This episode of Izzy Video is part 2 in my series on shooting video with a Digital SLR.

Digital SLR cameras are excellent for shooting video indoors and at night because you can increase the ISO until you have a nice exposure. One of the challenges though is that when you’re shooting video, you usually don’t want a shutter speed other than 1/60th of a second.

This can become a problem in the sunny outdoors because when you want to blur out the backgrounds (shallow depth of field), then you need the aperture open all the way. This lets in too much light which leads to overexposure, and you’ll see in this video, how you can solve that problem.

The variable ND filter you’ll see in this video is this one.

The full version of this tutorial is available to Izzy Video Members only, but you can download the Quicktime version of the trailer here.

Whenever possible, I like to shoot with one camera. It’s a lot more of a simple process. It’s easier to light for one camera. You only need one operator, and so on. However, there are times when you absolutely need to use multiple cameras when you’re shooting video, and this episode of Izzy Video will help those of you who are new to multi-camera shoots.

This episode is once again for members only, but I’ve provided a trailer above that includes a helpful tip.

One of the big challenges of working with an HD video camera is ensuring the image is in focus. Unfortunately you can’t just rely on the LCD for this, because the actual resolution of the recorded image is much higher than the resolution of the LCD screen. It’s quite possible that the image on the LCD appears to be in focus when the recorded image is blurry.

Luckily HD video cameras have autofocus. The camera automatically focuses the image, and it usually does an excellent job. However there are times when the autofocus doesn’t work:

1. When the subject isn’t in the center of the frame. – Sometimes you want the subject of the image to be off to the left or right of the frame. The problem here is that autofocus adjusts according to what it sees in the center of the frame. If the object in the center is closer or further than the main subject, then the camera will adjust the focus for that object, often leaving the main subject blurry.
2. When somebody or something passes through the frame between the camera and the subject. – I demonstrate this problem in the video, but it’s something that happens a lot. Let’s say you’re at the zoo shooting video of your children with the animals. As people walk through the frame, the camera will autofocus on the people walking by, and then refocus on the children. This gets distracting. It’s a much better image if the people in the foreground remain blurry as they walk through the frame.

In this week’s tutorial I demonstrate several different ways to ensure you have a focused image:

1. Use autofocus when appropriate.
2. Use manual focus when appropriate.
3. Use the ‘focus assist’ function available on many cameras.
4. Zoom in, focus the image, and then zoom out to frame the image, making sure you don’t adjust the aperture.
5. Use the “peaking” function available on many new cameras.

Another thing you can do (and I didn’t include this in the video) is use an externally attached monitor with a bigger image. This can help ensure you’re always in focus.

Few things are as frustrating as shooting some great footage and then later when you’re editing it, discovering that it’s out of focus. It’s inconvenient and frustrating, and if you’re doing commercial work, it’s expensive.

I hope this week’s tutorial helps you make sure you get a focused image.

This video is available to members only. If you’d like to see this video in HD resolution, as well as gain access to the large archive of video tutorials, you can learn about an Izzy Video Membership.

If you want to pump your video full of energy, you have many obvious options. A couple that come to mind: Using high energy music in the background, and using several fast cuts. But in this installment of Izzy Video I review a few less-obvious tips that will help you get the energy you’re looking for.

Have more tips for the Izzy Video viewers? Please post them in the comments…

Become an Izzy Video Member

Want to see this video? Izzy Video Members get access to the complete collection of Izzy Video Tutorials. Please follow this link for more details on becoming an Izzy Video Member.

You can download the Quicktime version of the episode here.

Previously I showed you how to use a light meter to set a proper exposure for your subject. In this installment of Izzy Video, I demonstrate how to use a light meter to deliberately create contrast ratios on your lighting. This is one of the most fundamental ways of creating specific ‘looks’ in your video, and this episode will make it easy for you.

Also, I added a section that delves into F-Stops, how they work, what they do, and how one relates to another one. If F-Stops have ever been confusing to you, I believe you’ll find this section helpful.

Become an Izzy Video Member

Want more? Izzy Video Members get access to the complete collection of Izzy Video Tutorials. Please follow this link for more details on becoming an Izzy Video Member.

Want to automatically receive all the free shows as they’re released?

Subscribe to the free version of Izzy Video in iTunes, and have this episode plus future free episodes delivered to your computer by clicking on the following link:

Free Izzy Video Tutorials in iTunes

You can download the Quicktime version of the episode here.

Photography and videography have a lot in common. Many of the tools that photographers use can be useful for video shooters as well. In this installment of Izzy Video, I review the difference between reflected light meters and incident light meters, and I also demonstrate how to use them.

Become an Izzy Video Member

Do you like this tutorial and want more? Izzy Video Members get access to the complete collection of Izzy Video Tutorials. Please follow this link for more details on becoming an Izzy Video Member.

Want to automatically receive all the free shows as they’re released?

Subscribe to the free version of Izzy Video in iTunes, and have this episode plus future free episodes delivered to your computer by clicking on the following link:

Free Izzy Video Tutorials in iTunes

You can download the Quicktime version of the episode here.

We’re returning to some video fundamentals with this episode. This tutorial is all about getting a good exposure. Also, I demonstrate how to to use an 18% gray card.

The specific gray card I’m using is from Lastolite. Here is an Amazon link (where I purchased mine): Lastolite 12-Inch Ezybalance Card Gray Card

You can watch the high quality version of the video here.

Want to see more videos like this one? Check out the membership information page to see how you can get access to all the other videos.

Many times when you’re shooting video outdoors, you compromise on your exposure because of the high contrast range of the sunny outdoors, and the limited contrast range of your video camera. The video clip I use in this episode of Izzy Video is a perfect example of this type of compromise. Luckily, you can improve the imagery in post production, and in this video, I show you one way to do it. It’s a technique I call faking a graduated ND filter. It’s pretty simple, but it can have a big impact.

This installment of Izzy Video is for members only. To learn more about how an Izzy Video membership works, please visit this page.

In this video tutorial, I demonstrate the final tool I recommend as part of your outdoor lighting gear. It’s a black net. You can use a black net for a lot of things, but it’s an excellent tool to cut the light in a background. In this video, you’ll see how I use an 8×8 Scrim Jim with a double black net to darken the background behind the subject. This is the last lighting control tutorial I have planned for the “Shooting Outdoors” series. More on shooting outdoors is still to come, but not on lighting.

This video is archived in the members-only area.

Also, if you’re interested in the live workshop I’m doing on April 17th, 2009, you can get the details here.

If you’re not an Izzy Video member, you might want to check out how it works so you can see the rest of the videos in the “Shooting Outdoors” series, along with more than 100 other videos. Members get more. A lot more.