Eric Little Photography

Video for Your Wedding-Should You?

By

[wp_lightbox_prettyPhoto_video link=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exSKxlFgnPQ&list=FLP0W4gZn7Vuh2B3h3KErA5g&index=4&feature=plcp” width=”640″ height=”480″ description=”Wedding Video Cinematic Short” source=”http://www.ericlittlephotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/chi-chi.jpg” title=”Video title goes here”]

 

Should we video our wedding? Oddly enough, being a photography and video studio, I get asked that a lot. Should we get video? My answer is always an emphatic…YES!! Of course! It will be extraordinary!

Seriously tough, that is a question to pose to yourself well before your wedding day. We have seen the trend in the past few years of clients looking for video just months before their ceremony. It is  one of the last items on the list. Sadly so. It is actually hard to believe. Don’t get me wrong, I love photography. that is my passion, and where I thrive best. Photography captures an essence of the wedding like no other media. With the camera in the right hands. But that is for another article. Video tells a story that needs to be told, in a way that cannot be described by photographs.

There is a product that I am currently working on [Read more…]

Music Copyrights and Your Videos.

By

Everyone loves photos and video. Everyone loves music. Putting the two together make a perfect blend. Problem is, I own all of the photographs and videos that I take. Just like the musician owns his music. If people see my photos online and copy them for their own use without paying me, I make no money and I cannot stay in business. The same goes for music. Being in this business I understand the plight of copyrights, and I truly [Read more…]

Varavon Loupe Ex-Solo DSLR Optical Viewfinder Review

By

[singlepic id=256 w=320 h=240 float=left]Another item recently added to my tool set The Varavon Loupe Ex-Solo DSLR Optical Viewfinder .

WOW! This is the Loupe. If you are shooting video with your DSLR, you must have this loupe. You simply cannot shoot without it. And those great Nikon lenses of course.

I looked at many other styles. Used the Zacuto Pro 3X on the Nikon D7000, loved it! But the Zacuto had its flaws,(eye cup always fell off, okay I could glue it on. Was very hard to remove to view the LCD screen for playback, or just switching back to photography. Was also always afraid parts were going to pop off), and cost a lot more than the Varavon. This model has everything the Zacuto has, and then some. The 3x zoom is better than most models. Most are non existent. It is the same as Zacuto. For us folks with bad eyesight, it helps. I even wear glasses and I can still use this tool very easily. The flip up viewer is perfect for reviewing what you just captured. Unlike the Zacuto.The mount is better than perfect, and easily removed if you need to convert back to photography, which is what I do.  I shoot photo and video on the fly at events, and could not ask for better.

A little more on the Zacuto. It is, hands down one of the best of its kind, but it is pricier, heavier, not as user friendly as the Varavon EX-Solo. Price is always a factor, but if you do not have the right tool, you are not doing yourself justice. For $100 less, I am glad I saved my money and got the right tool.

As an add on, be sure to throw in a Blue Star eye cushion, for the eye cup. You will be happy you did. It will save your eyes, and keep the lens from fogging during a long shoot.

Without a doubt, two thumbs up. No cons on this loupe, only I could not afford the next model up. Maybe next time.

Hope this review helps. This little loupe helped me.

Enjoy!

Zoom Hn4 Digital Voice Recorder Review

By

[singlepic id=254 w=420 h=340 float=left]Getting my gear ready for the new season, and ramping up a bit in the audio side. I have added the Zoom Hn4 to our arsenal. This is going to be a great new tool for capturing beautiful audio with our video footage. Audio is one of the key ingredients to quality video production. If you have poor or fluctuating sound quality it can damage any video production. With this particular model you can capture multiple tracks, from multiple sources at the same time. For instance, capture the ambient sound of a church wedding, while also capturing a lapel mic placed on the groom to capture their vows. Brilliant. I have had the opportunity to handle it around the studio, and I can say it is a very intuitive piece of equipment. The controls are easy to navigate, and recognize, even in the darkest of situations.

The XY configuration of the mics is very important for stereo sound, and with the capability to capture the direction of the sound from 90-120 degree, is a helpful tool. The possibilities of using this as a shotgun mic on our DSLR is very exciting.

Battery use in the field is also a concern. But with the ‘Stamina’ setting, the Zoom Hn4 shuts down a few of its functions to save on battery life. A very nice option.

As I have not had the chance to utilize it in the field, I cannot yet give it a full thumbs up. Yet I am very eager to see the results of our next shoot. I will keep you informed.

Check out their site for more information on this product. See it here Zoom Hn4

Enjoy!

Facebook Iconfacebook like button