Getting Started in Video By Ron Eggers Any serious photographer knows that becoming proficient at photography takes a long time. It takes a detailed understanding of the equipment that's being used. It takes a certain fundamental knowledge of the process, such as understanding exposure and depth of field in still photography. And it takes an artistic, or at least a creative, element. All those things come with experience. The more a photographer shoots, the better he/she understands his/her equipment and how to use it. That's true for conventional photography, for digital photography and for videography. One reason that most photographers aren't particularly good at shooting video is that they don't have a lot of practice with it. It's somewhat of a self-fulfilling prophecy. The photographer says to himself, "I don't like the results of my video work, so why waste my time shooting video." The next time a special occasion where the video camera is pulled out comes up, and the results are again less than expected, the photographer's decision not to waste time with it unless he absolutely has to is confirmed. That's the wrong approach. Just as with photography, spend time on video if you want to become proficient at it. Today's video camcorders make it easy, and inexpensive, to practice. Unlike in the old days when the cost of 8mm and Super 8 film and processing made it expensive to practice and experiment, with camcorders, there are no ongoing costs. The only expenditures are the cost of the equipment and an occasional blank tape. Since tapes can be used and reused, experimentation is very inexpensive. The first consideration when moving into video is the equipment. Photographers interested in video will frequently go out and buy all new video gear, even though they may have an older camcorder sitting in the closet. There's the misconception the results will automatically be better with the new equipment. From a technical standpoint, such as exposure, focusing and image stabilization, that may be the case. From a creative standpoint, however, that's generally not the case. In the beginning, use whatever equipment might be available. It might be an older analog model, or maybe a digital DV unit with limited capabilities. Play with it, even if it has its limitations. Being able to work around the limitations of equipment is a good indication of the expertise of the photographer or videographer. If you don't have a camcorder on hand, borrow a unit from a friend to see what you like or dislike about it. If a higher-priced model is being considered, it's a good idea to rent one for a few days to see if it lives up to expectations. And then start shooting. When reviewing practice footage, don't be overly critical. There are going to be some good things about it and there are going to be some bad things about it. Try to figure out what could have been done differently to eliminate, or at least reduce the impact of those problems. Is it possible to eliminate those problems with the equipment that's being used? If it is, and it's possible to reshoot the subject, try it again with the new adjustments in place. If it isn't, make a note of what would be required, such as a longer telephoto zoom range to shoot, or a closer focusing capability for detailed close-up photography, that would eliminate the shortcoming. That's an effective way to build up the wish list of the features and capabilities that will be used to select any new unit. What might come as a surprise to you is that you may find that the equipment that you already have works better than you had expected. Sometimes it's just a matter of experimenting with equipment to get the most out of it. When you are ready to buy a new unit, don't overspend. There's the misconception that high-priced equipment is required to do good video work. True, to a certain degree, the cost of the equipment reflects capabilities. Generally, the more expensive the video equipment, the better the quality of the footage that it can capture, and the greater the selection of features and capabilities. If you're going to be doing professional, or at least serious, videography, it's a good idea to get the best piece of equipment that's available within your budget. But price shouldn't be the primary consideration, and not everybody needs the most expensive video equipment. It's possible to do some very good work with relatively inexpensive camcorders. Some models have been advertised for under $300. Most of the time, it's possible to get a better deal on a camcorder model that's been on the market for some time. A previous generation is less expensive than the state-of-the-art equipment, even though it may be almost identical to the new unit. With digital video camcorders becoming a mature product category, there isn't anywhere near as much change from generation to generation as there was a few years ago. If the earlier generation meets the requirements, it might be the best deal.