1500 jumps or more

[DSE 3]

If you have 1500 (or more) jumps and were chatting with a 200 jump newbie strapping on a camera, what advice, caution, etc would you give them?
Additionally, if you were to sit down with a 50 jump newbie looking forward to strapping on a camera, what would you recommend they do in order to prepare for flying with a camera?
Personal anecdotes are appreciated.

[jurgencamps 0]

How much extra stress it will cause and how it will distract you, so that you forget to put on your goggles or altimeter or ...

Jurgen

[freeflydrew 0]

ignore the camera

[freefalle 0]

I recently had dinner with a young man who is getting ready to start flying camera. I passed some knowledge on to him that helped me along the way. First, dont fly a camera suit until you are successfully flying camera was well as you can without one. Wings can be a great tool but they are just that a tool. It is possible to become dependent on the wings which will limit your range. Wings are a tool used to add range in you freefall speed they are not a crutch. You need to be able to fly your body.

Sceondly, Have someone look at your camera set up to make sure it is as snag free as possible. Next, when your first starting out, its a good idea not to add a ring site right away, use a paper reinforcement circle on your goggles. Its possible to shoot good video and stills without a ring site. When your shooting "precision" video or stills then you may consider adding the ring site.
Leave the wide angle lens off your camera. Learning to shoot video without a wide angle lens will allow you to shoot good video from a little further away it will also make you more accurate with the camera, you might not get the best exit shots on the 4 way or tandem but that will come. As your video improves and your flying closer safely, then add the wide angle lens.

Be patient with yourself, flying camera is challenging getting the exit timing takes practice, your going to blow exits your going to crash into people, try not to go it but be prepared for it.

Don't sell shitty video. Its easy to lurk a tandem and show them the video and they want to buy it, again, dont sell shitty video. people are going to show that video to their friends and family. If you have sold them crap, when their friends and family come in to do their tandem they are not going to want to buy a video and you are indirectly hurting the DZs business.

Don't shoot a video of a skydive you are not comfortable with. If you are not a freeflyer, dont try to shoot video of a sit fly or a head down. Rickster Powell once told me, if you couldn't be apart or the skydive you shouldn't be videoing the skydive. Furthermore, if your looking at a group of people that are doing a skydive and you know that there are people on that skydive that shouldnt be there don't accept the video slot. I've nearly been hurt more than once by someone I knew shouldn't have been on a damn hybrid or taking a train out of an otter.

Listen, but be careful who you listen too. I dont know if its as bad as it used to be, but there are alot of people who really give new camera flyers a hard time, some camera flyers, especially staff at some DZ's who almost seem threatened by someone trying to make a name for themself by flying camera. Find a mentor, someone who wants to teach and who has the ability to teach. allow them to help you along the road to becomming a proficent camera flyer.

Most importantly, Have fun. Flying camera and my photography has allowed me to go to amazing places and to meet new people. My resume isn't as long as some peoples but its fairly impressive and I'm pround of how and where my work has been used. Its amazing, I still look forward to getting on the ground and pulling the camera off my helmet to look at the photos I got. that passion keeps me looking forward to every new skydive.

These are my thoughts and they may or may not reflect the views of the masses.

[jimmytavino 16]

differentiate between your jumping gear and your camera gear...and prepare each to the best ability possible.
be sure all your jumping gear is in good to excellent condition, well cared for, in date, and correctly maintained...
No need for unnecessary 'incidents' due to worn closing loops. or old velcro, dirty release housings. or a hurry hurry pack job...
always try to arrive at the DZ ,,,, Packed...

then concentrate on having your camera gear all set and ready to go BEFORE you arrive at the DZ....this means charging batteries, cueing up tapes, assuring adequate memory space for new snapshots....correct and proper connections for cam eye,,,shutter releases and quick connects to the helmet...

Rushing around, and scrambling during the ten minute call to take care of such 'pre-jump necessities' can put you behind the curve, before you even get to the plane..... ( "oh Damn,,,, I forgot my goggles and altimeter" )

best to be geared and ready 10 minutes too early, than 2 minutes too late...
Have a decent system in place so that your camera gear is well organized, with back up components readily available.. such as tapes, batteries, chargers, memory media, switches, sights, and electronics...

