Videography

You often hear film makers say, "Your video is only as good as your audio". Obviously video production goes a long way too but poor audio can completely ruin an otherwise great video. Until recently, DSLR cameras have been anything but great at recording audio. The on board microphones are noisy and prone to record camera noise. Plugging an external microphone into the line-in has also left a lot to be desired. So how should someone

Filmmaker Philip Bloom has gotten his hands on Nikon's and Canon's newest full-frame digital SLRs. Luckily for us, we get an extensive side-to-side comparison in this rather thorough shoot-out. Bloom uses the almost 30 minutes to go through resolution, aliasing, low-light, and feature comaprisons. Let us know what you think in the comments section!

Joerg Niggli created this timelapse video of Venice, which shows a day in this gorgeous Italian city, from sunrise to sunset. If you haven't yet traveled to Venice, this video is a cheaper alternative for you, so thank Joerg for saving you some cash! He used a Canon G10 to shoot the timelapses, and for editing he used After Effects and Final Cut Pro X. Enjoy!

18 year old Florence Colgate from Britain won the  'Britain's Most Naturally Beautiful Face' contest. Apparently, it was based on the science of symmetry, width and length of her face, and perfect facial features. Some have even regarded her as the having the World's most perfect face. With beauty being so subjective, do you believe there is a science behind it? What do you define as perfect? 

If you are like me, you feel pretty confident editing images in Photoshop, Aperture, or Lightroom. If you have ever tried to do similar edits for your video in Premiere or Final Cut, you know how frustrating it can be. It seems like these video programs don't have all of the necessary tools and they don't seem to work as well as photo editing software. If you don't mind a couple extra steps, you can easily edit your videos just like a still photograph in the program of your choice.

As anyone who has tried to shoot video with a DSLR knows, creating a smooth, professional follow-focus motion can be a bit of a nightmare unless you're willing to shell out for high-end equipment, and then deal with lugging it all around. How about a $45 solution that gets amazing results and works on any DSLR lens?

Here's a sampling of the latest slow-mo camera from filmbot, the Phantom Miro M120. Jim Geduldick takes us behind the scenes and shows us how he was able to show off the new slow-motion capabilities. This camera captures 750 fps at 1080 HD. What do you think you could do with that kind of picture quality?

If you read Fstoppers, you might be a seasoned professional, or you might have just purchased your first camera and are eager to learn. Whatever your skill level, I'm sure that you've all been bitten by the travel bug at least once before, and as a camera owner, you've been inspired to bring home the best you can when shooting in a foreign location. A friend of mine recently sent me a video made by DSLR Traveler which is packed full of tips for anyone interested in improving their travel photography.

Adam Boozer, one of South Carolina's most taleted videographers, is currently working on a project that has the potential to become the most epic kiteboarding video ever filmed. To promote his Kickstarter project Adam filmed a quick promo with what he calls "The Gnar Bar." Adam shot a skateboarder, wakeboarder, snowboarder, and kiteboarder all hitting this oversized pipe with the Red Epic.

It’s Friday, have a laugh. The crew over at The Verge put together this video of a (fake) camera that resembles a Polaroid by instantly producing a printed image out of it’s body. This model, made by Instagram, lets you add you own effects for an even more unique look at your images! I can't wait to buy one of these and start shooting professional looking wedding photos!

At first I thought this was just another time lapse video with a few skating shots mixed in. Then I realized the shots really were mixed. Although the combination isn't present in every shot it's a pretty cool effect to watch. Anyone want to guess how he did it?

If you want to take a peek at a little more of Russell Houghten's work, check out is blog

The popular series is back after a 4 year hiatus! This series combines tutorials with humor, mostly humor though. If you're familiar with the series, this is probably something you're excited about. However, if this series is new to you, be sure to check out a few of the first episodes here before checking this one out.  

Natalie Norton photographs the funeral of a 16 year old girl and then shares her insights about the experience with you. This video is a slideshow of Natalie's work from that day but to get the most of her experience be sure to read her full post

Antonio Vicentini recently created this 8-bit gallery of cameras spanning pretty much everything from antique large format cameras through modern DSLRs. It's a cute, semi-retro, nostalgia-inducing piece for anyone who grew up in the 80s or early 90s.

Many of you may know the name Devin Graham, the cinematographer who filmed the giant rope swing in Utah featured a couple months ago. Devin has a signature style using a glidecam in most of his videos. Though he incorporated it in several shots in the rope swing project, some of his projects seem to be filmed exclusively with shots using the glidecam. This project with Lindsey Stirling,

When I first saw the link to this interactive short "Darkroom", I was expecting some sort of YouTube style Choose-Your-Own-Adventure, where I’d have to click on links to new videos. Much to my surprise though, it was nothing of the sort. In this unique video by Vimeo User FIAP, you will want to grab your DSLR and set it to manual to properly experience this.

