Aug 27 2010

Buying Audio Equipment with a Little Help from My (YouTube) Friends

Category: Multimedia & Video, Technology Insights — Ethan G. Salwen @ 8:52 am

If you are already using YouTube to research equipment, make buying decisions and to learn tech tips, you can skip this post. If you are not, I want to invite you to the YouTube audio/video technical learning fest of which I have been ignorant. For example, recently this simple, nerdy audio test by onelonedork helped me immensely.

You see, Gail Mooney had suggested that I make the Zoom H4n my tool of choice for recording audio for multimedia projects. Instead of just taking her word for it, I spent a lot of time reading reviews on traditional sites and blogs to see if I couldn’t get something just as good for less than $300. Finally convinced to go with the Zoom, I hit a major stumbling block. What accessories to buy?

From Mooney and others I knew that multiple external microphones are critical for best sound recording. But as I looked for a cheap mic or two, I quickly learned there is no such thing as a cheap mic. Most are more expensive than the recorder itself, and that was already straining my budget. Most frustrating, I had no way of knowing if I would really need one, at least at this point in the game.

I simply had no way of knowing how the Zoom recorded in the real world — at least not until I stumbled upon the test by onelonedork. His great, dorky test test shows the position of the Zoom, and helped me realize that, for now, I would be fine with the recorder alone. No accessories needed. I could simply buy the Zoom, begin recording interviews and ambient sound with the on-board mics, then consider further purchases after I’ve created some content.

Wait! I stumbled upon one more nerdy, wonderful audio test (by KalaniPrince) that made me decide that I just had to shell out $50 bucks for a little fuzzy hat for the zoom. It seems ridiculous to pay 1/6th of the price of the recorder for a bit of fuzz, but this video made it clear to me that it’s a must

The Wonderful YouTube Community of Multimedia Nerds

There are tons of YouTube videos featuring Zoom audio tests with all kinds of mic configurations. Besides helping me Continue reading “Buying Audio Equipment with a Little Help from My (YouTube) Friends”

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Jul 28 2010

Love Your Family, Be Wary of Your HD-DSLR

Category: In-Camera Techniques, Multimedia & Video, Technology Insights — Ethan G. Salwen @ 4:43 pm

Since writing last night about a blog post by Gail Mooney, she’s written two more, and also done some major reporting Down Under for her “Opening Our Eyes” documentary project. Go Mooney!

Here are two key lessons I take away from Mooney’s “The Importance of ‘Family’” and “The Hard Part About Working with DSLRs”, both of which I encourage you to read — gaining insights from both Mooney’s Humane Side as well as her Tech-Nerdy Side:

• Family matters more than anything. So keep on building, loving and appreciating your “family,” even if these people are not related by blood.

As Mooney says of a young homeless man helped by the Oasis project: “His wants are simple – to love and be loved. How very basic and yet so tragic that being part of a family seems so out of reach for so many.”

• HD-DSLR cameras are not the best tools for recording video for making movies. HD-DSLRs are a major pain for capturing video, so (at least for now) for the best, most hassle free video-only shooting we’re better of with HD video cameras.

As Mooney says: “Yes, the visual [of HD-DSLRs] is stunning but I can’t help but think how many moments I may have missed that I probably would have gotten if I had been shooting with a video camera.”

Let’s go to the video. . .

To honor both family and not capturing video on HD-DSLRs — I used my measly Canon G9 — I share a home movie I made a year-and-a-half ago. Back then these wackos were just the wacky family of my girlfriend. But now, with the wedding set for January, these wackos are my family, too. Yes!

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Jul 27 2010

It’s Making Movies, Stupid!

Category: Creative Process, Multimedia & Video, Technology Insights — Ethan G. Salwen @ 6:17 pm

“After 11 years of shooting motion and over 30 years of shooting still images, my mind seamlessly makes the switch a hundred times a day between thinking and seeing in ‘moments in time’ or ‘time in motion’”, Gail Mooney shared yesterday in “True Convergence with the DSLR Cameras,” a great blog post from her “Journeys of a Hybrid.” Mooney speaks of how photographers new to video tend to get consumed by the technical challenges and “forget that they need to think and shoot differently when shooting video.”

This is something that I have been struggling with in my very initial steps into video and multimedia. I notice that I either shoot all stills or all motion. My mind is not only not switch seamlessly, it’s hardly switching at all. And when I am in video mode, I hardly know what I’m doing. And why should I? While I’ve been making still images for 20 years, I’ve only played around with multimedia a tiny bit over the past year. How would I know how to make a movie?

To make a movie. That’s the real challenge of photographers “moving into motion”: embracing video capture, as well as audio capture, as well as the editing these element together, or even “just” editing still images and sound into multimedia pieces. This “move making” factor might seem incredibly obvious, but I think few of us really realize this.

