DIY Network

Photography Tips from Professional Photographer Austin Anderson Photography Tips from Professional Photographer Austin Anderson From "Making Home Movies" episode DMHM-102

For this video the Panthers are set to wrap up their season, and Austin Anderson is on hand to document their success. The steps he will take for this shoot include the following:

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	On-camera team introductions: tight shot.
	Before-game close-up: coach blowing whistle.
	Example of boring straight-ahead wide shot.
	Example of more engaging corner wide shot.
	Going from medium wide to slight zoom.
	Tight shot of parents with handheld camera.
	Example of over-the-shoulder shot.

(*Note: The first five images on this page were shot using a fluid-head tripod; the last two shots were made with a handheld camera).

• Before going into the field, think about the story and the types of shots you want for the video. Also, think about who's going to be watching the video. For a family video, you can focus mainly on your family. If it's for a team video, you will want to focus on and feature different people in the video.

• Get to the field early and set up your camera on the tripod. This gives you the opportunity to set up some of the action shots you know you'll need, such as tight shots of the ball being kicked or of cheering parents. Tight shots are important as cutaway shots from the action.

• Once the camera is set up, move the camera bag away from the field to a safe location along the sidelines. This protects both the camera equipment and the players.

• Hit RECORD and let the tape roll for about 30 seconds to make sure everything is functioning properly. This is also a good time to check your audio. Bad audio can result in an unwatchable movie.

• Gather the team and collect the on-camera introductions.

• Shoot the close-ups of the ball going into the net, the coach with the players, the referee blowing the whistle and other simple tight shots that can be used during the editing process. Get plenty of tight shots during this time because there won't be time once the game begins.

• When the game begins, move around the location, capturing different angles of the field. If you stay in the middle of the field during sporting events, you have to do a lot of swish panning to stay on top of the action. If you move back to the end zone, you can follow the ball more easily and have steadier shots.

• Set up in the corners of the field, instead of the middle, to shoot more engaging wide shots.

• Let the action come to you rather than trying to follow it around the field. When the action approaches your position, set the shots medium wide and record without trying to zoom in on the action. Aim for nicely composed shots with little camera movement.

• In the case of trying to get individual shots of the players, it always helps to stay medium wide, then if one of them starts to take off and run with the ball, zoom in a little more to follow the action.

• At the beginning of the second half, Anderson moves back to midfield since he's collected all the shots needed at the spot near the goal. He removes the camera from the tripod so he can introduce some movement and boost the energy level of the video.

• He circles the coach and two players to get over-the-shoulder shots.

• He also shoots tight shots of the parents, with the camera close to their faces to gather good audio with the camera's built-in microphone. These varied camera-angle shots will be used as cutaways during the editing process to help draw the audience into the action.
  

RESOURCES :

IMAC Computer
POWERBOOK laptop computer
IMOVIE editing software
Apple Computer Inc.
Website: apple.com

Tripods
3433 Fluid Head
755B MDVE Video Tripod
522A Sony LANC Remote
700RC2,756BK MDVE Tripod w/head
714B Digi Tripod
Bogen Photo Corp.
Website: www.bogenimaging.us

Canon Digital Camcorders
Canon USA Inc.
Website: usa.canon.com
canondv.com

Video cameras
PD-150 camera and accessories
Vaio laptop
Flatscreen TV
Mini DV tapes
Sony Electronics Inc.
Website: www.sony.com

Media 100 editing software
Media 100 Inc.
Website: www.media100.com

Electronic equipment
Precision Camera
Website: precision-camera.com