EXTRA TIP:
DETACH THE CAMERA FROM YOUR
FACE ONCE IN A WHILE AND BE
ANOTHER PERSON IN THE ROOM
WITH YOUR CLIENTS.
Don’t be surprised when the tension
in the air lifts a bit. We do our
best to balance this detachment
and observation with engaging
and speaking with our clients; our
cameras are always close and our
eyes are always searching.
Move around the space and get
closer to and away from your subject
to refresh your perspective and
create some variation in your footage.
The point here is to be intentional
about how you operate in order to
share in this experience with your
clients, and to wait but be decisive in
your documentation.
CONSIDER THE TOOLS, BUT DON’T STOP THERE
With so many options on the market today, you need to be conscientious of the ways in
which your tools influence your creative process and, ultimately, the work you want to
create. With our love of analogue film, it’s no surprise that our two primary cameras either
emulate it or work entirely within its somewhat unpredictable ways.
We can’t overstate how important it is to understand the ins and outs of your tools and
whether they align with how and what you’re trying to say through your work. Don’t forget
you need to enjoy using them, too.
IN THE GEAR BAG (OPPOSITE PAGE): The Brixton ONA
camera bag with Canon 5D Mark III, 50mm
f/1.4 lens, gradient ND filter, Pelican memory
card case, Canon 814XL-S Super 8, Kodak Film
(TriX, 200T, 500T), Digital Bolex with external
battery pack, four C-mount lenses and Zacuto
viewfinder on Wooden Camera rail system,
Hold Fast Money Maker, juicedLink Little
Darling audio recorder with remote trigger and
Countryman B3 Lav, microfiber cleaning cloth,
eight AA Eneloop batteries, four Canon LP-E6
batteries and Me FOTO Globe Trotter tripod.
One of the most interesting cameras
we’ve used is the DIGITAL BOLEX (or
D16), a modern take on the traditional
16mm Bolex cinema camera. The way
the D16 renders grain on its Super
16 CCD sensor creates an organic
look to the footage that pulses with
its own character; coupled with
a global shutter and all sorts of
interesting cinema lenses, you’ve got
a small beast in your arsenal. Despite
its heftier weight, lack of low light
capabilities and technology that may
have you wondering why you wouldn’t
want a camera with more features (like
the Sony a7S II), the D16 combines
the versatility, look and feel that we’re
after in a camera that’s also enjoyable
to operate.
The CANON 814XL-S is a Super
8mm film camera that’s both easy
and formidable to use. Considering
the quirks of this camera is an
exercise in learning not only how
to load it with film and use its small
and murky viewfinder, but trusting
that everything (focus, exposure,
composition, etc.) is ready when
you squeeze the trigger. You won’t
know what you’ve shot until the film
has been developed and scanned,
and with 2. 5 minutes per roll, not
being intentional with your shots
will prove costly both creatively and
financially. We’ll see if Kodak’s new
Super 8 camera can take some of the
edge off this sometimes stressful but
rewarding process.
A CLOSE-UP ON CAMERAS