livebooks blog

Our thanks to APA for the following article, penned by our very own Matt Bailey.

Do you want to add more dimension – and distinction – to your brand? Start using video on your website.

Video can help you market yourself as a professional who brings more to the table than a handful of carefully selected images. It can help you develop an effective brand, communicate your personal vision and illustrate what it’s like to work with you. And, with a slew of HDSLR cameras on the market and numerous other gadgets to help you capture video, it’s never been easier.

Where should you start?

The uses of online video can range from highlighting your videography work to showcasing a slideshow of stills. You can also use videos in lieu of a traditional “bio” page, to present testimonials or as a behind-the-scenes look at how your studio operates.

To view some different ways that photographers are using video online, check out these photographers’ websites:

Emilie Sommer

David Emmite

Justin Francis

Mark Wallace and

Jules Bianchi.

Follow the link if you want to read  the full article @ APA

This post was originally published on the Professional Photographer Magazine blog. Photographer, Writer and liveBooks client, Lindsay Adler shares her insight in the first of two parts describing the top 10 things to think about when you start using an HDSLR camera.

Lindsay writes :

If you have an HDSLR camera, video is a great way to add an extra dimension to your work and even offer value-added services to your clients. Some photographers are beginning to differentiate themselves through their video capabilities, and others are finding video an exciting new realm for creativity.

If you are just getting into video, here are a few basic but essential tips to keep in mind.

1. Don’t Forget the Rules of Photography:Don’t forget everything you’ve learned as a photographer. That the same rules of composition and lighting apply here. Just because you add motion doesn’t mean you should drop in visual quality.

2. Add Movement: We are often used to posing our subjects to capture a still moment in time. If you try this same static approach to video, it might as well have been still images. Add motion, action and interaction to your video. You don’t just have to focus on the movement of the subject, but you can also try moving the camera, like including pans (lateral movement of camera). In video, using zoom may have an amateur look; used correctly, it emphasizes tension or intense focus on a subject.

3. Get the Angles: Try to capture all the different angles for variety. It is often suggested to capture a wide shot to establish the scene, a medium shot to meet the subjects, a close-up to interact with the subjects, and super close-up for visual interest and variety. Instead of zooming in, you capture different angles and draw the viewer into the scene. In many cinematic productions, each shot is only on screen for a matter of seconds, which helps keep up the momentum. Use your different lenses—everything from wide angle to macro.

4. Tell a Story: It is even more important to tell a story in video than with photography because you must engage the viewer for a period of time. When you are telling a story with a plot, quest or some end goal, you will be better able to hold the relatively short attention span of today’s Internet generation.

5. Prepare: Video requires more thought and preparation because the segments must be stitched together into a cohesive piece. Summarize the story you want to tell, and figure out what shots you need to tell the story. Consider drawing out a storyboard to figure out which shots you’ll need, and how you can accomplish these shots.