Photographers and Video
For more than a year now, photographers have been dabbling increasingly with video production. It started in earnest when Canon released the update to its popular 5D digital SLR (still camera) with HD video recording capabilities. Next thing you know… voila, photographers are videographers too.
Personally, I think the idea that “because our cameras include video capability suddenly we’re all filmmakers” is sort of preposterous. It’s like saying if any videographer had a camera capable of capturing high-quality stills they’d have the same skills as a photographer. Or perhaps the equivalent of putting our high-end digital cameras into the hands of untrained amateurs and expecting great photographs to happen. Just because the gear is great doesn’t mean the skills are the same. Basically, I’m resistant to the idea that “because I have one, I are one.”
All that said, the market pressure is there. For years, when clients have inquired about video capabilities I’ve happily referred them to our video production department–a team of skilled professionals who actually make videos all day every day. But recently I was asked by a potential client about video. After mentioning our video department, she pushed back: “No,” she said, “I mean can you do it with your camera? Other photographers have said they can.”
Great. Now I’ve got to shoot video too.
It’s probably good to broaden my horizons, and probably great for so many other photographers to do the same thing. But let’s be clear: I’m a photographer, first and foremost. Videographers are videographers first and foremost. If you want to make something great, hire a specialist.
There. I’ll get off my soapbox now.
The point is I’ve been busy lately, thankfully shooting quite a bit of still photography. I’ve also done some video, though, and I’m currently working with a publication to document the business resurgence on Cherokee Street in South St. Louis. In the end we hope to produce a multimedia product combining photographs, audio and video recordings. Until then, I offer you these stills to hold you over. They’re a glimpse into the particular vibe that is happening right now on Cherokee. I hope that our project can do these fine people and their businesses some justice.
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