJI also announced the Inspire 2 and the X5S which was a Micro Four-Thirds that could shoot up to 5.2K. With technology advancing faster than ever, drone people have to ask themselves if it is worth it or not to jump the gun and upgrade to this new X7. At a higher cost, you have a Super 35mm sensor on a drone, shooting at a quality comparable to a RED camera.

A Moving Moment, A Different Type Of Wedding Video

As many of you know I (Lee Morris) am a professional wedding photographer. I was never a big fan of wedding videos until I saw the work that StillMotion was putting out. Even if you hate weddings you can appreciate what they do simply from an artistic standpoint. Even though I loved their work, I actually found it discouraging because I knew I could never do their style of video as well as they could so I never tried to film a wedding. I had the idea for over a year of shooting a wedding video similar to how I shoot stills. If I could slow down the video enough I could deal with basically a moving image, something that I felt a lot more comfortable with. It finally worked out that Patrick Hall had a wedding on a day that I was free and 3 days before the wedding I ran the idea by the bride and then called my buddy Mike to see if he wanted to help me film it. Check out the finished product below and the walk-through in the full post.
How To Produce A Combined Print And Motion Fashion Campaign

We live in a time where photographers and filmmakers must combine powers to be competitive in todays advertising market. Recently a huge fashion client approached our production company to capture concurrent motion and still ad campaigns with supermodel Lily Aldridge, but we had to do it all in under 10 hours with 2 complete hair and makeup changes and 12+ outfits. Advertising creatives today need to be able to shoot stellar visual content and assemble bulletproof productions.

14-Year SNL Director of Photography, Alex Buono, on His Beginnings, Working for Free, and Advice for Film Students

When someone asks if you’ll be able to meet with a DP that has worked with NBC’s Saturday Night Live over the last decade and a half, you don’t exactly say, “No, thanks.” You’re simply guaranteed to get something great. Even coming from USC’s film school, it takes a lot to get that position. But, by his own admission, Alex Buono would be hard pressed to disagree that all it takes is attitude, persistence, and a little free work at the start.
Demystifying Camera Picture Profiles

Most, if not all, have seen the picture profile settings in our cameras. These can include settings for Landscapes, Portraits, or even Cine-style formats for filmmakers looking to achieve that cinematic look. But what do these mean and how do they affect our final image?

The Faster and More Accurate Way to Zoom in Adobe Premiere Pro

Whether you're a videographer or not, you'll likely find yourself having to use a video editor at one point or another. If you think that is or will be true for you, here is an incredible tip for one of the key functions in Adobe Premiere Pro.

Things to Consider When Shooting Slow Motion Action

Video Producer Chase Kubasiak shares how to achieve exciting and impactful video through the use of slow motion scenes. In this humorous B&H tutorial, Kubasiak highlights three key variables to consider when setting up your slow motion shots.

Six Easy Camera Tricks for Better Videos

Everyone wants to shoot better videos, and as we all know, it doesn’t require the best gear and the production. You can even spice up your videos by using simple tricks during the shoot and the editing. The well-known YouTube Channel, Cooph, shares six simple tricks that will make your videos more interesting and professional looking.