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I intercut footage from two “beauty” stock shoots for Image Souce. Shot on the Sony EX-1 and the Canon 5DMk2, I think this shows the interesting similarities and differences between these two cameras, in fairly similar setups.  You can read more about it on my blog here.

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Here are some shot selections from my first shoot for Image Source, a stock footage company.  This was part of their cross-media collections, and I was working alongside photographer Jack Hollingsworth who was shooting “matched” stills to the video I was shooting.  You can read more about it here.

I loaded up my car with more gear than I could possibly use (and could possibly fit into my Mazda) and headed to NYC.  The shoots were over two days, each with a different photographer, art director, studio and models.  Each day also had a different concept and look.  On the first day (working with David Goldman) the theme was a “Splash of Color”, where we wanted high-key glamour lighting with one dominant color in each shot, be it in the makeup or the props they used.  On this shoot we used the Canon and lit the models with three Kino Flos “wrapped” around their faces.  This gave us a very soft look.  On the second day (working with Christopher Robbins) our concept was “Metal”.  The makeup artist (the excellent Agata Helena) used shimmery, metallic makeup on the models and we lit for a more contrasty, dramatic look.  On this shoot we used the Sony.

On both shoots we had two setups, one for shooting stills and one for shooting video.  Since the photographers were lighting with strobes we couldn’t share our setups (and in fact we couldn’t shoot simultaneously as the strobes would mess up the video).  Being new to working with photographers I enjoy watching how they setup, and even though some of their tools are different I think there is a lot to be learned from how they light for stills.  (And I know they were both very interested in learning the video side of things so hopefully they picked up some tips and techniques from me too.)  On both days they were shooting with a Hasselblad medium format digital camera (I am not sure the model) but I understand this is a camera with a price tag in the range of tens of thousands of dollars, and man did the images coming off that thing look great.  Even on the raw images that were being displayed on the computer I had never seen anything quite so sharp.  Working in a seemingly resolution-stunted format (even shooting HD video) I was a bit jealous of the clarity they could get when enlarging these images.  Obviously the need for such a high resolution image on the motion side is somewhat limited, but still, I was a bit jealous.

Now on to my little camera comparison:

I have certainly been a huge fan of my EX-1 since I got it two years ago, but buying into the Canon DSLRs in the past six months has rekindled some of my passion for making images.  Still every time I shoot with my Sony (which, actually, is more often than my Canon) I am blown away by how crisp and detailed the pictures are.  So I was really looking forward to having these two shoots back to back as a little comparison.  The bottom line is that they both look great.  BUT, I found that working with the Sony was a lot easier on the second day for one major reason…. monitoring.  I have a nice Dell HD plasma with a Blackmagic HD-Link box to send the HD-SDI from the Sony into the DVI of the monitor.  This box also has hardware in it to calibrate this screen much like a more expensive production monitor.  This gives me EXCELLENT feedback on my color, exposure, etc.  It really feels like what you see is what you get.  Plus the LCD on the EX-1 itself, is both high resolution with great color rendition so even that alone is a great monitor.  The Dell also has an HDMI port so I had planned (since we were in a stationary, studio environment) to use the larger monitor with the Canon as well, but I find that the image I get on the Dell looks much more muted and less contrasty than what I “think” I am getting based off the Canon’s LCD (plus my experience with the camera).  So while it is fine for framing and focus it is harder to use it to adjust white balance or exposure.  David and I both decided that we would just use the small LCD on the back of the Canon, instead of the Dell (which unfortunately shuts off the camera’s LCD when plugged in….otherwise we’d use both).  Due to the lack of “proper” video camera features like color bars (for calibrating an external monitor) or histograms (for checking focus) I find that I can get the images close on the Canon, but that I need to do a bit more work in post to adjust the color and levels of the image than I would have to with the Sony.  In this case shooting against a flat white background, I found it harder to assess the exposure level on the background, and in post I ended up having to bring up the level considerably more than I thought.  (It’s possible these cameras are going to make me relearn how to use an external light meter…. an item fairly foreign to most video shooters.)

