Here’s something new that I’m trying out …vlogging! Inspired by filmmaker Casey Neistat who substantially showed the world that it’s possible to create daily videos of everyday life in a way that is both contextually interesting and visually appealing. If you haven’t seen his work I highly suggest you go watch a few of his videos. Somehow the man is a beast and in addition to being a commercial director he’s been pumping out daily videos on YouTube day after day. After a few months of being a loyal viewer I decided to jump and pick up a new hobby.
As it turns out talking to a camera and finding an interesting perspective is hard to do when the lens is directed at you! For that reason and a few others I’m going to continue this new vlogging hobby for as I have the capacity to do so.
Another Challenge
I’ve always talked about taking on new challenges to force yourself to grow. As a normal, regular person not used to being on video let alone talking to a camera this is a new environment perfect set for me to fail. And with this challenge everyone can physically watch me fail.
However in the event that I do fall flat on my face, I’m bound to learn a number of new skill sets out of this narcissistic documentary escapade.
Things I hope to learn:
- Being more comfortable in my own skin
- Becoming more proficient with video editing
- Improve my speech
Communication
This the primary reason why I’m interested in video blogs. No matter where you are or what you do being able to communicate with others is universal. I remember tucking my head down in grade school whenever the teacher would call on students to read aloud or present their reports in front of class. Public speaking was a dreaded place.
Nowadays as a photographer/creative entrepreneur I spend a great deal of time directing, negotiating, delegating work, etc. Communicating clearly and concisely is key to working with others in any space involving teams. Vlogging will my little experiment/practice time to communicate stories.
Resources
To any photographer or filmmaker reader, like me you probably already have everything you need to get started with a basic video. A camera and a computer. It would be a waste not to give vlogging a try.
Plus the nice people over at Intel gave me a Dell AIO to try out. Complete with 27 inches of real estate and a touch screen! Since I have this over arching fear of carpal tunnel anytime I can ditch a mouse and use my tablet or in this case literally poke the monitor is a good time.
My current set up for vlogging is
- Camera: Nikon D800, Canon G7x, GoPro
- Sound: Senheisser Lavaliers, Rode VideoMic
- Editing Software: Adobe Premiere Pro
And to any young, millennial reader, you probably have the most previous resource: time. Right now I’m a full-time photographer. Martially single. No children and no mortgage. I have time to dabble with making videos for myself. Later down the line I might not be able to. If you have leisure time and wanted to try something new –talk to a camera.
Video Journal
I mentioned in a previous blog post that I’ve been witnessing an assortment of life milestones: people passing, people getting married, people having babies, etc [I’m Going to Die.] There’s nothing like these chapters to remind you that life goes by a lot faster than we think. Coincidentally after writing that post I had dinner with my director pal, Kelly Li, who whips out his giant iPhone 6 and starts vlogging. Apparently he also recently started vlogging for the sake of memories and to look back on our twenties when we’re old and tucked away in a home.
Essentially these videos will become my personal time capsule for me to relive where I went, what I did, who my friends were, and ultimately who I was.
#spon: I am in a partnership with Intel. Through this partnership I gain access to content, product, or other forms of value.
Intel All in Ones
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