Friday, September 17, 2010

Photographers doing video?

So let me get this straight. Commercial and editorial shooters are now convinced that because everyone has access to quality cameras and can take “good” photos, they’ve got to move into video for new media, despite the fact that there are heaps of people who specialized in video and have a huge leg up and also despite the fact that pretty soon HD video will be in accessible to everyone and not just those that can afford a $2,000 camera just like what happened with photography? Does anyone else see the failed logic here? This has been bugging me for a year or so.

6 comments:

Kathryn Wagner, @kwagnerphoto said...

I agree it is going to be interesting for those who have chosen to diversify further, once the technology catches up to the general public once again. Specialists specialize for many good reasons, one of them being economic.

Anonymous said...

"Behinds the scene" videos do not count as a legitimate claim to video making. Same goes for those sped-up relentless pack-my-gear-and-go-to-shoot-and-pack-up again- videos. If one has at all dabbled with video storytelling, the ante goes up quick, and the level of production as well. Soon your going from a minute clip to wanting to do a something more substantial. Editing becomes complicated and time consuming and really critical. Then you realize you are now just competing with professional directors and cinematographers who have made this their business. And the competition is pretty stiff there, too. Know thy limitations.

J. Wesley Brown said...

Yes, specialize in creativity. Be the most creative at photography and ignore video, or dabble in it in your free time if really interested.

Anonymous said...

I disagree. Look at stock photography pre $1,000 10MP cameras and pre iStockphoto.

It is all about the right product at the right price point. Stills shooters making the jump will force pro video to concede the botton part of the market. Check back in 3 years and I'll be right (or low end pro video prices will have dropped).

bg said...

J.

I am not suggesting ignoring video at all (from my post above yours). It's a dynamic visual medium that extends the possibility of expression, I think. I am just saying that if you play enough with it, your standards go way up as well. So pretty soon you are really going to want to make commercials or short films.

It will be interesting to see where video goes for the photographer. Are we just going to be asked to shoot a little auxiliary footage with a photo assignment? Or are many of us really going to jump into "commercial" making? Or be asked to?

If its the latter, then you are entering the field of commercial making with cinematographers, directors, larger production, etc.

My point is if you think getting into video seriously is some way of avoiding competition, think again.

J. Wesley Brown said...

Yeah, that was pretty much my point with the post. It seems to me like photogs are looking to video as a means of salvation when there's stiff competition out there.