aaronssps 0 #1 February 26, 2008 Just curious to see if they were some past threads for me to read about learning to fly vid. I porbably won't be doing it this year, still need some more jumps, but it's something that I know I want to do in the future. Just looking for info to expand my mind on the topic. Blue Skies Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dragon2 0 #2 February 26, 2008 Too lazy to post links right now, but be sure to look up the thread about all the little things that can go wrong About learning to fly vid, your best bet is first to get good at the discipline you want to film (belly, freefly, crw, wingsuit, ...) so you can be where you want to be without having to think about it and are ready for an extra challenge, when you get to that stage (and if anyone does by 200 jumps I'd find that hard to believe.... more jumps = better and especially safer) go ask an experienced video flyer at your dz for help, preferally one why flies the same discipline as you. ciel bleu, Saskia Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kefran 0 #3 February 26, 2008 find an helmet that will eliminate most possible problems. (FF2 from 2K comes to my mind ... but i can't be really objective as i own one) once equiped ... few moments before going to the door put the cam at ON then .............. FORGET ABOUT IT ! concentrate yourself on your jump as you'd do usually. That's what was told me when i begun with the cam and it worked pretty well.-------------------------------------------------- I never used 2 rocks to start a fire ... this is called evolution ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DSE 3 #4 February 26, 2008 Quote Just curious to see if they were some past threads for me to read about learning to fly vid. I porbably won't be doing it this year, still need some more jumps, but it's something that I know I want to do in the future. Just looking for info to expand my mind on the topic. Blue Skies Aaron, at your DZ, you've got some excellent video flyers, they'd be good to talk to as well as getting advice here. i got a lot of great advice from the guys at my DZ, as well as seeking out some of the "greats" such as Mike McGowan, Norm Kent, etc. These guys will share their experiences and advice with you as well, and it's not as expensive as you'd think. Getting the helmet is the hardest part to start with, IMO (in terms of gear). Helmets are expensive, so making that top mount/side mount decision can be tough. If you're free flying or mostly fun-flying, side mount is usually the best option, but if you're looking to shoot tandems or get moving towards commercial work, a top mount is worth considering. What about the aircraft you're jumping from? Top mounts are harder in a 182, but not so much so in most anything else. Are you going to eventually add stills? That should be a consideration in choosing a helmet. How are your belly skills? Have you been working on them for the past 100 jumps, or are you like many of us who started messing with everything early on, and have been working on everything but belly flight? How are your relative work skills? That's the *most* important skill, IMO, in getting ready to fly camera. Can you swoop/dive and dock every time? Get someone to loan you some camera wings, especially if you're a bigger guy. I love a comment I once heard Mike McGowan toss out there, "If you can't outfly Joe F@#$! Jennings, then you need wings." Many guys don't use them, and if you're freeflying, you won't be using them. But for RW and tandems, they're very helpful in controlling fall rate and giving you some serious range. This is a place to start, anyway. Read the sticky at the top of the forum for more resources. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sinjin 0 #5 February 27, 2008 http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1435985;search_string=little%20things%20wrong;#1435985 this is always one of my favorites i have not broke my cameye in the camera yet but i am due,, the rest -check markdont let life pass you by Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tonka 2 #6 February 28, 2008 Strap on a helmet with a camera. Make sure there are no nasty snag points. Get a cutaway system for your helmet. Use a dot, tape, or those lil white circles on your goggles to stay sighted in. Now go skydive and look at people. You are now flying video. As you progress see what you want to add to your system. (Ringsight, Cameye, Wider Angle Lens, Fancy Camera Box, Still Camera) Dont worry too much about getting the shot. Just have fun and the camera skills will follow. I strapped a full set up on at 200 jumps practicing filming tandems. By 250 was gettin paid. Hurray! So far it hasnt interfered in my flying or deployment and canopy flight. I wear my camera helmet 99 out of 100 jumps. Never know what ya might catch on video. Just watch out moving around in the plane. You dont want to bust yo expensive lens on anything. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