Regardless, once I tweaked the colors and levels a bit, I really love the images out of the Canon.  Are they better?  That’s certainly subjective.  The Sony is certainly a sharper, more detailed image, and it’s harder to get a shallower depth of field, but that said, with these subjects we didn’t necessarily want shallow focus (both photographers were shooting in the f11 to f16 range, after all).  I did really like the look of the Canon on the close-up shots, and the ability to put a long, macro lens (the 100mm) creates a look that I cannot achieve on the Sony.  But it’s very comforting to shoot where you know what you are getting based on what is on the screen.

But the images speak for themselves, and I think most will agree that they both look quite nice.  I cut together this 90-second video of selects from both shoots.  I think it’s pretty easy to distinguish the two cameras, but the Canon is the one on the brighter white background.  Enjoy!

Photo by Keegan Hobson

Photo by Brian Matiash

Now it’s time to geek out:

Certainly the highlight of this weekend shoot was meeting some other photographers as well as getting to use some AWESOME equipment.  Due to Jack’s popularity among the social media crowd (and his reputation as a photographer) he got several companies to donate gear for us to test out during the shoot.  Westcott Lighting sent us 4 TD5 Daylight softboxes for us to use.  Jack opted for these constant light sources (instead of the normal strobes) to aid in the video I was shooting so that we didn’t have flashes going on constantly.  These are great lights; they run cool (which was great for the models as we surrounded them pretty closely with the fixtures), and have a nice, soft output.  We did discover that the lower light output (compared with strobes) meant shooting at a slower shutter speed for stills, so Jack was stuck shooting on a tripod, but he liked the quality of light and found it much easier to get instant feedback on the way the light was falling (which is much harder to see as you adjust a strobe).  I may get one of these to compliment my Kino Flo as another daylight lamp, as it’s cheaper and more compact than the Kino.

The biggest drool factor came from the generous donation of lenses by Lens Pro To Go, a local company that rents and ships lenses and cameras all around the country.  The sent us some VERY nice Canon lenses including a 35 1.4, a second 24-105 (as Jack and I both like using this lens), and the MONSTER 200mm 2.0.  This behemoth of a lens has about a $5K price tag and is as beautiful as it is expensive.  The other photographers their made good use of this lens, and I strapped it on my 7D and Zacuto shoulder rig for a few minutes, but mostly as a joke.  It was a heavy, awkward setup and with the 7D’s cropped sensor this becomes the 35mm equivalent of a 320mm lens, so not entirely made for handheld, but shockingly with the image stabilization and the Zacuto shoulder support I was able to rip off some usable, stable shots.  But this only stayed on my camera for a few minutes.  On the second day, Paul, the owner of Lens Pro showed up with some more lenses (including some for the one of the few Nikon shooters there) and the new Canon 1DMk4.  I only tried it for a few minutes and didn’t have an opportunity to shoot any video with it, but it felt solid and very pro!  Between what Lens Pro gave us and Jack’s already HUGE collection of lenses, I was in heaven and probably used a dozen lenses over the course of the weekend (mostly for fun)!

Big Bertha... Photo by Chris Conti

Photo by Keegan Hobson

Photo by Chris Conti

Aside from the gear, it was great to get to meet and work with several other local photographers.  It’s funny how buying into these DSLRs as a video guy has gotten me thrown into the world of photographers, but I really love it (and have 2 more shoots doing motion stock footage with 2 photographers in NYC next week).  We are certainly more alike than different in our professions.  So without further ado, I want to shout out specifically to Chris Conti, Brian Matiash, and Keegan Hobson.  They are all very talented and all in about the same position as each other, just starting out professionally in the industry, and very passionate about their work.  It was quickly apparent that we all had different skill sets and we spent a lot of the weekend sharing tips and techniques.  I enjoyed being the lone motion photographer there and sharing that aspect of the business with everyone.  I also want to thank Jack’s friends and Cape photographers Michael Skeggs and Glen Bacci for their assistance.  It was equally as inspiring to watch Jack, a 30-year veteran in the business, who seems to have just as much drive as we do.

Photo by Brian Matiash

Photo by Brian Matiash

Photo by Brian Matiash

It was a great weekend, that felt more like a collaborative workshop than a job, and I know that we’ll all work together again soon.  I really encourage you all to check out all of these photographers websites (and their takes on this shoot in their blogs) and see what they are up to.  And check back as I post the outcome of this shoot in a few weeks.  I will leave you with some frame grabs from video I was shooting with the 7D.  Enjoy!

