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DSLR Quick Focusing Tips

Saturday, December 24, 2011

When I was a kid, our family only had one camera. It was a 35mm point-and-shoot with autofocus. Today we have all sorts of cameras, from mobile phones to camcorders to DSLRs to point and shoots... the list goes on! But there's one thing all these devices have in common: Focus.

Focusing is adjusting the lens of your camera until you can see your subject in maximum detail. Professionals like to use the term "tack sharp" to describe when the subject of an image is in perfect focus. An unintentionally out-of-focus shot can be distracting to the viewer, and can remove your audience from your video or film. However, intentionally leaving areas out-of-focus can also be used as a storytelling device, bringing the audience's attention to something specific, or obscuring the villain standing behind your main character.

When focusing, the lens element inside your camera moves closer or further from the image sensor depending on which direction you rotate the focus ring. Once the light is properly converging on the image sensor, you will have a focused image.

Shifting focus from a nearby object to a faraway object within the same shot is called "racking focus" and is commonly used to bring the audience's attention from one subject to another. Professionals and amateurs alike do this by using something called a follow focus, and you can build one yourself to make racking focus much easier! Here's a quick example of how racking the focus can add a little bit of drama and tell a story, all within one shot:


Most cameras today have autofocus built in, and you might be wondering why we don't just leave it on all the time. Autofocus can be pretty good at guessing what subject you want in focus, but it may not always get it right. Lots of movement within the frame or moving the camera itself can cause a distracting "pulsing" effect as the autofocus decides what subject should be in focus.

Manual focus is the setting we need to assure all our shots are tack sharp on the subjects we want. Check out the following video showing you how to manually focus on a couple of common camera types:

Here's the breakdown of how you can manually focus on different camera types:


DSLR: Find the MF(manual focus) switch on the lens or front of your camera body, and use the focus or zoom assist button to get the image sharp by turning the focus ring.

Camcorder: Set your focus to "M" near the camera lens, and use the focus assist to establish focus. Some cameras don't have focus assist, so check your user manual first.

Point & Shoot: While not exactly manual focus, you can lock your autofocus before taking your shot by pressing the shutter button halfway down, and then pressing the shutter all the way down to start recording.

Touchscreen Smartphone: Tap the screen where you want to focus (depending on your phone, this may adjust the exposure too!)


One rule of thumb to focus on a video camera is to establish your shot, zoom into your subject as much as possible, focus on your subject, and zoom back out and reestablish your shot. Your subject will remain in focus as long as it's stationary. You can try this technique with DSLR cameras, however the zoom on some lenses can throw off your focus. Most video-capable DSLRs have a "focus assist" button that will digitally zoom on a subject to help establish focus. Explore your user manual or post in our friendly Cameras and Editing Forum if you have trouble focusing with your camera.



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Adding Depth to Your Shots

Friday, December 9, 2011

When most people think about adding depth to videos, they immediately think about DSLR cameras, and for good reason: One of the most appealing aspects of shooting video on a DSLR is the shallow depth of field you can achieve.

With DSLRs, interchangeable lenses that stop down to wide apertures allow you to get those super-cinematic shots, capture bokeh, rack focus, and separate your subject from the background, drawing your audience's eye to the details you choose. Adjusting aperture to obtain shallow depth of field is a great trick, but let's not get stuck in thinking that it's the only way to add depth to your shots.

This great tutorial from Realm Pictures explores six ways to create depth in your videos, most of which don’t call for a DSLR:



1. Depth of field

The wider your aperture (meaning the smaller the number), the shallower your depth of field. As you can see in the tutorial, when shooting at f/22, both Eve and the background are in focus. However, opening up the aperture to f/1.4 creates shallower depth of field, where Eve is in focus while the background is not.

Remember that when you change your aperture, you need to compensate to maintain your exposure. When shooting on a DSLR, you usually want your shutter speed to remain at 1/50th or 1/60th of a second (depending on your frame rate), so you'll want to compensate for a shift in aperture by changing your ISO.

If you're shooting outdoors on a sunny day and your ISO is set as low as possible but you still can't open the aperture wide enough to get the shallow depth of field you want, try using a neutral density filter to decrease the amount of light hitting the sensor. This fun video by stillmotion offers further explanation.

2. Backlighting

Sometimes adding depth is as simple as adding backlighting. As seen in the tutorial, when the sun is behind Eve, a natural line of light around her head and shoulders separates her from the background. The same principle pertains to a three-point lighting system. When using artificial lights indoors, backlighting helps the eye distinguish the subject from the background, thereby adding depth.

3. Foreground elements

Adding an element to the foreground is another simple way to add depth. Placing something closer to the camera gives context to the shot and helps better define the placement of your subject.

4. Perspective

Changing up your shot composition and getting creative with angles also can add depth. The shot with Eve in front of the shed is composed on one visual plane. However, by moving the camera to the side and shooting at Eve down the line of the shed, the vanishing horizontal lines of the structure create depth and draw the focus towards her.

5. Parallax

Parallax is not the name of a more relaxed parallel universe — it’s a property of visual perception whereby an object looks different when viewed from varying angles. In the tutorial, this effect is achieved by moving the camera along a glide track so that the foreground elements move faster than the ones in the background. This contrast accentuates the difference between the two planes and you guessed it adds depth.

6. Smoke and Haze

Bet you weren't expecting this one! In the tutorial, the air behind Dave is filled with smoke. Since there is less smoke between the camera and Dave than there is between Dave and the wall, Dave really pops out from the background.



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OWLE Bubo for iphone 4s

Monday, December 5, 2011


The OWLE Bubo is the simplest and most versatile way to take and share video and images.

SELECT YOUR DEVICE TYPE


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OWLE Bubo for iPhone 4, 4S and iPod Touch
4G
$169.95
OWLE Bubo for iPhone 3G/3GS
$159.95
$12.50 USA Shipping & Handling
$37.50 International Shipping & Handling.
Return Policy
IF YOU WANT TO PURCHASE THE OWLE & ENCINEMA ADAPTER COMBO KIT AT A DISCOUNTED
RATE, PLEASE CLICK HERE
2011 copyright vid-atlantic media productions, usa
Shipping & Handling Calculated on the
following page
&Vid-Atlantic
WHAT IS THE OWLE BUBO???
The Bubo takes the device you already have with you and transforms it into a fully functional imaging device.
Once equipped with a Bubo, the quality of your images matches the ease of sharing them.

Included Items:

- iPhone or iPod Touch 4G Specific Billet Aluminum Bubo

- Wide Angle/Macro Combo Lens (37mm Back End diameter, 49mm Front End Diameter)

- External Microphone

- Silicone Case to be used with iPhone or iPod Touch 4G
_____________________________________________________________________

What does it do that my iPhone doesn't?

Put simply, everything that a camera does that an iPhone can't.

- The Bubo comes standard with a full size lens that provides crisp image quality
- Also included is an external microphone that captures audio you can share
- It has four tri pod mounting points allowing you to perfect your image capturing
- The Bubo can stand on its own allowing for hands free photography
- An integrated cold shoe mounting point makes using lights or microphones simple
- The Bubo's ergonomic design promotes ease of hand held shooting
- Its tailored weight allows for greater control and no more shakey "cell phone video" affects
- The Bubo even protects your phone from damage during use as a camera

Once you have a Bubo, the days of "sorry for the cell phone pic" become a thing of the past.



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