Maybe you realize this. But if you do, do you really realize this?

I ask because I recently finished up a 4,000-word article sharing photographers’ insights on embracing video and multimedia and, as good as the article is — I’ll share it with you when I have the PDF — I think I fail to communicate this obvious-subtle idea: Moving into motion is all about making movies, and making movies is hard.

Because of all the TV programs and movies we consume, we have a sense of how movies work, which is great. But, just as casual photographers Continue reading “It’s Making Movies, Stupid!”

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Jun 04 2010

Learning Multimedia and Video On the Job

Category: Business & Marketing, Creative Process — Ethan G. Salwen @ 1:33 pm

“The way I learn the best is just to do stuff,” Wu said. “So I will just take an assignment and learn along the way.”

This thought from Tony Wu came near the end of my post yesterday, and I thought I better elaborate on it, both for the sake of clarity and to fend off the likes of Gail Mooney, a photographer who has spent years mastering video and multimedia and who has told me more than once (understandably) that she gets very irritated by photographers (and clients) who downplay the difficulty of creating video and multimedia.

Where did I learn to photograph on a train at high altitude? Um, that would be, on a train at high altitude. (Nearing 15,023, heading between Lima and Huancayo, Peru.)

Where did I learn to photograph on a train at high altitude? Um, that would be, on a train at high altitude. (Nearing 15,023 ft., heading to Huancayo, Peru, from Lima.)

Tony Wu is as conscientious of his professionalism and the difficulties of creating multimedia as Mooney. Also, to be clear, this was just one brief thought from him in a very long conversation. Wu didn’t make a big point of the idea that photographers should take on new challenges while on the job. However, I will.

I don’t think it goes against best professional practices to suggest that on-the-job learning should be a critical strategy embraced by still photographers venturing into multimedia. As Wu suggests, why not go out an get jobs that require a slightly higher level of expertise?

Professional Photography IS On-The-Job Training

Continue reading “Learning Multimedia and Video On the Job”

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May 25 2010

Opening Our Eyes: They’re Off!

Category: Multimedia & Video, Photographers, Viewpoint — Ethan G. Salwen @ 2:33 pm

AfterCapture Blog_100525_Open Our Eyes_1Today, May 25, 2010, marks the bicentenary of the revolution that marked the beginning of Argentina’s road to independence. It seems appropriate that Chance decided that today would also be the day that Gail Mooney would set off on her 3-month, round-the-world trip to create “Opening Our Eyes”, a documentary film project she is making in partnership with her daughter, Erin Kelly.

I say that the connection to Argentina’s revolution (and ultimate independence) is appropriate because of all the photographers I know personally, without a doubt, Gail Mooney is the most revolutionary- and independent-minded.

Since I introduced “Opening Our Eyes” in March, the project has taken much fuller shape. You can get a good sense of the trip at the main website. Keep in mind that a year ago Mooney hadn’t even thought up this trip. From initial concept to flying out of Newark airport today, Mooney and Kelly have orchestrated all details of this massive undertaking in only a little over six months.

AfterCapture Blog_100525_Open Our Eyes_2Be sure to also check out “Journeys of a Hybrid”, Mooney’s excellent blog full of insights — from the personal and creative to the technical and business side — from a photographer who has lived her life to the fullest, and who seems to be just warming up.

Mooney, who has been in the business for 33 years, has focused primarily on still photographic coverage of travel assignments for magazines. However, she has also worked plenty in the commercial realm in partnership with her husband, Tom Kelly.

Mooney not only made a smooth transition to digital photography, but she is one of the new bread photographers who is fully embracing the possibilities of video and, just as fully, the exciting possibilities of Web publication and social media.

Good Lu. . .

Continue reading “Opening Our Eyes: They’re Off!”

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Mar 05 2010

Still, Video and Social Media: Gail Mooney Will Open Our Eyes

Category: Creative Process, Photographers, The Industry — Ethan G. Salwen @ 10:30 pm

AfterCapture_Blog_100305_Opening Our Eyes_1“We are two people — a mother and a daughter — embarking on a journey around the world to document and film the stories of individuals — ordinary people who are following their own dreams, passions and ambitions and doing extraordinary things.”

This is from the Gail Mooney’s new website, “Opening Our Eyes: Global Stories About the Power of One.” As the site explains, Mooney — an accomplished documentary photographer and filmmaker — will be heading around the world with her daughter, Erin Kelly, to gather the material they need to create a feature length film.

This is a project worth keeping tabs on. For one thing, it’s Mooney’s latest personal project, which are always impressive, as she uses them to push her photography forward, both creatively and in terms of business.

