Videography

Videography and photography share a foundation — light, composition, optics — but moving images have their own demands around motion, audio, frame rate, and narrative pacing. This section is built for photographers who shoot video or want to start, covering the transition from stills to motion: the gear decisions, the technical differences, and the storytelling skills that make video work compelling rather than just competent.

Learn to Tell a Story Through the Use of Color

Since the introduction of color in film, photographers and filmmakers have been using it to subconsciously tell a story, to make the viewer of a photographer or film feel a certain way, or to further elaborate on a story. How do we, as photographers and filmmakers, use color to our advantage and utilize the full potential without going overboard? 

Filmmaker Creates Inspiring Shortfilm by Himself During Quarantine

This year has forced many photographers and filmmakers to take an extended break from their day jobs and stay home. The newfound stresses that come with quarantine have left a lot of us uninspired, while others have used this time to pursue projects they couldn't find time for before. One professional filmmaker used his time during quarantine to create a beautiful Sci-Fi short film, from the comfort of his own home.

Planning and Preparation: B-Roll 101

B-roll is one of the most important parts of visual storytelling, but it can be difficult to know where to start when it comes to capturing engaging shots.

Learning to Stay on Budget From the Greatest Filmmaker

Making movies is expensive. It's harder than you think to go from an unlimited budget to one of just a few million dollars. Sarcasm aside, what can we learn when a giant of cinema tries to shoot a masterpiece on budget?

Video Editing Plugins That are Worth Buying

Plugins for both photography and video are plentiful nowadays, and the quality of them varies hugely. Here are one cinematographer's favorite video plugins that he is glad he invested in.

9 Creative Tricks Using 360 and Action Cameras

360 and action cameras are experiencing increasing popularity, especially as video quality improves more and more. This great video will show you nine creative tricks for better 360 and action camera footage.

10 Great Hacks to Make Your Life Easier When Shooting Video

Filmmaker and educator Caleb Pike has shot his fair share of video, and he’s put together a list of excellent hacks that he’s accumulated over the years that he is certain will make your life easier. Check out this short video, and harvest a few nuggets of wisdom.

How to Create Fake Fire Through Creative Lighting

Fire will always be something that evokes feelings of excitement, dread, and more, making it a fantastic dramatic tool in short films, wedding videos, and more. But of course, you can't just go around lighting fires wherever and whenever you want, so this great video will show you how you can convincingly fake it with your lighting.

How to Use a Gimbal With a Manual Focus Lens

A gimbal is one of the best ways to quickly take your video footage to the next level, but if you are shooting with manual focus, it can be tricky to work with. This excellent video will show you three helpful tips to make it easier to use manual focus when you are also using a gimbal. 

How to Live Stream a Wedding

Given the current situation, it is quite possible that it will be a very long time before we see normal weddings with large audiences again, which means workarounds, such as live streaming, need to be found. There is an opportunity for wedding videographers in this, however, as live streaming can be a great service to add to your offerings, and this great video will show you various setups to get you up and running.

Video Editing Comparison of 13” and 16” Macbook Pro

Apple renewed its Macbook Pro line recently and introduced the new 16” model while keeping the good old 13” version. However, the latter comes with the newest 2020 chips and graphics unit as its bigger brother still has the 2019 hardware inside.

8 Helpful Tips for Creating Better Vertical Videos

Whether you like it or not, vertical video is quickly becoming a more popular format. With more and more people using their mobile devices as their main means of entertainment and information consumption, vertical video is becoming a natural means of delivering content, though it takes a different way of thinking, particularly since most professional devices are designed for horizontal creation. This great video will give you eight tips to improve your vertical videos. 

11 Ways to Improve Your Videos

Creating a successful video takes a combination of a wide variety of factors, ranging from storytelling, to lighting, to editing, and more. This fantastic video will give you 11 different ways to improve the quality of your videos.

How to Use Your Fujifilm Camera as a Webcam

With Cam Link USB dongles proving both expensive and sometimes a little tricky to track down, you might be pleased to learn that more free workarounds are emerging. This video shows you how to set up your Fujfilm camera to work on your Mac computer as a webcam for use in applications such as Zoom and Facebook Live.

