The ten rules of photography...

AlexLucas

AlexLucas

PRO user
I was rolling around the city with an intern the other day... and after trying to explain photography, I thought it was interesting that I couldn't point to a place or a group of rules that said, basically, what to do to make sure you're NOT messing up in video or ruining your shoot.

I was thinking that B-rollers need to whittle down some basic information for people starting in news and thought up the 'Ten Immutable Rules of News Photography...'

... and I need your help!

I've got a few right now- keep adding.

1. Use headsets at all times.
I am continually shocked that I see shooters, almost every day, who trust their mics so casually. You should always, at all times, listen to your audio. Otherwise you will learn the number one rule of audio (Audio Rule #1: There is only one thing you can do with bad audio. Absolutely nothing). So wear those headsets... and trust those mics like you're making up with a cheating spouse.

2. Camera on tripod at all times. If you take it off the tripod, you have to have a reason.
That reason can almost be any reason whatsoever. That being said, the default shot of EVERYTHING is on a tripod. Period.

3. Car keys belong in three places. In a running ignition, on your body, or on top of your camera in the office. They don't belong anywhere near a reporter.
Little known fact: 85% of all reporters were the kids that ate the paste in pre-school, and had to have notes pinned to their shirts before they went home on the bus. Never ask a reporter to take your car keys and get something out of the car. Most reporters lose their cell phones, they were literally just talking on inside the car, on the way to the story. Reporter hands are the devil's playground.
 
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4. Have extra batteries
stuff sets in in your bag, stuff spares also in your pocket and then just to be always ready sets of what you used also tucked in the car/truck as well!
(added note - Do not expect the reporter to remember to bring a spare set off the desk)
 
That goes for extra media too (tape, disk, whatever).

I carry two pens in my pocket because invariably, the producer will forget theirs. Plus you have a backup if the first one dies.

Shoot to edit. Wide, medium, tight. Action and reaction. Cause and effect. Get the basics before you get creative.

Be sure you've got what you need, don't just take the reporter's word for it.

Pay attention and be in the moment. Don't just record what the reporter tells you they think is important. You have a brain. Use it.

You and the reporter are a team (whether you like it or not). Talk to them about the story. Collaborate!

Sound is important! Look for nat' sounds you can incorporate to punctuate the package.

Make page or die trying.
 
Always bring your run bag and sticks with you. The day you leave one of those behind is the day you need it.
 
5. White balance early; white balance often. Every time the light changes, or you go in/out of a shadow, or change rooms.

6. The world does not always have to be viewed from 5' 6" (or however high your tripod sits with the legs all the way out). Go high. Go low. Set the camera on the ground. Or a table. Vary the altitude of the camera as often as you vary the focal length.
 
1a. An addition to Alex's number one rule about headsets. It's not just listening for audio quality. But listen to what people are saying or what is going on and make your camera moves accordingly.

7. Learn early on to lift with your legs. it will give you a longer career life.

8. Don't over shoot. Know how many shots you need to fill thirty seconds. Do the math depending on the assignment (VO or PKG). For me it's seven shots per 30 seconds. Make them solid, creative, different images. Get them and move on to the next assignment. ;)
 
1) Keep your lens clean.

2) Level the tripod everytime you move it.

3) Learn to Keep the camera rock-steady without any little vibrations or wiggling going on even on a "static" shot.

4) Keep the shutter at 1/60th

5) Educate yourself about Depth-of-Field and then use that knowledge to isolate the subject from the background or foreground -- especially with all interviews (indoors and outdoors).

6) As Capt. Slo-mo says, white balance often.

7) When shooting on a tripod, use your left hand to focus AND zoom. Your right hand should be on the pan handle and free to change any settings on the camera. In other words, do not hug the camera and attempt to reach the zoom rocker with your right hand. This is a bad habit that I see a lot of news photographers use that makes it so much harder to smoothly pan, tilt, change settings on the camera, and isoloate your breathing and body movements from being translated to the image. see #3 above.

8) Get a copy of the operator's manual for your camera and read it from cover to cover. Seek out other information or advice for any features you don't understand.

9) Never, ever shoot with auto-iris turned on.

10) Learn to understand zebras and how to use them to set the perfect exposure in all shooting situations.
 
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Set your shot THEN hit record. Do not look for your shot while recording. Stop recording THEN find your next shot. Repeat...
 
Don't leave your camera on the sticks and walk away. Murphy's Law always comes into effect when you do.

Keep a squirt gun in your bag for those damn kids who hose your audio when they whine: "I wanna be on Tee Veeeeee. Put me on Tee Veeee."
 
