Bridal Portrait

Zach Stewart · June 2nd, 2007, 12:17 AM

I have been a long time "watcher" of dvinfo forums but have never commented or posted. I have learned alot from everyone and admire many of your work.

www.zandlproductions.com

I have posted my first "bridal portrait" on my website. Please view and critique. It was shot in HDV with a Sony HC1. I have just purchased the Sony FX1 and I am currently working on a "pre-ceremony" video from a wedding I just shot this last weekend. I entend to purchase a glidecam, fish eye lens, and possible one of the 35mm film adapters. I have just started doing weddings (well at least weddings that pay) and have generated alot of buzz with this bridal portrait that I did for my good friend Robin. Check out the video. Thanks.

Art Varga · June 4th, 2007, 01:25 PM

Very nice Zach - I couldn't put my finger on anything in particular but it just had a very nice feel for me - good song, smiling bride, clean editing. Good work!

Dana Salsbury · June 4th, 2007, 02:29 PM

Hey Zach,

It looks like you have a good feel for this. The framing was about right. The timing was nice. The focus probs were the hardest part. I saw that you had a nice effect going with the flowers-to-girl focus thing, but outside of that it would probably be a good idea to keep it on auto-focus until you feel ready to tackle it. There's a lot of things to think about when you're shooting, so the auto feature is a good way to concentrate on the other things until they're second nature.

The bride seemed really happy and at ease with your presense.

Zach Stewart · June 4th, 2007, 08:03 PM

thank ya'll for the comments. actually the focus was intentional, but at the same time the small camera did cause for some aggrevation on how fast the focus ring steps in and out of focus. I applied a soft focus to the entire project and when viewed in HD it looks nice but when in SD it does look a bit too much. with my new FX1 i hope to solve this focus ring issue. shooting in auto is good at times but for me it doesn't allow the control i typically like to have...be it artistic view or that i just don't trust the camera to focus in on what i am really intend. i typically do not frame shots in the center and thats why the camera likes to pull focus from...thanks for nice comments and the critique is well taken.

Bill Busby · June 5th, 2007, 02:38 AM

My 2 cents:

Lose most of the zooms, as well as the color dips (they became too predictable)
Most shots were on the shaky side

Other than that... study other creative companies work & strive to always learn and be different from everyone else.

Bill

Ryan Hough · June 5th, 2007, 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Busby

My 2 cents:

Lose most of the zooms, as well as the color dips (they became too predictable)
Most shots were on the shaky side

Other than that... study other creative companies work & strive to always learn and be different from everyone else.

Bill

I agree with most of the above but no one commented on how nice the actual coloring etc. looked. I thought it had a very nice non video look to it. I am not sure what you did but it that part alone makes up for some of the other things.

Dana Salsbury · June 5th, 2007, 08:21 AM

My first videos were more like an effects extravaganza, like the saying when you first get a hammer, everything looks like a nail. I see that a little bit in this demo, but not nearly as much as my first work.

Mark Ganglfinger · June 5th, 2007, 08:44 AM

I thought the video was fantastic. The bride must have been thrilled when she saw it.
I am curious about the slow zoom in and out with the camera tilting at the same time thing you have going. Is that all done in camera, or did you do that in post. I would love to use that technique more in my videos, but it is hard to do with an XL1 because it is so bulky.

I think when word gets out you will be in very high demand!

Mark G

Zach Stewart · June 5th, 2007, 03:36 PM

Thanks all for the comments. the shakiness i agree with. little HC1 was hard to keep steady. the colors were a big part of the video. i use genarts plugins and mostly done with a variation of the "film effect" plugin along with "soft focus" i took the soft focus down and just ramped up the brightness of the whites...the slow zoom and tilting is done by holding the camera in my palm and manual zooming in/out while pulling towards or pushing away my arms. i plan to buy a glidecam to help with more of these kinds of shots.

my goal as a wedding videographer is not to do the typical video. i don't want to do the slow motion with a black matte around the edges, slow style (boring in my opinion) wedding videos. Most of what is offered around my area is very amatuer 1980's looking style. there are a handful of nice companies in the area and my goal is too match their quality but be different in style. i'll be submitting a new video in the next few weeks and i'll keep all of the suggestions in mind. the color process is my fav so that probably won't change much at all.

Scott Hayes · June 6th, 2007, 11:46 AM

makes you look desparate, and drags the industry down. maybe throw
in a free photomontage, but 50%, c'mon dude. If you don't have
respect for your work, brides won't either.

Paul J Carey · June 6th, 2007, 12:25 PM

My 2000 pesos: It looked really nice. I like the "saturated" look of the overall video. I assume a lot of that are the plugins you mentioned. I also liked that you mixed in some B&W shots as well. I also thought it was great that you included the photographer in some shots. Great idea. So much of the time we're fighting to keep them out of the shot but you actually framed it nicely.

Zach Stewart · June 6th, 2007, 08:33 PM

Its not really 50% off...its just for marketing so that for my first year my prices are set at the mid-average range of my area, and then when i feel it is right i will jump to the high side of pricing and this gives me an easy way of saying why i'm jumping up so much. don't know if that makes since. people like to hear a big percentage off, but in reality there isn't anything off its the pricing that i am going with today but in the near future i hope to be double that.

