Video/Photo advice: Move closer to your subject
November 1, 2007 in video
Angela Grant has some good advice for budding videographers: Get in close with the camera. #
My one critique on the b-roll is that all of the shots look like wide or medium shots. It keeps the viewers at arm’s length. It doesn’t focus their attention. To really show people things, you’ve got to move close! Get right up in their faces. Accidentally bump them with your microphone. Say “sorry†and then do it again. #I notice this a lot with our student video efforts at the Daily Eastern News (and some of our audio slideshows as well). #
This advice applies to still photographers as well. I used to tell students that a photographer could improve about 80 percent of their photos just by moving closer to the subject. #
It's sort of intimidating at first to get that close to people, because you're totally in their personal space.
But I've learned something pretty weird that makes it easier … A lot of times if you get up close, but just sort of ignore them and focus all your attention on your camera and what you are seeing through it, they'll sort of ignore you too. Don't make eye contact or they'll pay attention to you more!