As I understand it, traditionally photographers who shoot stock photos or footage do it on their own and then try to sell it to a stock company (like Image Source, Getty, Corbis, or the hundreds of others out there).  I have sold some footage in the past to a stock company in this way.  Rarely does a stock company contract the photographer with a particular assignment as was the case here, but I believe since this cross-media product that Image Source is offering is so new, that is how they have obtained these stills and footage.

The Shoot:

The shoot consisted of two days shooting models around Chatham, MA (on Cape Cod).  I was the DP of the motion footage and Jack Hollingsworth was in charge of the stills and directing/producing the whole shoot.  Jack has been working for years in the stock photo market, so I really looked to his experience and eye throughout the whole production.  (By the way, Jack is an AMAZING photographer who has shot all over the world.  Watching him work was pretty inspiring, and his shots were really impressive.)  We were producing content for two themes.  The first day was “Friends” and the second day was “Couples”.

For the first day we had 4 women and we shot them hanging out, talking, walking, taking pictures, etc.  Now, I have to say, shooting this stuff felt a little silly at times.  I think the types of action that traditionally work for a still photograph can look a little cheesy as motion, but I also know (as did the client) that this is the type of stuff that sells in their collections.  We shot on a couple of beaches near Chatham and were very fortunate to have unseasonably warm weather for December in New England.  We had bright sun, which we had to diffuse quite a bit with a 4×4 diffusion frame so that we didn’t have overly contrasty shadows and squinty models.  We also went into the charming downtown area to shoot the women shopping, drinking coffee, etc.  The second beach we went to was at sunset and we shot until there was no more light, but I felt we got the best stuff there.  The setting sun created an amazing warm glow, and the dunes were an awesome backdrop for shooting.

The second day we had two sets of baby boomer couples.  The forecast called for rain all day, so Jack and I discussed what we could do inside.  We came up with a few setups in his very nice Cape-style home that we could do, but it was challenging as the lighting requirements for motion and for stills is quite different.  We lucked out again, as we ended up getting decent weather during the morning.  It was overcast, but at least we didn’t have to deal with hard shadows.  We took our couples to a nearby bike path and then a pond to shoot some different “scenes”.  By lunchtime the rain had started so we went to a local nursery to shoot the couples buying holiday plants.  The nursery was great because it was essentially like shooting in a giant softbox with frosted white windows surrounding us from all sides.

The Camera:

Image Source had previously used the RED One for all their motion stock in the cross-media collections.  This is obviously a great camera, but they were curious about the new Canon DSLRS to see if they could shoot faster and cheaper with a high enough quality for their collections.  While I had my 7D along, it was mostly used for behind-the-scenes shots and I used Jack’s 5DMk2.  Image Source knew a little less about the 7D, so they wanted to try first with the full-frame, higher megapixel 5D (although I think the quality would have been almost indistinguishable).  I was in camera heaven as Jack owns almost every Canon L-series (their highest end) lens in existence.  I spent the day before the shoot just trying them all out on my 7D and was in love.  During the shoot I actually only used 2 lenses, the Canon 24-70 2.8 and the 70-200 2.8 IS (which I used probably 75% of the time).  I definitely felt like I was able to shoot pretty quickly with the setup.  I had previously written about the limitations of these cameras, and the biggest was monitoring as the client just had to watch on playback and couldn’t use an external monitor, but we got by pretty well.  The client agreed that we were able to get a lot more shot than with the MUCH bigger RED package.

When playing back the footage on an HD monitor back at the studio, the client seemed very happy with how the footage looked, and we’ll see if it flies with the tech people at Image Source.  To my eye, the biggest issue with these DSLRs is the aliasing and moire pattern that can happen on some textures, but I think since most stock content is for web-use, some of the weaknesses are easily overlooked.

All in all, I really enjoyed working with Jack and Lisa (the client) and Brad Nielson (Jack’s assistant, and Photoshop-guru), and all the other folks who helped on the shoot.  It was really nice to work on just creating great, high-end looking images, and not have to worry about sound or acting or all the other things that I often have to think of.  I found that very refreshing.

I put together a few clips from the shoot so you can see how the Canon did.  All-in-all I am quite happy with the image, but you can be the judge.  Enjoy!