female bodybuilding dvd - is it a good idea to use wide angle lenses or normal?

[deleuze3]

I'm doing modeling video with female bodybuilders.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5GOmdjTpV8
In this video they use wide angle lenses to accentuate the size of the female bodybuilder.

I've read in a book that waist to head pics are better if they are shot with 50mm lenses or higher...

In terms of cinematography, esthetically, is it a good idea to shoot with a wide angle lense this type of video ? Or is normal lense is a better choice ?

I was curious to ask some videographer and filmaker about it.

Have a great day

 

[paulears]

From my experience with body builders - a few championship events, they are obsessed with image and the biggest difficulty is that my opinion of what looks best is not theirs. So if the product needs to appeal to the converted, it needs one look, but if it's for 'normal' people then it's very different. I found my usual framing and composition points to the wrong features. Normal lighting tends to flatten the musculature so certain proven lighting angles work badly. Front on shots look flat, off to the side reveals the form, horrible though it is. Their muscles produce deep ins and outs and you may think it looks wrong, they may want more! These people are not typical so you need to ask them for detailed guidance on what each shot needs to show. I still get it wrong every time. I tweak, I think it's great, they hate it! When they like it, I just think it's wrong. It is a very strange business. You also need to work quickly, they will not be able to do more than a small number of reshooting. Take 3 might be totally impossible. They are exhausted. A whole new world, with their own version of aesthetics.

 

[Grug]

Check out bodybuilding.com for some ideas on effective bodybuilding photography, toplight is your friend when it comes to accentuating muscle development (it's just not so nice on faces, so you'll probably want to separate your 'facial' lighting from your 'body' lighting).

 

[Liam Hall]

I've read in a book that waist to head pics are better if they are shot with 50mm lenses or higher...

That depends on the size of the sensor in your camera. A 50mm on a 5D3 is a normal lens, but on a BMCC or a GH3 your field of view will be much tighter.

In terms of cinematography, esthetically, is it a good idea to shoot with a wide angle lense this type of video ? Or is normal lense is a better choice ?

Both. Why restrict yourself to one focal length?

 

[deleuze3]

Thanks for all your comments. I learned about lightning and more how to shoot bodybuilders.

I have a question.

In the video featuring the female bodybuilder, cinematographically, do you think it's a good choice to use wide lenses to shoot her? Or it would be better esthetically to use normal lense?
I mean does the wide angle to make her body bigger is a good esthetic choice in terms of cinematography techniques?

 

[David W. Jones]

Shooting location is going to play an important role in focal length selection as well. Sometimes you have the room, and other times you are in very cramped locations.

 

[Jordan_S]

Thanks for all your comments. I learned about lightning and more how to shoot bodybuilders.

I have a question.

In the video featuring the female bodybuilder, cinematographically, do you think it's a good choice to use wide lenses to shoot her? Or it would be better esthetically to use normal lense?
I mean does the wide angle to make her body bigger is a good esthetic choice in terms of cinematography techniques?

If you shoot from close up then the wide angle lens will work to make her appear bigger. It will help if there are others far in the background who you wish to appear much smaller in comparison. You may also wish to try shooting from down low, looking up at her which will will give viewers the impression that she dominates.

 

[j1clark@ucsd.edu]

Thanks for all your comments. I learned about lightning and more how to shoot bodybuilders.

I have a question.

In the video featuring the female bodybuilder, cinematographically, do you think it's a good choice to use wide lenses to shoot her? Or it would be better esthetically to use normal lense?
I mean does the wide angle to make her body bigger is a good esthetic choice in terms of cinematography techniques?

I personally don't like the 'wide angle' lens look. Obviously if the space is limited, a wide angle lens may be the only solution. But I prefer better 'action' angling of the camera relative to the subject, and 'dramatic' lighting, than inyourfacewarpeddistortion look.