Better outcomes for those who do research: things to consider before and after recording video and the post-process

    It was already several weeks now when we were tasked to produce a script about ourselves, which we will use in our video. Yet, before we head on to that, let me first share about the settings and whatnots “behind the scene”.

    The process of not just pointing and shooting does not apply only in photography, but also in filming or recording videos. Let’s start on the pre-process. You should initially have the idea of what kind of feel you want your video to have. Do you want it to be cinematic? Set it in 24 (for slow motion) to 30 fps (frames per second) (also applicable if you wish to upload it online). Are you broadcasting? Use 50 fps. For fast motion videos set it at 60 fps.

    The type of memory card you use also plays a role in this. It varies in CF cards (Compact Flash cards), SD cards (Secure Digital cards), and in SDHC cards (Secure Digital High Capacity cards). Your memory cards should be in class 10 and with at least 16GB storage. Actually, there were techniques we got from the discussion and the screening of the videos the next meeting. First, when you are buying memory cards, be sure to try shooting for 2-3 minutes if it did not reach the said duration then it will not work properly for video recording. Second, consider what clothes to wear especially when you’re in a studio. The lights on your side will make the colors reflect on the background and on the video itself. Shooting in the open area would make it easier in terms of lighting because sunlight is already in warm tone. All natural colors will appear on the video.

    If you’ll wear attires with dark shades direct a light on your body so it wouldn’t make your complexion look odd and dark as much. On the actual shooting as well, make sure to put an allowance of few seconds at both start and end of a single scene so it would not be ‘bumpy’, and won’t appear like an “original video with a pirated audio” like what Sir said, when you edit it. I was doing this technique ever since I started to edit videos, yet, I wasn’t able to follow this time because I was strictly following the 1minute maximum time limit. Anyway, another tip is, follow the 80/20 rule. It is really a business term. In this case, when you are doing the video face at the front by 80% and the rest 20% you’ll be facing the different other angles. Lastly, make a separate recording of the audio so that when you’re editing you can mute the video audio and replace it with the clearer version.

    Going back to our application, my immediate decision was to write a short script about me as a beginner in photography. It was not merely the settings and formats of the video to consider. But, the lighting, the wardrobe, as well as how we executed ourselves in the video and whole lot of other things. I learned these when my video was done and upload ready.

    What you will need on the actual shooting are the following:

1. Script (idiot boards if necessary)

2. Studio/site perfect for you to shoot

3. Camera

4. Tripod

5. Light (if you’re indoors/studio)

6. Reflectors

7. Video-head (for tripod)

8. Microphone (boom microphone is more suitable)

    Others might already know that I’m a person always behind the scene and only sometimes on it. Therefore, the outcome of my video was unsurprisingly epic.

    I will let you be the judge if it is good epic, bad epic or just acceptable. If you’re curious, please might as well look it up on Youtube, type in 'As a Beginner in Photography.'

Shoot in front, light from the back

    When you are studying certain photographs try to check  if the model or the subject has a halo of light. It’s called the rim light and it happens if you do back lighting.

    You can do this sort of style when it’s sunrise or sunset if you want to take pictures of nature. If you’re in a studio or indoors, use a wireless flash trigger. You can also use natural light when indoors; sunlight coming through the window. If you’ve got an access to the equipment, then use snoot or the segmented cone light shaper. It will serve as an instant spot light. It’s handy and portable and you will avoid having the light scattered all over the model.

    Color temperature takes part in this of course. But it depends on your subject and what time of day you take and the type of lighting you use. Plus, the variations of metering were tackled too: Evaluative/matrix, Center-weighted average, partial, and spot metering.

    During the actual discussion and shooting on Wednesday I wasn’t fortunate enough to find a decent place and subject to take. Also, I wasn’t able to get the borrowing slip back from the faculty office because of our make-up class. As a result, I haven’t got yet the chance to take pictures in a different location.

    Lucky me I seemed to have done this before, though not intentionally.

    When we had our practical exam in our Advertising class, I borrowed a camera from the school to shoot the video and do our homework during that time which is the portrait lighting pattern. I took several trial shots then, with our beloved pets as the models. Some of the outcomes turned out to be a little dramatic. It was near dusk, the sunlight was a bit orange. I have taken pictures just in our porch and in the living room. Pepper, the female and younger in our dogs has a habit to rest in the doorway. So, while she was there I took shots of her and since we often keep the lights off in the living room it resulted to be lit from the back. I was actually uncertain if short lighting and back lighting was somehow similar. But, I convinced myself that Pepper’s picture was a combination of both (if it’s not the same thing) because she’s got an outline of light from her nose through her back.