Halvor Angvik and Jeff Nebelkopf created this video with the help of Red Bull and JokkeSommer. The fact that Red Bull sponsored it should tell you all that you need to know: It's absolutely incredible. I've seen some crazy wingsuit stunts before, but

Here's an in-depth look at the life and work of legendary photographer Alfred Stieglitz. It's part of the PBS American Masters series, and you can watch it here in it's entirety. Stieglitz was a pioneer not only photography but modern American art as a whole. He was born in Hoboken, lived his life in New York, ran numerous galleries, was friends with Edward Steichen, and married legendary painter Georgia O'Keefe.

There are only a few days left before Von Wong does Europe. But instead of spending that time ironing, folding and categorizing his underwear for the trip, Ben is doing what any proper photographer would, he shoots. Check out the behind the scenes video and Ben's full commentary as he knocks out a rough and tumble band scene with the sexy hardcore stylings of The Agonist.

Everyday people get caught up in their work, are worried about the latest new camera, or become stressed over minor inconveniences. I know I’m guilty of all of these. After watching this video, I felt myself more relaxed and started remembering the importance of slowing down in life. You can miss out on so much by being too wrapped up in work and not taking time to appreciate the people you love and the simple things you get to share with them. This video from MDfilms is a breath of fresh air amidst a tumultuous day.

Chances are, if you are viewing this on our website, you are a still photographer and not a professional title designer. Although there are many genres of art, in a way they are all the same thing. The goal of any artist is to make an impact and create an emotion with their work. If you have ever admired the title sequence before a movie, this video is for you.

This short film, Out of Tunes, was commissioned by Canon for the launch of its new EOS C300 camera. Canon’s only criterion for creator Sébastien Devaud was that the video must not be tied to a certain time or place. Other than that, he was free to let his creativity run loose.

I'm kind of obsessed with stop motion, and have dabbled in it from time to time. But this particular stop motion video is top notch. Watch as a pair of hands (belonging to an artist named Hagen Reiling) draw the story of Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and The Sea. The camera work and edit were done by Marcel Schindler. He shot with a

Recently on PBS’ Idea Channel they pose the question, "Is Instagram the Best Thing to Ever Happen to Photography?"

I personally wouldn't go so far as to say it's the best thing to ever happen to photography but this entertaining video does a good job at pointing out the benefits of apps such as Instagram.

Digital cinema powerhouse, Brain Farm, released its new 2012 reel a few days ago online. As a photographer and someone who isn't heavily involved in video production, it's hard for me to get excited about video reels. But Brain Farm left me wanting more and more of their footage. I was in awe as I watched this reel.

Videographer/Photographer/Artist Shawn Reeder spent two years in Yosemite creating the footage that would be cut to make this video. Shot mostly under moonlight and with a variety of dollies and cranes, the end result is a masterclass in the art of the outdoor timelapse. It's not often that we get to see such an intimate portrait of a location shot over such a long time period.

"The Camera" is a haunting short film by Peter Lewis about a girl who finds an old polaroid camera that produces some unique and unexpected results. Using modest equipment: Canon Rebel T2i, Canon 50mm f/1.4, Tamron 28-200mm f/3.8-5.6 and a $50 budget, Peter knocked this film out while on vacation in Nags Head, North Carolina. Even more impressive is that this is Peter's first film and he produced the entire thing himself including, filming, sound, the musical score and post production. Well done!

Who's got who beat is a big deal for those who are debating where to put their next $3000 -- and rightly so. So if you're interested in shooting video on any of the newest and hotly debated DSLRs out there, check out this low-light, high-ISO video test. The winner is crystal clear -- literally.

Photographer Steven Baillie is well known for his work with GQ and Playboy. Another interesting part about Steven is his ability and willingness to travel all around the world just to find new faces. Here's a behind the scenes look at some of his amazing adventures along with some of the new faces he finds and how he finds them. 

Ready to drop your jaw? Richard Kendall doesn't really care if you're ready or not, and he's decided that it's going to drop. This is seriously cool. He took the bullet-camera idea from The Matrix/X-Games (think the whole "40 cameras in a ring shooting simultaneously" thing that we've all seen a hundred times),

Shane Hurlbut was asked by Canon to produce a short film with the new Canon 1D-C. This past week at NAB he debuted this short, "The Ticket" in full 4K glory. Shane sings the cameras praises, and is equally impressed by the simplicity in it's workflow, which he discusses in his blog post here. Hit the jump for the short film and tell me what you think of the quality. It's hard to tell just how high quality it is on the web, but I think it looks impressive nonetheless!

“Dumt & Farligt” is a Danish TV show were two guys are given free license to do what ever dangerous thing that comes to mind, in and around the home. But the best part is they they document it all with a Phantom Flex capturing every ludicrous detail at 2,500fps. See what happens when a lighter next to a candle is shot, a waterbed is filled until it pops, fireworks are set off in a living room, a bottle of red wine is microwaved and more.