Some good advice from experienced camera people includes donning all your jumping gear FIRST,,,, and then proceeding to the camera helmet etc... only when all the rest is done...

Be patient with others, be patient with yourself, be ready to light up that vid. camera as needed and learn to look for the 'video-worthy'
situations, on the ground, during the climb, and in the air...

Always be altitude aware, so that your are set to go when the red light comes on... Pay attention to any ceiling limitations which could require an earlier than expected jumprun....

be nice to people,, and smile when asked,,,
"hey man !!! can i get a dub of that??"

be sure that your skydiving abilities are nearly second nature, before adding any sort of camera, and.........

WATCH out for THEM
Consider jumping a docile or semi-docile main...
no need for spinner openings,,, if it can be avoided by canopy choice...and solid packing practices...

if you smile on YOUR side of the camera, then the subjects on the OTHER side of the camera will also be more likely to smile...
Be proud of the footage and pictures which you shoot, share them according to whatever makes you comfortable...
earn some $$$$$ when you can...
graciously accept payment for your work...


skydive safely
jmy
a 3914
d 12122

[jtval 0]

Quote

If you have 1500 (or more) camera jumps and were chatting with a 200 jump newbie strapping on a camera, what advice, caution, etc would you give them?
Additionally, if you were to sit down with a 50 jump newbie looking forward to strapping on a camera, what would you recommend they do in order to prepare for flying with a camera?
Personal anecdotes are appreciated.

EDIT: I dont have 1500 jump...so I can't possibly have tha tmany camera jumps.
I did write a 10 page booklet for safety day this year. (Dont worry it was a 1/2 page booklet)
I can no tfind it thought
Thanks again for your donation to the raffle this weekend.

My photos

My Videos

[jtval 0]

Damn. I do gotta say I put a lot of time into that book(i made a video to accompany it) I am very disheartened that I can not find it.

When I have an hour to type up a reply I will.

My photos

My Videos

[mr2mk1g 10]

I don't have 1500 jumps but I know this one already.

buy
a
spare
battery

[steveorino 7]

I'll let you know in 13 more jumps.

steveOrino

[davelepka 4]

200 jumps - don't forget that you're skydiving first, shooting video second.

With that in mind, watch a few videos from the video staff, and figure out who has the best footage. Get that guy on your side. Pack for him, pay him or blackmail him, whatever, but get him on your team.

Have that guy review every video you shoot and tell you what you did wrong. Ask him not to sugarcoat it. You're not looking for encourgement, you're looking for a technical analysis of your work.

If you need a cheerleader, you might be in the wrong place. If you can't motivate yourself personally to achieve and overcome, than this is not for you.

A related point, the only thing that will get you producing the killer footage you want is your own perseverence and skill.

Don't turn into a gear fag. No amount of 'stuff' on your head will help you if you suck at camera flying. Spend your time and money on jumps, not the latest and greatest cameras or helmets. There are maybe 100 guys out who can out fly a basic camera helemt, and will porduce better footage with better hardware. You're not one of those guys, and won't be for a loooong time.


50 jumps - forget about camera flying. Just skydive now, and worry about what you'll be doing 150 jumps later after you make 150 jumps.

Enjoy yourself, and see where the next 150 jumps takes you. You may actually be a shit-hot 4-way guy, or a CREW dog. This is when you find out about that stuff.

Focusing on something that you think you might like to try in a year or so is a waste of today.

[weegegirl 2]

Don't do it. You'll get a "staff" infection and all of a sudden you will find you don't know how to freefly anymore and all you do are work jumps while your friends go play. Then your friends will whine and give you hell for not jumping with them, while student manifest pages you to tell you you are on a back to back in 5 minutes. At the end of the day you will have plenty of cash in pocket, but you will find yourself sitting around the fire wishing you had stories to tell about how you turned 6 points in a 4way VRW. Hmph.

By the way, this IS how things work, but I do love flying student video. There is nothing cooler than experiencing that first jump with someone again and again and again. Just be ready for a big transition in your jumping career. Kind of like married people going from bikini getaways to drooling babies.