    I will still try to borrow the camera so I can post a better photograph to follow which I will also pass as my homework. For the meantime, please bear with my sample shots.

    Everyone, meet Pepper our hyper and sweet furry friend.

    Just pretend that the background is blurred enough.

It needs a little retouch: paint it with more color

    You might be problematic with your pictures looking dull and pale, not to mention, boring and lifeless. This should be the solution to that. Color temperature was our latest topic. There is a setting in your cameras where you can adjust the color temperature and specify as well which part of the picture you want to add color and which color it would be.

    We followed the usual routine. Discussion and several demonstrations first then we went on our own to take shots. We are a team of three girls. One is the model of the other and the other was the model of the next and you should get the idea by now. The almost barren soccer field was the place we have chosen as our venue to shoot. It was incredibly hotter then and the clouds were not that blue making me think that maybe it was pale so we can accordingly apply the use of color temperature.


    The shots were good enough, I believe. Though I noticed that in most of the photographs our eyes were just a little opened since we were half-blinded by the strong sunlight.

    Now, compare the picture below which I enhanced the colors blue and green from the one at the top.

    Check out the other sample:

Model: Shara Balce

Through simple lenses: Taking what you can; regretting later what you didn’t

What do you use to capture remarkable moments when you are traveling?

Do you really need a high-end camera to have a proof of your experience?

Do you need advanced technology to show beauty?



I don’t think so.



Forget about the double standard

     Technology is becoming more advanced today and as a result we adapt to a more modernized society. Back then, all that is important is to take good pictures and it does not matter what you use. In this day and age, it is the exact opposite. The equipment you use portrays a significant factor in everything that you do.

     A perfect example of this is taking photographs when you are traveling. People say it is preferably to have a DSLR camera to take pictures and videos. This should be the problem. Our priority seemed to have changed. We confuse enjoyment with keeping up with the trends. We are now forgetting the essence of experience, traveling, and preserving memories.

Don’t problematize the simple things

“Wala naman akong magandang camera dahil walang budget.”

“‘Di bale may camera naman kaibigan ko hihingi na lang ako ng kopya ng pictures.”
     These were only few of the things that I have heard and have said myself. It is common for people, particularly the teenagers (I would not exclude myself), to be stressed out with this kind of things.

     Let us not make our lives miserable even more. Don’t problemize things that were not even called problems. Madaragdagan lang ang kunot sa noo niyo at lalaki lang ang eyebags niyo sa kapo-problema ng mga bagay na hindi naman dapat problemahin!

Use available resources

“I want you to learn on your own so you should learn to start doing things on your own. Well, I believe you can do it.”                                                                              

- Ms. Gerby Muya

     I remember our instructor told us one meeting not to hire professional photographers who, not to mention have various equipment that are good to have BUT, not necessary.

     Just like you should not problematize simple things, you should not also dwell on things that you don’t have. Being envious of others who can afford such expensive equipment is alright but, crying and moping about it will not take you anywhere. As I already mentioned we have advanced technology today. What is the use of your smart phone camera if you don’t actually use it?

     You’re saying your phone is not that high-end or “smart”? Sharing with your friends who have the equipment can be your last resort.

Simplicity should be the policy

     Years ago when the technology was not yet this “smart” you are contented with the big and heavy phones with cameras and or the point and shoot digital cameras.

     What happened now?

     Sumikat lang nang bongga ang 600D, 700D, at hanggang ilang daang “D” pa ‘yan ayaw na kumuha ng pictures gamit ang lumang technology?!

     Always remember that even if it is good to be attracted to complicated things because it is a sign of creativity, we should also try to appreciate simplicity. Know that the more advanced the technology is the more complex it gets and the more chance it could get you to trouble. Moreover, being able to show great beauty using small things has a bigger points of creativeness.

     Be attracted to simple things. Do simple things. Use simple things! Add this to your policies.

Nature don’t need your filters

“Ang low tech ng camera mo tapos ang baba pa ng megapixel. Pangit kumuha ‘yan!”

Sounds like a bull to me.

     Here’s a question I would like to ask you instead, what do you use before “the coming of age” of high end cameras? Wasn’t it cell phone cameras, point and shoot cameras, and video cameras? At saka, sino ba kukuha? Ikaw naman ‘di ba hindi ‘yong camera?

