What’s the Big Deal with Moving Pictures?

Ever since the Canon 5D Mark II came out, the world has been abuzz with photographers-turned-videographers. There are a lot of video devices on the market, but the Mark II has a few things going for it:

  • Vincent Laforet’s “Reverie” was probably the most successful, individually-produced piece for a video ever. (If you haven’t been keeping up with Vince, he’s turned into a filmmaker, and has been blogging about it)
  • The ability to use 35mm lenses give low light and restricted depth-of-field capabilities that are available to still photographers with their existing equipment
  • The release coincides with the growing popularity of websites and internet-based video distribution systems (e.g. everything from vimeo/youtube/hulu to netflix on-demand to hardware devices like Boxee)

PhotoShelter user and New York Times freelancer Robert Caplin decided to produce a video of his 15 year old musican sister, Etana Caplin. It was his first foray into video, and he has a pretty thoughtful write-up of how his initial concept required re-shooting to get to the final product on SportsShooter.



A music video at 15?? When I was 15, they hadn’t even invented guitars yet. We played on flutes formed from bone, and we liked it.

I’m fairly certain the notion of a video portrait isn’t a new concept, but Clayton Cubitt has resurrected the idea with his 5D in what he’s calling the “long portrait.”

It reminds me a bit of NFL games when they show you the offensive line and instead of using a still photo, they use a 10 sec video roll. I’m incapable of holding an expression for more than 1 second before my face starts to twitch, so I suppose that’s why Cubitt has his subjects giving the old blank expression.


Of course, there are decidedly non-tech ways to make movies. Jessica Lysons offers Super8 wedding services on good old celluloid. There is a certain nostalgia about weddings, so the technique seems especially potent.

What exactly is the delineation between still and motion? Paul Melcher found a fantastic video from Tel Aviv-based photographer Eyal Landseman which employs stop motion, and it truly is fantastic (the soundtrack “Her Morning Elegance” by Oren Lavie is equally fantastic). I love the window light at the beginning and end of the video.

Have we turned the proverbial corner in the widespread creation of high-quality video with the new tools and modes of distribution?

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Allen Murabayashi is the co-founder of PhotoShelter.

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