It seems that the good folks over at Engadet.com have managed to get their hands on the newly announced Canon Cinema 1D C at NAB in Las Vegas. For those not familiar with the camera, it's basically two Canon 1dx's in one. Ok maybe not, but it does record 4k video footage while maintaining a regular dslr camera body. In fact, it has the same still photo capabilities as the 1DX and is more or less the identical body.

The 645 PRO app is designed with photographers in mind. With cell phones being used more and more for taking pictures, it's no wonder that this app is coming out for the iPhone. Aside from shooting raw, it has plenty of features that will grab your interest. 

The guys and Brain Farm has been featured on Fstoppers a few times now for their incredible video work and seemingly endless budgets. In this video, Brain Farm teams up with Schiebel to produce the most capable, video recording, radio controlled helicopter in the world. Check out the full post to see their demo reel.

The Holi festival in India has always been a colorful source of inspiration for photographers but New York-based production company, Variable, wasn't equipped with a meager Canon 5D Mark III or Nikon D800 but with the awesome 2,500fps might of the Phantom Flex high speed camera.

Vincent Laforet, the man who arguably started the DSLR-Video revolution, and most recently created the short film Mobius with the Canon C300, posted a quick video giving an overview of new features in the new Adobe CS6 Production Premium. Hover scrubbing (like in FCX), a customizable interface, and adjustment layers are now in Premiere Pro.

Admittedly this DIY project takes a little more effort than some but the results are pretty damn cool. Benjamin Von Wong takes a page from DIY Photography and makes a pretty slick fluorescent light track system, turning a small one room into a photo studio. Check out the video and if you decided this is something you must do, then head over to the VonStudio Blog for complete project detail. Parts, pricing, assembly, pros, cons, the works!

This week the Fstop Academy released some BTS footage and a short film shot with the new Sony NEX-FS700. On their site they also have a great write up as well as a complete video overview reviewing Sony's new 4k Super 35mm toy for the video boys. Enjoy!

In this second installation, Chris Niccolls over at The Camera Store TV, compares the Canon 5D Mark III and Nikon D800, with photojournalist Mike Drew. Mike and Chris look at how these two cameras handle fast action in low light and how JPEG processing compares to the RAW files. What I really dig about this comparison is that it's not another model shoot but rather a real working world photographer shooting under the unique and difficult conditions of a cutting horse competition.

Here's a brief behind the scenes video featuring Andrew Geraci and Drew Breese in a Q&A regarding their haunting video, "Asylum". This HDR time-lapse was created from 35,000 photos over 7 months. If you missed this last week on Fstoppers, it's here in the full post. As the BTSV reveals, Drew and Andrew made this for no other reason than the love of shooting. That alone is worth your attention.

Is there anything new under the sun? Has it all been done before? Maybe... but the shadows are a different story. “Haunted” is a paranormal thriller that takes place in a haunted house over the course of 48 hours. This awesomely interactive narrative was filmed using 16 cameras spread through out the various rooms and you are free to jump to any of the cameras at any point of the time line.

There is no doubt that Nikon and Canon are putting a lot of effort in creating better video features in their flagship DSLR cameras. One of the most talked about new features has been Nikon's clean, uncompressed 1080p output from the camera's HDMI connector. Both the Nikon D800 and Nikon D4 DSLR cameras allow for this feature, but we've wondered just how useful are these new uncompressed files? We decided to test the new Atomos Ninja 1080p external recorder to see if these 12x larger files gave us better image quality for our own video projects.

Clemens Wirth shows us an entire world of life that resides in just one drop of water. I was horrified yet simultaneously engaged when looking at this video. It's well put together, everything from the videography to the editing.  The good news is that the life you see does not exist in your municipal drinking water, to make that clear. So rest easy and have fun watching. 

Casey Neistat is a great film maker that you may remember for his Peanut Butter Lid Lens Hack. Recently he was hired by Nike to create something interesting for their Nike + Fuel Band. The story goes that instead of making a traditional commercial, Casey took Nike's budget and traveled around the world until it was all spent. He filmed his 10 day escapade and produced the following video.

There are some styles of photography which have been beaten into the ground. Take, for example, the trip to an old asylum; it seems like we've all seen a thousand HDR images of the local loony bin. Graffiti-covered walls, derelict operating rooms and spooky wheelchairs ad-nauseum. But every once in awhile, something comes along which makes my jaw drop and revisits what is possible in an ages-old subject. Drew Geraci's Asylum is exactly what I'm talking about.

Ryan Connolly over at Film Riot, a how-to filmmaking site, just knocked out a short film using the iPhone 4s as his only camera. The best part is, he has also provided us with a very in-depth look at how he did. Everything from app set up, lighting, equipment, the works. See both the final video and the BTSV here.

"We took the challenge of making a short with the iPhone 4s. The goal was to make the iPhone's video mode look as cinematic as possible...