Videography and Photography Tips
Photography tip -
This is a simple trick, but can be very effective. Instead of centering your subject, think in thirds. Try taking a tight shot of a candle, flower, street sign, even a cute face. Place your subject either on the far left or right of the screen. If photographing a person, the rule is to give them "nose room", so they would be looking towards the open side of the shot. You will see right away how this adds to the shot. I never center anything.
Point and Shoot Camera Tip -
For those carrying around the typical point and shoot camera in your pocket, this tip will help you be a bit more creative. The auto setting is fine, gets you what you need, but try shutting off the flash. Obviously, you need decent light, but shut off the flash when outside or when in a good amount of light and make sure to hold the camera steady. This will give you a warmer, more natural look. Try one with flash and one without. You're on your way!
Shaky Video Tip -
For those of you that like to shoot home videos, here's a quick tip to help reduce the nausea you may feel from the shaky video... Keep your shot wide, the more you zoom, the shakier it gets. If possible, zoom with your body, stay wide while leaning in or out. Stay away from jerky movements, keep it smooth.
Let me know if you have any questions.... Shoot straight, cut clean.
video and photography tip -
Have you ever noticed on TV, those shots or interviews that have the out of focus or blurry backgrounds? It makes the person being interviewed or the subject pop out of the screen. The same effect is used in still photography. To create a soft background is very effective and easy to do. You will need a lens that has a decent zoom, the longer the lens the more blur you can create. To achieve this, step back from your subject as far as you can while still able to get tight on the subject, (ex. face or flower). The more you zoom, the more critical your focus is, once you focus on your subject your background will soften up. Its an easy trick that will give your video and photographs a professional look. Give it a try!