Video Seminar by Steve Fish

Part Two covers Filming Techniques and concentrates on ways to shoot scenes that will improve your UW video quality. view part 1>>> view part 3>>>

The direction that you are pointing the camera can have a profound impact on the quality of your video. The CCD imagers used in video (and still) digital cameras does not have the dynamic range of film. Extremes in light to dark cannot be successfully reproduced. Shooting toward the bright sun will result in video that is low contrast, washed out and fuzzy from flare.

In these examples, each subject is shot from two directions. First shooting into the sun and then from the other side with the sun behind the camera. You can see that simply shooting with the sun behind you can make a dramatic difference in quality..

While you can't always shoot from the correct side, you should always try to pick an angle that will minimize the detrimental effects of shooting into the sun. This is less a factor in mid-day than early in the morning or late in the afternoon. As with all rules, there are times that breaking them for a specific effect will work such as silhouettes or sunbeams, but you will probably have to manually control exposure in these cases.

One of the most common mistakes of new videographers is to treat their camera the way they would a still camera. When you're making movies, make sure something moves. Static scenes without motion can be very monotonous.

Don't be afraid to capture action happening in the entire space surrounding you. Video's additional advantage over a still photo is the addition of another dimension, TIME. Whereas a still photo captures a single moment in time in a single plane of space, video can capture your entire surroundings over time. The example video clips to the right demonstrate this technique:
View a video example. Video Requires Quicktime 7 player click here to download.

Another common mistake is to film everything you see willy nilly without giving any thought to what you are doing from one moment to the next. If you don't plan ahead, nothing will fit together when you edit your film. The most important video accessory lies between the back of your mask strap and the lens of your mask. It's your BRAIN. Take it with you and use it often.

The example scenes to the right all have a pre planned start and stop point. By knowing exactly what you want to do before charging off, you will accomplish more with less effort.
View a video example. Video Requires Quicktime 7 player click here to download.

Another trick that is helpful in making the water look clear is to make it look Blue. In the split screen on the right is an example of using a special effects filter to achieve that goal. The left side of the example is shot without the filter, it's a little bit overcorrected due to the shallow depth. The right side of the example uses a Cokin Special Effects filter that is gradated from blue at the top to clear at the bottom. The blue part "cleans up" the water but the clear portion allows you to retain color below. Cokin filters can be purchased at most full service photo stores or online.
When you've finished shooting your video, you're only half done. Then you have to edit it. If you put some thought into what you are shooting, it will make your life much easier when you get to the editing phase.
To make your video more pleasant to view, you should be conscious of continuity. Scenes should flow from one to another without any illogical breaks. If you shoot special transitional scenes, editing will be a snap. The sample footage to the right is a transitional scene (simple pan) from a turtle to a school of fish. View a video example. Video Requires Quicktime 7 player click here to download.
The example scene to the left is a similar transition but shot from the school of fish back to the turtle. Shoot it both directions while you are there and have the opportunity because you never know what you might need when you are editing. View a video example. Video Requires Quicktime 7 player click here to download.
Now those transitional scenes can be used to form a bridge between the two vastly different types of marine life in either direction you choose as shown in the example footage to the right. View a video example. Video Requires Quicktime 7 player click here to download.

Just because you have some motion and some nice colors, don't let it distract you from the fact that videography is a form of photography. What is presented on the screen at any particular moment in time should never be bad photographic technique disguised by motion.