     One more important point here, especially when you are in travel or vacation and there are lovely views of nature laid bare in front of you, what you should do is just to take it all in and take a shot of its beauty. What you use to do it does not matter! Nature is beautiful as it is because it’s a gift from The Creator of all things in this world before our existence.

No excuses
     You might say that what if you are not photogenic or that you don’t look good in a certain shot. Why should you worry? It was not you that is important in the “picture” it was the background that is! What is the point in the first place that you are taking a whole body shot with a wide background anyway? Is it not so you could show it to your friends to “ipagyabang” and let them “mainggit” (“to brag and let others envy you”) because you have been to places they have not been to? The chances are greater that they would be praising that place than they would criticize your pose and your face.

     Isa pa, hindi lang naman sa ganda ng gadget nakukuha ang totoong kagandahan. Anggulo, anggulo rin ‘yan. (Being able to show beauty does not depend on the gadget you are using. You can get it with the right angle.) Just take your time taking pictures and you’ll get what you’re aiming to.

Experimental evidences
     Providing proofs would be required for this article to be persuasive enough. Therefore I followed through what I had planned which is to take pictures of anything that catches my attention during our second viaje using only our still alive and “clicking” point and shoot digital camera.

     Before, I thought that a point and shoot camera only works how it is called. But recently, since we were being taught with basic photography I realized that those data being displayed in the camera setting were not there as mere displays. I started to play with the settings and formats of our digital camera and it began to make sense to me.

     I browsed through the “mode” button and tried to take pictures with every categories of format available, of course apart from the “smart auto”: program, DIS, scene, and movie. Under each setting that can also be adjusted through white balance (color temperature), ISO (the sensitivity of camera to light), and exposure (the amount of light that fills the image).

    This is just simply saying that no matter how not advanced your equipment is you should take what you can. Keep a copy of the remarkable moments you are in. Therefore, you would not regret later what you didn’t.



    Please, check out the sample shots and believe!

    

    (NOTE: this is the full version of my article from our travel magazine (still on progress), which serves as our project/major exam)

A-B-C-D...One two three shoot!

Previously, before the strike of the typhoon 'Glenda', I have written about our discussion and trial shoots using different lighting patterns. I have also posted the photographs of my mother that I have taken. Then on Wednesday, we were tasked to do compositions photography. 

Our facilitator had shown us sample pictures that he had taken. He started with letter 'A' down to letter 'Z'. Afterwards, we head on to maximizing our time searching for subjects that look like letters. During the start of the practical session of shooting, my classmates were saying that it would be hard to find something that may look like 'Q'. Meanwhile, right after they said it my sight focused on the umbrellas they were letting to dry in front. Since I was seated there, the letter was clear to me but somehow it also wasn't (if you get what I mean) so I just continued looking around for the other letters.

Usually, I go outside of the Mass Comm Lab to find subjects and take pictures. But in this case, for no apparent and unclear reason I have chosen to wander around inside and just outside the door of the room to take pictures. The spots where I have been taking photos from were rather accident prone areas. It was because when I was shooting the curtain above the doorway I was startled with Ting, a classmate, who opened the door not too softly. My heartbeat was still fast but, on the process of telling her my reaction I also thanked her because I have found two more letters, at the door!

The second accident was when I was taking pictures of the floor on the outer side of the door. I have seen an indistinct scrapes or bumps on the ground that appears to me as a letter but then I almost got my own bumps on my forehead because our instructor opened the door. Anyway, we just laughed with the happening and to myself knowing that I really tend to be absentminded when I am absorbed doing something.

These were not actually the ones I have included in my alphabet collage.

Setting aside the photography lessons for a while, I have perceived myself to have a good spatial skill since the world begun. This should also be the reason I believe I am a paranoid. I tend to see faces looking at me on the tiles of our floor and of our comfort room. I even saw a half-body Genie on our restroom just under the soap dispenser and yes he was staring at me (past tense because we already changed the tiles). Having this belief I did not dwell too much on how will I find subjects that are abstract enough and that look like letters. Rather, I realized that perception also applies in composition photography. What you see is different from what others see. I may see this certain subject is a letter but there will not be an assurance if they see it the same way. Therefore, I must conclude that the crucial part of this kind of photography is not merely your subject but how you take it.

I am still a learner so I admit that I did have a hard time looking for letter subjects particularly ‘K’ and ‘Z’.


Note that most or half of the pictures in this collage were taken only with the use of a point and shoot digital camera because I was not able to borrow a DSLR. Also, most of my subjects were taken from our house and from our classroom (Mass Comm Lab).



Here's my alphabet collage: