I’m a hybrid with one foot in the still photography world and one in video and motion. What I really am is a storyteller choosing the right medium to tell the story.

I had been a still photographer for more than 20 years when I started exploring digital video and the motion medium 10 years ago. I had built a successful career shooting editorially for magazines like National Geographic Traveler, Smithsonian and Travel & Leisure, as well as producing annual reports for major corporations. When digital video hit the scene in the late 1990s, I was already starting to feel a slight frustration in trying to tell certain stories with a still camera. I was beginning to think and see in terms of movement and sound. At the same time, technology was making it possible and affordable (with digital video cameras and non-linear editing software), for me to use this medium to tell my stories. The new tools were a means to an end.

Gail Mooney’s film, Freedom’s Ride, skillfully combines still photography, motion and audio to tell the story of how high school students from Harlem, NYC and Long Valley, NJ, traveled to Alabama to retrace the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. View the Freedom’s Ride 2008 trailer at the Kelly/Mooney Productions website.

Define Yourself by Your Vision – Not the Tool

Some shooters get into video because the entry level has become cheaper with hybrid cameras that shoot both stills and video. As more still photographers embrace video simply because their cameras are capable of it, I urge them to think differently when shooting motion because it’s not about the camera.

Defining yourself by your tool just doesn’t work. The problem is that if we define ourselves by our tools, then we are diminishing the value of our creativity in the process. We aren’t placing the value on what is unique in all of us: our vision.

At the same time, we’re placing too much value on the tool – in this case the camera. You can be sure that technology will accelerate the production of more sophisticated cameras that are cheaper and easier to use. We’re in big trouble if we’ve placed our value on being the technician.

Professional photographers get defensive when a potential client places no value on their vision, and when they approach the photographer with the attitude that they are easily replaced if they won’t work for fees dictated by the client. What the client is really saying is that they think they can "just" find another camera operator.

The problem could be that these photographers haven’t presented their vision and, consequently, are perceived as being interchangeable. They have defined themselves by their tool, and that’s not a good place to be. For that reason, when professional still photographers tell me they want to get into video, and then ask, "What video camera should I buy?" I gently tell them … well sometimes not so gently … it’s NOT about the camera.

Adding a Skill Set

I think differently in motion and although I have shot both stills and video on the same job, it’s a difficult thing to do. Still photographs are moments in time. Video is time in motion. When I’m shooting video, I’m always thinking in storyboard mode with the finished edit in mind. I’m thinking of how I’m going to get into and out of a shot and what will be coming next on the screen. I’m shooting in sequences with a beginning, middle and end.

Another huge difference between video and still photography is the added dimension of sound. Good audio is essential in video. If you don’t have good audio… you don’t have it. I do a lot of interviews and capturing good audio is critical. Viewers can’t tolerate something they cannot hear.

I have found that editing my footage has made me a better shooter. While I respect the skill set that a professional editor can bring to the final piece, I get a lot out of doing the initial rough cut myself. This is where I craft my story and lay out what I want to say, and then I communicate that to the editor.

Collaboration is Key

Video production works well as a collaborative effort. Even a simple video production requires a producer, camera operator, sound person, editor and graphics artist. When I started out in video, I made a conscious decision to set up a production company and handle more parts of the production than just the camera. Traditionally speaking, camera operators in the video world are hired guns, handing over the content to the production company and not taking ownership. While I’m capable of shooting, running sound and editing a job, I often choose to delegate some of these tasks to others and many times position myself as producer and director of photography.

I encourage photographers who are thinking about expanding their businesses by adding video, to collaborate with others who already have the skills needed in video production. Rather than embark on a steep learning curve of how to shoot motion, capture good audio and edit, they can grow their businesses by positioning themselves as producers and collaborating with others. Setting up a production company will allow your business to grow beyond yourself as an individual. And in some markets – like editorial and corporate – your production company will also maintain ownership of the finished product.

The bottom line is that when still photographers ask me if they should add video and grow their businesses, I tell them yes, if they feel they have the need to communicate with sound and motion. Then I remind them that it’s not about the tool, but their vision and to keep that in their mind’s eye as they go forward.

VIDEO TIPS

Some common pitfalls to avoid when trying video:

  • Turning camera on too late; turning camera off too soon.
  • Relying on the internal camera microphone: You must use external mics and get them close to the subject to capture good audio.
  • Using auto defaults: You don’t want to see the focus or exposure shifting throughout your shot.
  • Using zooms, pans and tilts: The motion should come from the subject, not the camera.
  • Not shooting enough b-roll (i.e. footage that illustrates your interview or narrative).
  • Not shooting enough variations: Shooting wide, medium, tight and really tight and then shooting again from other angles and perspectives will provide what you need for editing.
  • Not using a good video tripod that allows the camera to move fluidly.

ADBASE is the proud sponsor of "Converging Media – Adding Video to Your Skill Set." Gail Mooney is presenting this educational seminar to chapters of the American Society of Media Photographers during its 2009/10 season. Visit the ASMP website for dates and locations