AlexLucas said:
2. Camera on tripod at all times. If you take it off the tripod, you have to have a reason.
That reason can almost be any reason whatsoever. That being said, the default shot of EVERYTHING is on a tripod. Period.
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My rule of thumb for tripod shooting is simple.

If it's not moving, use the tripod.

If it's moving, and more than ten-twenty feet away, use the tripod.

If it's sports, think long and hard before walking away from the tripod. Football games (from the sidelines) almost always have to be shoulder shot. Same with basketball games. Most other sports, use the tripod.

As Alex said, the default should always be shoot from the tripod.
 
Keeping it all on the tripod is probably good advice if they are in their first two years/are idiots, but becoming strong in shoulder shooting will save you. You have to know when and how to do it though. The other skill, though less used, is how to make real world objects act as your tripod.
 
That's probably in response to people that "over-use" their shutter, you know, the guys that think it looks cool to shoot everything at 1/2000th. But I too, disagree. As long as light permits, when I'm shooting at 60 frames for "normal video" on my VariCam, I shoot at 1/120th and -3dB gain. To my eye, it seems to give the picture just a little more "pop", without introducing any negative consequences(like with HIGH shutter speeds). I'm not saying that shooting 1/60th is wrong in any way(it is the "native scan rate" of the chip), it's completely fine, but I wouldn't say never change it from 1/60th. The shutter is just another tool...

Also, when shooting "normal" 24P, keep the shutter at 1/48th, or 180 degrees...
 
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White balance correctly and intelligently. Nice orange sunsets and a technical white balance doesn't mix well! At least not if you want it to look good.

Quit doing slow zoom out reveal shots. It looks tacky.

As Doug says, learn how to use zebras. They are not beginners crutches. They matter and they work. Especially if you end up shooting with an old camera with a dull viewfinder. Also different gamma settings on the new cameras require different exposure for skin tones.
 
Shoot Handles

If you're shooting tape, start recording a good eight seconds before the action and roll a bit past the action. Few things are more frustrating in an edit session that not having adequate handles for pre-roll or for transitions.
 
11. Never hesitate to break any and all of the above rules. There are no rules and there is no template. Make it the best it can be with whatcha have. Limitations will only limit you.
 
grinner said:
11. Never hesitate to break any and all of the above rules. There are no rules and there is no template. Make it the best it can be with whatcha have. Limitations will only limit you.
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Got to agree with this one. Every situation is different. If it calls for handheld go handheld.

The other thing I noticed was Zebras are not crutches. I couldn't shoot without them, and I've been shooting for 20 years. NEVER trust the viewfinder 100%. The one time you do somebody will have changed the brightness or some other setting. Been there, made that mistake...

And one more up that alley, better a little too dark then too bright. I tend to under expose a bit. Just my nature I guess. I figure I can always life in post if I need to.
 
grinner said:
11. Never hesitate to break any and all of the above rules. There are no rules and there is no template. Make it the best it can be with whatcha have. Limitations will only limit you.
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It's okay to break all of the above rules? Sure, go ahead and CHOOSE to shoot with a dirty lens or a crooked tripod and see how far that's going to get you in your career. I've been working in the business for 30 years and I've never felt the need to break any of the rules that have been posted here. You're either a professional, or you're an idiot who uses exceses to make up for bad skills.

Limitations are to be overcome, not to be used as an excuse to "break the rules". Rule #1 should be not to listen to people that don't have a clue.
 
Sean-1966 said:
Why would you do that? Never heard that one before...
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Never heard that one before??? And you're a professional in this business?
I don't even know where to begin if you you don't understand the basics of how shutter speed affects the look of the video you shoot. Too slow, and you get too much motion blur. Too fast, and you get a strobing effect. Contrary to what some people think, the strobing effect is completely noticable once you pass about 1/80th. 1/120+ looks like local news or home videos, and hopefully the purpose of this thread is to try and strive for something above that level.
 
Douglas said:
Never heard that one before??? And you're a professional in this business?
I don't even know where to begin if you you don't understand the basics of how shutter speed affects the look of the video you shoot. Too slow, and you get too much motion blur. Too fast, and you get a strobing effect. Contrary to what some people think, the strobing effect is completely noticable once you pass about 1/80th. 1/120+ looks like local news or home videos, and hopefully the purpose of this thread is to try and strive for something above that level.
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OK, well, I very rarely use the shutter. I have used it when I've been asked to go after that strobing look but typically I won't use it. When I was first shooting DVCpro a million years ago I used it to cut down on the light, until they brought in the -3db function. Most times unless I'm matching someone else's footage I don't use it.
 
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