steveorino 7 #7 February 28, 2008 "Flying the Camera" by Patrick Weldon is a little old, but still has good stuff in it. It should be cheap on Amazon.com EDITED: Okay only one on Amazon, and the dude wants $144 for it ... good luck with that! steveOrino Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davelepka 4 #8 February 28, 2008 I don't want to get into a pissing match, but just so you know, some of these posts are not the best advice, I'll leave it up to you to figure out which ones to ignore. The best thing I can say is to forget about shooting video until you're ready to shoot video. Ready meaning you have a camera helmet built and ready, and your jump numbers are where you want them to be. I say this because as far as reading and talking with a more experienced camera flyer goes, it should only take you one night of searching threads on DZ.com, and an hour or so of one on one discussion with a mentor. You can read about the things that people choose to write about, and listen to what a mentor might have to say, but let's face it, once you strap on the camera you're on your own. Each skydive will present new and unusual situations which you may or may not have read/heard about. That's why until such time, I say focus on skydiving. Don't let being pre-occupied with camera flying interfere with your development as a regular skydiver. I see guys who try to rush into video, and it shows in both their work, and their abilities without the camera. Let's face it, EVERY good camera flyer is also a kick ass skydiver without the camera. If being awesome is a prerequisite for being a good camera flyer, you might as well get awsome first. The added plus is that you'll spend less time shooting crappy footage and making rookie mistakes once you do strap on a camera. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 259 #9 February 28, 2008 Quote Let's face it, EVERY good camera flyer is also a kick ass skydiver without the camera. If being awesome is a prerequisite for being a good camera flyer, you might as well get awsome first. I'd submit that the same goes for getting good footage/photos. Every really good freefall photographer is also a really good photographer on the ground. Would it not also be a good idea to learn to be awesome with a camera on the ground before strapping it onto your head? That is, if you want to get good footage... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davelepka 4 #10 February 28, 2008 QuoteI'd submit that the same goes for getting good footage/photos. Every really good freefall photographer is also a really good photographer on the ground. I'd concur. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cj1150gs 0 #11 February 28, 2008 Quote "Flying the Camera" by Patrick Weldon EDITED: Okay only one on Amazon, and the dude wants $144 for it ... good luck with that! I'll sell you mine for $143 It is in fact somehow dated, better spend the dough on the Norman Kent DVD. Not a tutorial on how to fly but lot's of interesting stuff fora begginer. Carlos Martins Portugal www.cj.smugmug.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dragon2 0 #12 February 28, 2008 Quote Quote I'd submit that the same goes for getting good footage/photos. Every really good freefall photographer is also a really good photographer on the ground. I'd concur. Ditto Read all the manuals, go read a photography book or two, shoot a couple thousand landings (video/stills), this will all help you loads. ciel bleu, Saskia Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
snakeeater 0 #13 February 29, 2008 Just curious.. did you guys/girls do all the things you are telling newbies to do before you first strapped a camera to your helmet? be honest. and if not, what circumstances did prevent (or not require) you from doing so? "He tried to kill me! He tried to f***ing kill me!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dragon2 0 #14 February 29, 2008 Yes, actually I did. My DZ keeps an eye in things like that. Started at 350 jumps total with 80 video jumps filming CRW, after only 15 crw jumps or so but that's all you need really, for filming. After that, wingsuit, after 75 or so wingsuit jumps I first strapped on my camera, then, formation skydiving, this is when I added stills to my helmet, after 2 years of filming FS and the occasional student jumper, I was allowed to film tandems. Shooting video is almost all I do, I don't even own a helmet without camera anymore. Mostly my DZ keeps an eye on things, you are only allowed to jump camera after 200 freefall relative jumps + B license here, so most have 300 jumps or more total when they start. ciel bleu, Saskia Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