How to Take Your Webcam Presence to the Next Level

Whether you’re working remotely or recording videos for YouTube, producing a high-quality video can require some smart gear decisions. Your Macbook’s built-in webcam and mic are fine, but spending just a small amount can translate to a huge improvement in quality. Here are the essentials, along with recommendations at a variety of price points, to set up your perfect streaming and recording setup.

Joe Biden's Home Studio: Excessive or Necessary?

Like the rest of the country, even presidential candidates find themselves sheltering in place during this global pandemic. Unlike the rest of the country, those candidates still need a way to get their message out. Enter Joe Biden’s fascinating home studio setup.

Travel Blogger Hikes From Mexico to Canada and Films One Second Each Day

The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is a 2653 mile foot path that connects Mexico and Canada via California, Oregon, and Washington. Travel blogger Mac, who runs the website HalfwayAnywhere, hiked the Pacific Crest Trail and took one second of film each day to create a 3 minute video montage that shows some of the most incredible landscapes anywhere in the world.

How to Shoot Cinematic Drone Footage

Drones are a great way to add some variety to your video footage and reinvigorate your work. This excellent video will give you six helpful tips for shooting cinematic, eye-catching drone video.

How to Properly Expose Video

Setting the proper exposure for a video is different than it is for a still image, but of course, it is just as crucial to get it right as it is with a photo. This fantastic video will show you how to properly expose a video consistently no matter the situation. 

Drone Disguised as Hummingbird Captures Incredible Footage of Monarch Butterfly Swarm

It's not very often that I watch a video online and react by literally gasping and audibly saying "wow." Watching Captain America stare down Thanos and his whole army, in an IMAX cinema, on a huge screen, was the last time I reacted in such a way. This time, even without the huge screen, resolution, and quality, this video is simply incredible. 

What a Music Video Director Learned From Making His First Short Film

Filmmaking is a complicated thing, and it takes the confluence of a lot of factors to create a successful final product. If you are interested in filmmaking, this great video features a music video director discussing his experience in shooting his first short film.

How to Get Proper White Balance for Video

When you have control of all the lighting on a video shoot, dialing in your white balance is a relatively straightforward procedure. But when you do not have control of all the lighting or you are in a situation with mixed color temperatures, it can be difficult to get the right white balance. This excellent video will give you eight helpful tips to always dial in the proper white balance.

10 of the Most Uplifting Movies of All Time

Lots of us could use a smile right now. If you are looking for something to distract you or simply to pass the time, this great video details 10 uplifting movies that are worth a watch.

Video Lighting Basics With Affordable Gear

If you're thinking of using your new-found free time to start a YouTube channel, or if you just to put some different type content out there, having a good basic lighting setup helps you to stand out from the crowd. This video goes through the basics of video lighting with gear that doesn't break the bank.

Hands on With the New Canon C300 Mark III

Canon recently announced its newest cinema camera, the C300 Mark III, which features a variety of improvements over the Mark II. This excellent video takes a first look at the new camera and what sort of footage and experience you can expect from it in practice.

How to Shoot Your Own Film With Little or No Budget

Filming a movie can quickly become a very pricey endeavor, and that can be frustrating if you do not have a huge budget but still want to create something. If you are interested in shooting your own film, this great video will give you lots of helpful tips for filming a movie with little or no budget.

The Photographer's Guide to Buying Your First Dedicated Video Camera

If you're a photographer interested in exploring video, there is a plethora of options available for you right now. Since the launch of the Canon 5D Mark II around a decade ago, video functionality has been a growing part of every DSLR and mirrorless camera to date. But there's always a trade-off when it comes to hybrid cameras. Here's why you should consider buying a dedicated video camera if you want to diversify your work and make video a dedicated service along with your photography.

How to Use Your Sony Camera as a Webcam

With so many of us broadcasting from our homes, you might be keen to know how to use your Sony alpha series camera as a webcam. Check out this quick and easy guide for how to make your Facebook Live streams and maybe Zoom conferences look a little more professional.

5 Simple but Effective Cinematography Techniques

So much of successful video is the marriage of technical abilities and creative vision to augment the events on screen in a way that increases the viewer's engagement. This fantastic video tutorial will show you five simple cinematography techniques to improve your video work.