The fear of Missing out

A still photographer’s conundrum

I have realized that I have a problem when it comes to shooting video, especially nature video. Simply put, it’s FOMO. I spend a great deal of time out in nature putting myself in a position to get that interesting interaction or moment that comes along so rarely.  I make sure I'm ready for the shot, settings optimized, keeping an eye on what the animals are doing in hopes that I might capture an eagle just as it grasps a fish in beautiful evening glow, or the smack of two bighorn sheep fighting on a rocky edge. 

Black bears and the pink salmon run. Mostly Salwa’s footage and edited by Salwa.

Having said that, I want to do more nature focused videos. I have always enjoyed teaching and helping people with their photography and YouTube is a great medium for that, and I think I can bring something a little different to that scene. Unfortunately, I keep getting in my own way.

So how do I get out of my own head and start shooting video?  I'm hoping that writing about it is a good start.  If I can express the issue in print, maybe I can internalize it and the next time FOMO hits, I can move beyond it. I just need to accept that I might miss a shot, but I might also capture a story that is just as compelling. 

There’s also the learning curve. I’ve had nearly 30 years to figure out how to take the pictures I want and I shouldn't expect videos to be perfect immediately.  Granted, the quality of the videos I’ve taken is good since composing a scene is not that different from still photography.  I’ve learned that giving the subject a significant amount of room in the shot to move through the image is more interesting than punching in on the subject.  The other thing I learned is that you really need to shoot different perspectives, including a wide establishing shot, a number of close up shots, along with the main action driven shot to round things out.

Much like photography, a lot of shots are going to end up on the editing floor. But unlike stills, the camera needs to be rolling before the action starts, so there’s bound to be loads of video of birds sitting, preening or sleeping right up until the action. Bears, for example, are particularly good at balancing on all fours on a small rock and staring into the river for what seems forever, until suddenly, they pounce on a fish.  If I’m going to get the action then I’m also going to get loads of ‘extra’ footage.

I spent this past fall with black bears along the local salmon spawning rivers and while I took loads of stills, I also tried to shoot more video.  However, I found that when the action started, when a bear started fishing or there were multiple bears interacting I tended to default back to photography. Looking back, I think video would have told the story better.

Short video of Orca close to home.

To ease into video mode, I started to bring a second camera with a slightly wider lens that I could point towards the action and just let it run while still taking stills with a longer telephoto lens.  This is a good start but I really had to think about the field of view of the video to know when to readjust the frame.  I also tried putting my Sony ZV1 in the hot shoe of my camera so that I could capture some video while I was shooting with the same view (although much wider) as I was taking shots.

Another issue is editing video to create a compelling story - and that takes time.  Sure, this is just a matter of climbing that steep learning curve and I typically enjoy the learning process.  With time, I’m sure, I’ll begin to understand the workflow necessary to create a story and complete a video, just as I’ve learned to understand and use Lightroom to create the photos. So, that’s not an excuse to not shoot more video.

Beyond composition, I need to learn how to move smoothly with the camera, when to let the subject move through the frame and when to follow.  I also need to learn more about what frame rates are best for what types of shots.  Most of all, I really just need to learn not to be afraid of missing the shot (or possibly be afraid of not being as good at video) and just accept that process just like I did years ago learning to get action photos of animals and birds.

The other part of video that I need to get used to is putting myself in the scene.  I almost never put myself (or for that matter rarely put any humans) in my photos but I have learned from watching many nature videos that having the narrator in the shot or at least at the location speaking in context is so much better than videos where the narration is just a voice reading a script.  BBC nature shows are so good for this reason, whether it is David Attenborough sitting beside a gorilla or Gordon Buchanan in the field with big cats it is so much more engaging than hearing just a famous disembodied voice talking over the action. 

First off, I need to get used to hearing my own voice on video recordings, which of course never sounds the same as it does in my head. Secondly, I need to be able to seem comfortable talking to the camera.  Both of these things Salwa has managed to overcome and I think it just takes time doing and redoing recordings.  Since I'm usually talking about subjects that I'm very familiar with, I don't tend to have trouble expressing myself. It’s just a matter of getting used to doing this in front of a camera.

Screech owl video from back in Fort Erie, Ontario.

It’s become very obvious that if I want to promote my photography and to share with a bigger audience, I need to expand to a video format. Whether on their phones with social apps, or on YouTube on their computers or living rooms, most people are watching videos. I myself enjoy watching nature videos, so it makes sense that at some point I should embrace that medium.  I know it doesn't need to be either video or photos, but if I'm going to produce videos worth watching I'm going to need to put at least the same amount of time and effort as I did learning to take photos in nature.

So, will I take my own advice after writing this? Stay tuned and make sure you like and subscribe!