Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 1:00 pm
Good luck with the tree measuring video. I wish I could have helped but I've gotten so busy in my work the past few months. Having bought a video camera a few years ago I have since found out how difficult it is. Modern digital cameras, both for still shots and video have come a long way to do decent work- but for me, I wouldn't be happy with just decent but to do something exceptional, it takes a great deal of time. After all, when Hollywood makes a 90 minute movie, they probably have 200 hours of film. Often they do dozens of takes for each scene.
Outdoor work is much more difficult than indoors where it's easier to control lighting. Outdoors, especially in forests is very difficult unless you have a lot of money to spend on specialized lighting, high quality microphones, etc. I was really hoping to do a lot but just haven't due to being broke or now too busy.
the main thing is to not be in a hurry- if you don't have good lighting, the video may come out mediocre, and that's OK if it's really OK with you- for just banging around and for fun, it might be OK, but if the goal is to use it for lofty purposes and show it to lofty organizations, it's all too easy to not get what you want
a bright cloudy day is best- to avoid too much contrast which can ruin it, if you don't have a lighting system- which can be very expensive
a good mike is important too- when I watch the local public access TV, almost invariably the sounds massively sucks--- they seem to be just using the almost worthless built in mike instead of investing a few hundred bucks in a good shotgun mike
I look forward to seeing what you come up with so I can learn a few tricks. I still eventually want to produce some better than decent forestry videos.
Joe
Outdoor work is much more difficult than indoors where it's easier to control lighting. Outdoors, especially in forests is very difficult unless you have a lot of money to spend on specialized lighting, high quality microphones, etc. I was really hoping to do a lot but just haven't due to being broke or now too busy.
the main thing is to not be in a hurry- if you don't have good lighting, the video may come out mediocre, and that's OK if it's really OK with you- for just banging around and for fun, it might be OK, but if the goal is to use it for lofty purposes and show it to lofty organizations, it's all too easy to not get what you want
a bright cloudy day is best- to avoid too much contrast which can ruin it, if you don't have a lighting system- which can be very expensive
a good mike is important too- when I watch the local public access TV, almost invariably the sounds massively sucks--- they seem to be just using the almost worthless built in mike instead of investing a few hundred bucks in a good shotgun mike
I look forward to seeing what you come up with so I can learn a few tricks. I still eventually want to produce some better than decent forestry videos.
Joe