“Opening Our Eyes” is particularly interesting to those of us in the industry because Mooney will be pushing her limits in terms of working in both still and motion, employing light and affordable equipment. In short, she will be heading into waters that many of us will heading into ourselves — still & motion — and she does so with the insights of an impressive background in traditional still and motion.

Mooney is in a perfect position to show us how to capture both great stills and motion, ensuring that both get put to the best use. (To see what Mooney’s capable of, check out her shorts for “The Delta Blues Musicians” and “Freedom’s Ride.”)

Freedom’s Ride from Gail Mooney on Vimeo.

This is not to suggest that “Opening Our Eyes” will be about photography for photographers. Hardly. As always, Mooney will focus on the story — on her subjects — focusing on the task of best communicating that story to the most appropriate audience. Continue reading “Still, Video and Social Media: Gail Mooney Will Open Our Eyes”

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Feb 26 2010

When Frozen Professionally, Focus on Your Passion

Category: Business & Marketing, Creative Process, Photographers — Ethan G. Salwen @ 9:18 am

Gail Mooney, commercial and documentary photographer and filmmaker, continues to inspire with her honest, insightful writing in her blog, “Journeys of a Hybrid.” The last paragraph of her February 22 post, “Standing on a 10 Foot Frozen Wave,” reads:

“So I looked out over the endless view of frozen waves and into the orange glow of the setting sun. For an instant I became fearful of where I was when I looked behind me and saw a deep crevice that I could easily fall into if I lost my footing. But then I looked ahead to the orange glow on the horizon and I felt hope and with that a sense of security because I knew where I came from and I have the heart and spirit to survive.”

AfterCapture_Blog_100226_Mooney_1

Mooney is finishing up a tale of recently photographing on frozen lake in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for a personal documentary movie project. She likens her experience on the ice to some of the issues she and other photographers has been facing professionally: Continue reading “When Frozen Professionally, Focus on Your Passion”

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Feb 12 2010

Fear: A Critical Topic Impossible to Discuss?

Category: Creative Process — Ethan G. Salwen @ 3:38 pm

AfterCapture_Blog_100210_Fear_1_RF1108_Fear_Salwen.pdf (page 1 of 4)How we address our fears is critical to our creative and business success. I clearly see this trait of dealing in all successful photographers, and I have questioned many of them on the topic. I have wanted to say something insightful on this fear theme, but I am not sure I have gotten beyond clichés.

In “Triumph Over Fear,” an article I wrote for Rangefinder, I did my best to explore some of the implications of fear as part of success in photography. My strategy was to share the stories of four photographers. This seemed the only honest, valuable way to explore the topic.

However, I admit, it was hard not to try to write the article in such a way that it suggested: “Embrace your fears, even appreciate them. What you are afraid of makes you stronger.”

See how lame that sounds? It’s not like I’m Franklin D. Roosevelt inspiring a nation. What the hell do I know? It scares the shit out of me just to learn new keyboard shortcuts — and I’m not kidding. Continue reading “Fear: A Critical Topic Impossible to Discuss?”

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Nov 20 2009

How To Expand Your Business With Video

Category: Business & Marketing, Creative Process — Ethan G. Salwen @ 1:39 pm

ACOF_091120_1Well, that’s a good question, and one with no easy answers — or, at least, answers that are likely to overwhelm some photographers while underwhelming others. How do still photographers go about video with a mind on business success?

Gail Mooney offers some thoughtful and encouraging answers the most recent article for “Insight,” the online newsletter of Adbase. In her article, “How to Expand Your Business with Video,” Mooney touches on her own history in photo/video,  offers up some important (and common) pitfalls to avoid and touches on the importance of collaboration. Most important, however, is Continue reading “How To Expand Your Business With Video”

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Oct 26 2009

A Not Recap of the PhotoPlus Orgy

Category: Creative Process, The Industry, Viewpoint — Ethan G. Salwen @ 10:06 am

AC_Blog_PPE_CrowdThe PhotoPlus Expo officially ended on Saturday, but my experience didn’t come to an end until yesterday, with my visit to the studio of commercial photographer Andrew Matusik. My PPE experience was less frantic and more fantastic than I had anticipated.

I think this was simply because I did myself a favor and realized — before the madness began — that I should focus on quality over quantity. So my personal mantra was, “If you learn just one thing today and connect with just one person, this will be a success.” And a success it was.

I won’t try to recap my whole PPE experience — way, way too much to share — but I will give you a taste by simply listing some of the people and ideas that came my way:

The best part of PPE was spending real quality time — and enjoying good eats — with photographers I already knew, including Gail Mooney, Tom Kelly, Richard Anderson Continue reading “A Not Recap of the PhotoPlus Orgy”

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