I don't know about you guys, but I feel like photography can be a hard business to be in. People tend to look at prices of photographers and think, "they make that much for an hour of taking photos?!"
I think many don't realize how much time it takes after the photo shoot is over. Not only that, but it seems like every third person (in Utah, at least) is a photographer, or has someone in their family that is, or has a decent DSLR and thinks that they are.
I decided I wanted to try something new. One of my friends that I was shadowing does birth stories. She does photography and videography for those births, and I love them! To me, it's easier to have an emotional connection to watching an event unfold than seeing snapshots of those same events. To be fair, I have seen some amazing, emotional photos. It can be done, but I think it takes a good photographer to capture a photo with the same feeling you can get through video.
I also had a videographer at my wedding and was so glad I did. I love watching that video. (Mostly on anniversaries or because my daughter wants to see Mommy and Daddy on TV.)
I'm learning as a go here. I've picked peoples brains and researched A LOT. I want to share my experience: the good, the bad, and the ugly. I hope it can help those who are also getting started avoid any pitfalls I find along the way.
I started trying things out about 4 months ago. I currently have a Canon T2i. I've read that it's actually a pretty decent camera for video. I'm hoping to upgrade soon, but for now, this will do. The first thing I learned is that it's important to have the right memory card. I have a stash of memory cards that I've had for a while, but they were all class 4 cards. A class 4 card will allow you to only record about 5 seconds of video at 1920 x 1080 pixels. I get class 10 cards. I use these 32 gb Sandisk cards. They're only $15 at Amazon (at the time of this writing).
Other than the memory cards I didn't purchase any other equipment for my first video. Let me tell you, it wasn't pretty. I did a video for my nephew when he got baptized. It was a bit shaky and not the most crisp video. Of course my brother an sister-in-law were still happy with it because it was their son and it didn't cost them anything. I would post it to give examples of what not to do, but I couldn't purchase licensing for the song I put it to. That's one thing that is VERY important. I've heard horror stories of people posting unlicensed music and having to pay fines of $5000 or more. DON'T POST ANY VIDEO WITH MUSIC YOU DON'T HAVE THE LICENSE FOR!!! Just don't do it.
I'm getting a little ahead of myself. I did the baptism video and I learned a lot from it. That would be one of my first recommendations. Practice on an event that isn't a professional job for money.
After that I decided it was time to get some equipment. Over the course of the next few months I'll go into what I've been using and what was a waste of money to purchase.
Here's the list of what I got and how much I paid:
AmoVee Shotgun Mic $36
Manfrotto 128LP Fluid Head $83 (you may need some 1/4" to 3/8" adaptors)
Konova 31" slider $250
Squidmic $52
Zoom H1 recorder $138
Magix Video Editing Software $49
Dolica Monopod $16
LCD Viewfinder (Loupe) $20
Shotgun mic: I think this is important. I think video is always better if you can hear at least a little of the background noise.
Fluid head: This is absolutely necessary. You need a fluid head to get smooth shots. Manfrotto is a good brand, and this is on the cheaper end, but still has good quality. I think the next thing I'll get is a quick release. It just takes too long to change the camera when you're in the middle of a wedding.
Slider: The jury is still out on the slider. I think it is important to get more creative shots, but if I had to do it over, I probably would have waited to buy the slider.
Squidmic and Audio Recorder: This is also an absolute must if you plan to do wedding ceremonies. So far I like the Zoom H1 (you can get it without the accessory package for $100). I like the squidmic too, but you could probably find a decent lav mic for $30 or so.
Video Editing Software: I haven't been able to try this software out yet. I'll have a whole post on that later. I'll be updating my opinions on this in a week or so.
Monopod: I like the monopod I have, and I personally think this is must for filming weddings, but I think I may buy one with legs on the bottom to give it more support. Maybe something like this.
Viewfinder (Loupe)- Not necessary, but I think it's handy to have. It magnifies the LCD screen so you can more clearly see if the subject is in focus.
I have a few other things that I had already as a photography (light stands, extra batteries, etc.) but I haven't used them much for video.
Next up, what you need to edit video.
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