“The ability to easily distribute video to a worldwide audience via the web is the third factor that has dramatically opened up possibilities in motion for still photographers,” I write in “Adventures in Motion: Nature photographers get serious about capturing video and producing multimedia.” Factor One, I explain, is that hi-def digital video capture has recently become so affordable. Even more critical, Factor Two occurred “in the late 1990s when professional video editing software began to run on the same computers photographers used for their digital still photography.” With this brief historical background, in “Adventures in Motion,” which I wrote for NANPA’s Currents magazine, I dive into a deeply-researched piece in which I attempt to inspire photographers to embrace multimedia and video, and to provide some fundamental advice for doing so smartly.

To get a taste of the scope of “Adventures in Motion,” check out the article’s subheads: “New Frontiers in Video Capture, Editing and Distribution,” “Proceed with Excitement and Respect,” “Having Fun and Learning By Sharing,” “Understanding New Paradigms in Publishing,” “Taking On Video Editing One Step at a Time,” “Listen Up: Sound Is King,” “It’s All About the Story,” and “Beyond the Million-Dollar Question.”

Sounds like good stuff, no? Well, if I succeed with “Adventures in Motion,” it is because I was able to bring to life the experiences the visionary, multimedia-embracing nature photographers who informed this piece: Rob Sheppard, Eric Cheng, Ian Shive, Tony Wu, Ralph Clevenger and Mary Lynn Price.

I deeply thank all of these photographers. During hours of interviews, each one shared their unique perspectives with passion and patience. They also provided invaluable feedback on drafts of the article. While their experiences differ, I was pleased to discover that they are all very much on the same page in terms of what matters for still photographers moving into motion.

Currents’ editor Niki Barrie is the unsung hero behind “Adventures in Motion.” Not only did she assign the article, but she performed some major hand-holding as I worked to refine my mess of a first draft from more than 10,000 words down to less than 4,000. Thanks, Niki!

Check It Out! — A Resource Worth Sharing With Colleagues?

I encourage you to give “Adventures in Motion” a read. Even if you well beyond “newbie” status in your adventures in motion, my hope is that you will find a resource worth sharing with colleagues.

Sooooooo?

I know you’re the opinionated type, so please share your opinionated response to “Adventures in Motion” — in a comment below. More than “Good job!” or “That sucked!”, I encourage you to enter the dialog with your experiences. Expand on what I got right, correct what I got wrong, share any critical advice I left out, pose a question that was raised, or respond to any questions raised below.

Tags: Adventures in Motion, Adventures in Motion: Nature photographers get serious about capturing video and producing multimedia, Articles by Ethan G. Salwen, Currents, Eric Cheng, Ian Shive, Mary Lynn Price, Moving Into Motion, Multimedia Fundementals, Multimedia Inspiration, NANPA, NANPA's Currents, Nature Photography, Ralph Clevenger, Rob Sheppard, Tony Wu, Video Editing, Video Fundementals, Video Photojournalism