It has been over three months since my last post.   If you look back, I was focused on stepping up our game on the video front.   In that time we have worked on videos for a few different clients.   With each project we learn more about what works well and what doesn't work as well.   We have also learned that it takes a lot of equipment to create quality video content...  Even more than with stills!

As you will see from the behind the scenes photo below, we are using two DSLR cameras, a boom mic, lavelier mic (hidden under the client's dress), a field recorder, a laptop (just out of frame), and two lights.   LOTS of cables and cords.

Here is a behind the scenes shot from one of our recent photography and video shoots in Charlotte, NC.   The client, The Widrick Group, was amazing to deal with!

In early May we did a project for R.P. Boggs and Company, located in Lake Wylie, SC.   I felt really good about the approach to the audio for that project and the results were quite good.   That said, May in Carolina's can get a bit warm and when shooting video it is best to turn off HVAC systems.   We discovered quickly that my existing video light kit was not going to be a viable option when working in the South.    By the end of the shoot the Boggs office was a toasty 90 degrees!  Said kit consists of three Lowell DP hot lights with 500 watt and 1000 watt bulbs.  A great kit, but just not practical for extended use during the summer...  Especially in the South.

Here is a look at one of the many videos we created:

And here is one of the still portraits we did of one of the R.P. Boggs partners, Sam Swisher:

Sam Swisher, R.P. Boggs and Co.

Immediately following the Boggs shoot I found myself in research mode (again) complete with G.A.S. (gear acquisition syndrome).   I found what I feel is a fantastic solution for my work...  The Aputure Light Storm C300D.   I ordered two!   Fantastic lights which accept all of my existing Bowens S-Mount modifiers...  Or as I figured out, some of the modifiers?

Here is an example of what the lights look like with a still photograph of Lauren Widrick, Founder, CEO, and Head Coach of the Widrick Group:

Lauren Widrick, The Widrick Group

One more thing I learned from my shoot with the folks at R.P. Boggs was that my Canon ef 85mm f1.2L, while great for portraits, was not going to work well for video production.   So, I was forced to upgrade.   This was a painful experience as I am feuding with Canon and have vowed to no longer support their product line (Fujifilm is the future people).    For the good of my clients I put my anger with Canon aside and purchased a new 85mm f1.4L IS lens.   All things considered, this is a well designed piece of glass.   I do not like it as much for portraits, but it is working extremely well for video and especially well for fashion on white backgrounds (more on that in another post).

We are still working on the Widrick videos, but here is Lauren's introduction:

We will continue to refine our technique as we do more and more video projects...  It is a process like everything else in life.

In my next post I will discuss some new clients I have been fortunate enough to land recently as well as my preparations for our upcoming two-week holiday to Switzerland and Italy!
 

In the month since my last post, the world of Scott Clinton Photography has been a busy one.  Bookings with new clients and old, in and around New York City as well as the "Queen City" of Charlotte, North Carolina.

Lately we have seen a rather large increase in requests for video work in addition to our traditional still photography services.   Over the years we have done a fair amount of video work, but never truly embraced the medium.   With all of the recent requests for videography, I have been reevaluating my thoughts and position regarding the service and have made the decision to embrace it.

Over the course of the past week or two, Google and YouTube been my team's best friend.  We have been researching some best practices, techniques, and equipment.   As you will no doubt learn, I have a weakness for equipment...  I am a self professed "gear head" and suffer from G.A.S. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) on a regular basis.   Being that we never have pushed video in the past, I never spent the time and money on things like microphones.  As anyone who has ever viewed a film/video knows, sound matters...   In many ways it is as important as the visual imagery.

In researching my competition I started to see an alarming trend.   In almost every case, there where big problem areas with their final product.   Either the sound was horrific, or the lighting was...  In some cases their framing was off and/or their editing was.   I began to obsess over one aspect of often requested "talking head" videos...  Microphone placement.   With nearly 100% of the content I viewed, the creative team chose to use ugly and visually intrusive lavalier mics on their subject(s).  I became fixated on this and hyper focused on finding another way to approach these types of shoots.   In the past I too have been guilty of this type of setup as well...  Partly due to ignorance, partly due to not having access other types of recording equipment.

Here are two examples of talking head videos my team created in the past:

and 

In both of these videos I used a lav mic exclusively and while that choice was a functional one, I am not satisfied with the visual appearance of the microphone.   Additionally, in my opinion, the quality of the sound leaves a lot to be desired.  

As I trolled through countless tutorials and equipment reviews I discovered a colleague out West who is not your typical YouTuber...   This guy knows his stuff and takes great pride in producing instructional and informational video content at a very high level.   This gentleman's name is Curtis Judd (https://www.youtube.com/user/curtisjudd) and I owe him a great deal.   As I went through his deep archive of videos I began forming my own conclusions about video production and the gear necessary to create videos that are up to the standards of Scott Clinton Photography.  In many cases the conclusions I have reached are different than Curtis', but he has definitely lead me down the road to self discovery.

In my next post I will share some thoughts on the equipment I have acquired and additional tidbits of my journey into video production.