snakeeater 0 #15 February 29, 2008 great. how about the photography books and the couple thousand landings? It sure makes sense when a DZ (or the people on it) keeps an eye on things.. "He tried to kill me! He tried to f***ing kill me!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dragon2 0 #16 February 29, 2008 I got at least 2 feet of photography books in my closet here and check out my website for a couple thousand landing pics, starting in 2001 and getting better over time lol and for videos on swoop competitions and stuff over the years. The best part of shooting landing video is that you can use this video for debriefing so you make yourself very useful at the DZ, the pics you could sell to the jumpers if you want and save up for your next camera lol ciel bleu, Saskia Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
snakeeater 0 #17 February 29, 2008 hm.. that seems to be a great idea. are there any photography books you can recommend particularly? "He tried to kill me! He tried to f***ing kill me!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Peej 0 #18 February 29, 2008 QuoteJust curious.. did you guys/girls do all the things you are telling newbies to do before you first strapped a camera to your helmet? be honest. Pretty much. Jump no 268 was the first time i wore a camera on a skydive. (I had done pretty much all freefly up until then.) I entered a competition with my girlfriend's two way freefly team soon after i started wearing a cam and we placed second. I then bought a camera wing jacket and paid my way onto tandem jumps (with the consent of the TI and his head camera guy - who was also my mentor) This was around jump 300. I was then offered a slot as a four way camera guy on a team who were desperate for a camera dude and i was lucky enough to do a few hundred with them in a very short space of time. Now i could fly in proximity to a team and a tandem. Around jump 500 or so one of the tandem operations on my DZ were short a camera guy so they asked me to film a tandem. I shot it, edited it, did a good job and the next weekend i had a permanent video slot. As for the being a great photographer guy? I must admit, i have learned way more as i have gone along. I had an eye for shots and some idea of what i was doing but honestly taking pics in the sky has made me want to learn more about taking pics on the ground. Advertisio Rodriguez / Sky Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gadget 0 #19 February 29, 2008 http://www.dragon2.nl/ There fixed the clicky for youBy the way : your photochapter doesn't seem to workIf people from Poland are called Poles, why aren't people from Holland called Holes??? My logbook Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Icon134 0 #20 February 29, 2008 I don't really tell new videographers what to do as I still consider myself relatively new wrt videoflying. I did start jumping when I was just a few jumps shy of 200 but before I jumped asked for advice from local videographers. I more or less did fun jumping for a number of jumps (I don't recall how many exactly) then started getting help and pointers from an experienced Formation Skydiving videographer and focused on that for a full year before I started considering tandem videos. I still need lots of work on my tandem video skills and plan to work on it this spring and get coaching specifically for tandem video flying. As for still Photography again I consider myself amature at best but I took a Photography class in colege, constructed my own B&W darkroom 5 years ago (for fun, and to learn) using hand me down equipment from an uncle, and do have a fairly good understanding of optics (although with more emphasis on Lasers and specificallly nonlinear optical systems)... but like I said I don't really tell others what to think... I just kind of help when I can and want to make sure new jumpers don't make the same mistakes I did... Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 15 #21 February 29, 2008 A GREAT book is "Understanding Exposure" by Byran Peterson. It helps fillin gaps about the relationship between shutter, apature and ISO that alomost all new photogrpahers are lacking. I've only shot 1500 or so skydiving photos but I am seeing a marked improvement in my photos (non-jumping) after reading that book. I can't wait to apply some of my new understanding this season.Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dragon2 0 #22 February 29, 2008 Quote hm.. that seems to be a great idea. are there any photography books you can recommend particularly? Hmmm haven't got any favorite general photography books, almost any general book will do. For working with photos in photoshop, Photoshop CS3 Book for Digital Photographers by Scott Kelby is absolutely great, I also have a few favorite macro photography books but not much in that is applicable to skydiving Hmmm seems my website has developed some bugs on its own, got to fix that... ciel bleu, Saskia Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