June 2nd, 2007, 12:17 AM	#1
Zach Stewart Regular Crew Join Date: May 2007 Location: Dallas, Texas Posts: 176	Bridal Portrait - first time I have been a long time "watcher" of dvinfo forums but have never commented or posted. I have learned alot from everyone and admire many of your work. www.zandlproductions.com I have posted my first "bridal portrait" on my website. Please view and critique. It was shot in HDV with a Sony HC1. I have just purchased the Sony FX1 and I am currently working on a "pre-ceremony" video from a wedding I just shot this last weekend. I entend to purchase a glidecam, fish eye lens, and possible one of the 35mm film adapters. I have just started doing weddings (well at least weddings that pay) and have generated alot of buzz with this bridal portrait that I did for my good friend Robin. Check out the video. Thanks.

June 4th, 2007, 02:29 PM	#3
Dana Salsbury Major Player Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 859	Hey Zach, It looks like you have a good feel for this. The framing was about right. The timing was nice. The focus probs were the hardest part. I saw that you had a nice effect going with the flowers-to-girl focus thing, but outside of that it would probably be a good idea to keep it on auto-focus until you feel ready to tackle it. There's a lot of things to think about when you're shooting, so the auto feature is a good way to concentrate on the other things until they're second nature. The bride seemed really happy and at ease with your presense. __________________ www.LegacyHDV.com Weddings \| Corporate \| HMC150s \| FCPX \| Encore \| Lion

June 5th, 2007, 08:21 AM	#7
Dana Salsbury Major Player Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 859	My first videos were more like an effects extravaganza, like the saying when you first get a hammer, everything looks like a nail. I see that a little bit in this demo, but not nearly as much as my first work. __________________ www.LegacyHDV.com Weddings \| Corporate \| HMC150s \| FCPX \| Encore \| Lion

June 6th, 2007, 11:46 AM	#10
Scott Hayes Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Lexington, KY Posts: 692	dump the 50% off promotion makes you look desparate, and drags the industry down. maybe throw in a free photomontage, but 50%, c'mon dude. If you don't have respect for your work, brides won't either.

June 4th, 2007, 01:25 PM	#2
Art Varga Major Player Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Belle Mead, NJ Posts: 552	Very nice Zach - I couldn't put my finger on anything in particular but it just had a very nice feel for me - good song, smiling bride, clean editing. Good work!

June 4th, 2007, 08:03 PM	#4
Zach Stewart Regular Crew Join Date: May 2007 Location: Dallas, Texas Posts: 176	thank ya'll for the comments. actually the focus was intentional, but at the same time the small camera did cause for some aggrevation on how fast the focus ring steps in and out of focus. I applied a soft focus to the entire project and when viewed in HD it looks nice but when in SD it does look a bit too much. with my new FX1 i hope to solve this focus ring issue. shooting in auto is good at times but for me it doesn't allow the control i typically like to have...be it artistic view or that i just don't trust the camera to focus in on what i am really intend. i typically do not frame shots in the center and thats why the camera likes to pull focus from...thanks for nice comments and the critique is well taken.

June 5th, 2007, 02:38 AM	#5
Bill Busby Major Player Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 959	My 2 cents: Lose most of the zooms, as well as the color dips (they became too predictable) Most shots were on the shaky side Other than that... study other creative companies work & strive to always learn and be different from everyone else. Bill

June 5th, 2007, 08:44 AM	#8
Mark Ganglfinger Regular Crew Join Date: May 2007 Location: Hermon Maine USA Posts: 138	I thought the video was fantastic. The bride must have been thrilled when she saw it. I am curious about the slow zoom in and out with the camera tilting at the same time thing you have going. Is that all done in camera, or did you do that in post. I would love to use that technique more in my videos, but it is hard to do with an XL1 because it is so bulky. I think when word gets out you will be in very high demand! Mark G

June 5th, 2007, 03:36 PM	#9
Zach Stewart Regular Crew Join Date: May 2007 Location: Dallas, Texas Posts: 176	Thanks all for the comments. the shakiness i agree with. little HC1 was hard to keep steady. the colors were a big part of the video. i use genarts plugins and mostly done with a variation of the "film effect" plugin along with "soft focus" i took the soft focus down and just ramped up the brightness of the whites...the slow zoom and tilting is done by holding the camera in my palm and manual zooming in/out while pulling towards or pushing away my arms. i plan to buy a glidecam to help with more of these kinds of shots. my goal as a wedding videographer is not to do the typical video. i don't want to do the slow motion with a black matte around the edges, slow style (boring in my opinion) wedding videos. Most of what is offered around my area is very amatuer 1980's looking style. there are a handful of nice companies in the area and my goal is too match their quality but be different in style. i'll be submitting a new video in the next few weeks and i'll keep all of the suggestions in mind. the color process is my fav so that probably won't change much at all.

June 6th, 2007, 12:25 PM	#11
Paul J Carey Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Minneapolis Posts: 66	My 2000 pesos: It looked really nice. I like the "saturated" look of the overall video. I assume a lot of that are the plugins you mentioned. I also liked that you mixed in some B&W shots as well. I also thought it was great that you included the photographer in some shots. Great idea. So much of the time we're fighting to keep them out of the shot but you actually framed it nicely.

June 6th, 2007, 08:33 PM	#12
Zach Stewart Regular Crew Join Date: May 2007 Location: Dallas, Texas Posts: 176	Its not really 50% off...its just for marketing so that for my first year my prices are set at the mid-average range of my area, and then when i feel it is right i will jump to the high side of pricing and this gives me an easy way of saying why i'm jumping up so much. don't know if that makes since. people like to hear a big percentage off, but in reality there isn't anything off its the pricing that i am going with today but in the near future i hope to be double that.