Still Photographers as Amateur Videographers
[by Gail Mooney]
These days many still photographers are frustrated when their clients decide to take their own pictures or get photos from amateurs who take photos that are good enough. And sometimes “good enough” is not only good enough – it’s pretty good because technology has enabled just about anyone to take a reasonably good photograph.
Indeed technology has lowered the bar to the entry into the realm of professional photography. But any pro knows there is more to “making” a good photo than the actual execution of an image. There are many problems to solve, and there’s the matter of being able to consistently make good photos.
But I must tell you, over the past year I have seen still photographers exhibit the same attitude that they abhor in their clients when it comes to the medium of video. As more and more still photographers embrace video because of hybrid cameras like the Canon 5D Mark II, many fall victim to the same line of thinking and that is if they buy a “good” camera that shoots “HD” video – that’s all they need to throw out the “video shingle” and they’re in business.
The problem is they lose sight of some very important things:
1. Shooting motion requires a different thought process
2. Audio is everything
3. Post production is very different for video than for still images
4. Video is a collaborative process
So when I get a question from a still photographer as to “what is a good video camera?” – I bounce the question right back at them and say – when an amateur photographer asks you what still camera takes good pictures – what do you say? Most quickly get the analogy and realize that while they are pros in the still photography world – buying a video camera or an HDSLR doesn’t make them professional a videographer. Motion is a wonderful medium, but get to learn the craft because it’s more than just the camera.
Gail Mooney runs a video production company www.kellymooney.com.
3 Responses to 'Still Photographers as Amateur Videographers'
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Great post! Thank you!
I’ve been going on and on about this myself. I’m dabbling in video now, but have no illusions that I’m going to make any appreciable income from it versus my still work.
Aside from the technical aspects of video, the years of training it must take, and the equipment purchases/fabrication, my primary concern is becoming one of the under-priced “good enough” amateurs who undercut video pros in my town. I haven’t a clue what to price or how to license motion footage.
Further, I doubt the majority of us still guys will be readily accepted in the video world. It wouldn’t shock me that us amateur video guys might be viewed to video pros with same disdain we view all the DSLR amateurs moving into our field and taking work from us at cutthroat or free pricing.
I think anyone interested in adding video services should network with seasoned video companies, tread lightly at first, learn the craft, and exercise some humility.
Amen. I wrote something similar in one of my blogs back in January. At the time I was hearing so many pro still photographers talk about getting into video. This due for the most part on some video capabilities being packaged into DSLR cameras.
Quite true. I’m starting to dabble in a bit of video as another creative outlet and it’s a whole other world.