How to shoot specific shots using the Canon Hdslrs Cameras?

[vision_filmz]

* Shooting through a car windshield with the camera in front of the car looking through the windshield where the talent is in the car. All I see are reflections and cannot see the talent.
(Daytime shot)


* Two actors are in the car, the passenger is light skin and the driver is dark skin, outside of using a very powerful daytime light to light the driver how could I light the driver without blowing out the passenger?

* Moire, I have never really had a big problem with it but on a recent shoot, filming someone wearing a suite just became a nightmare


Thanks, but I'm more than sure I will continue to add to this list

 

[wjm]

1. Circular polarizer will eliminate or reduce the reflections.
2. Tricky... Don't know. Wardrobe might help - both wear grey or dark colors - darker makeup for light skinned actor?
3. In FCP I use Marvels DSLR Moire Filter.

Good luck!

 

[vision_filmz]

1. Circular polarizer will eliminate or reduce the reflections.
2. Tricky... Don't know. Wardrobe might help - both wear grey or dark colors - darker makeup for light skinned actor?
3. In FCP I use Marvels DSLR Moire Filter.

Good luck!

Thank you, and and every bit of information helps!

With that said I remember I had another challenge which were

* Trying to shoot a cellphone screen and getting the actual text in focus, the same for a computer monitor.

My 28mm Prime Lens could not focus on the text and strangely enough I used a 50mm prime to record the text on a computer screen but it was not easy.


Thank you for the guide in the rite direction!

 

[M. Gilden]

* Trying to shoot a cellphone screen and getting the actual text in focus, the same for a computer monitor.

My 28mm Prime Lens could not focus on the text and strangely enough I used a 50mm prime to record the text on a computer screen but it was not easy.


Thank you for the guide in the rite direction!

Sounds like a macro focus problem. I'm willing to bet your 28mm can't focus as close as you were trying to get it.
There are special lenses and filters marketed as "macro", to allow you to get super-close and still focus. Otherwise, the other option is to use a zoomed in lens and focus from farther away (hence why the 50 worked and the 28 did not).

Here's a simple test: Roll your focus wheel as far as it can go to the closest setting (away from infinity). While in this position, move your camera physically forward and/or backwards until an object appears in focus. The distance to that object is the closest thing you can possibly focus on. If you need something tighter than that, use a narrower lens.

When doing product photography, I often find that I prefer to stand far away and use my 85mm lens- its easier to work with sometimes, and can focus on something that seems impossibly small.

 

[wjm]

To focus on the screens of digital devices, use a macro lens. Either a specific macro camera lens, or a screw-on diopter. Canon makes a beautiful one which halves any lens' close-focus distance (ie if your lens focuses at 6 feet, now it can focus at 3 feet, etc.). There are much stronger ones - I have a 10x cinevate and a 7x century optics. Careful with sun - they are STRONG.


M. Gilden beat me to it...

 

[vision_filmz]

Sounds like a macro focus problem. I'm willing to bet your 28mm can't focus as close as you were trying to get it.
There are special lenses and filters marketed as "macro", to allow you to get super-close and still focus. Otherwise, the other option is to use a zoomed in lens and focus from farther away (hence why the 50 worked and the 28 did not).

Here's a simple test: Roll your focus wheel as far as it can go to the closest setting (away from infinity). While in this position, move your camera physically forward and/or backwards until an object appears in focus. The distance to that object is the closest thing you can possibly focus on. If you need something tighter than that, use a narrower lens.

When doing product photography, I often find that I prefer to stand far away and use my 85mm lens- its easier to work with sometimes, and can focus on something that seems impossibly small.

Sounds great and is very informative to people such as myself that truly want to learn and then practice in the field. Thank you for the experience, my objective now is to soak this in and apply it on some test runs.

I seriously need to get an 85mm lens, that's next on my list!

 

[M. Gilden]

Sounds great and is very informative to people such as myself that truly want to learn and then practice in the field. Thank you for the experience, my objective now is to soak this in and apply it on some test runs.

I seriously need to get an 85mm lens, that's next on my list!

Tons of options out there- I went with a cheapo nikon E-series 85-150mm F/3.5 zoom. Works really well for this sort of thing, and well under $100 used.
Or you can go for the diopter wjm mentioned. I think a narrow zoom lens might prove useful for other things though, and probably a more worthwhile investment than an adapter.

 

[Jordan Scott Price]

* Two actors are in the car, the passenger is light skin and the driver is dark skin, outside of using a very powerful daytime light to light the driver how could I light the driver without blowing out the passenger?

If the light is hitting both of them, say, from in front of the car, set up your light and expose for the driver and then scrim down the spray on the passenger with a net on a stand.

If you're in too wide of a shot for that, expose for the passenger and place an LED panel inside the car above the driver. Gaff tape tends to work well for that; velcro can for lighter LED units.

* Moire, I have never really had a big problem with it but on a recent shoot, filming someone wearing a suite just became a nightmare

Always check with wardrobe in preproduction, if you can. If you sign on as DP, talk to your director about the limitations of the camera, if he or she does not know the issue with moire. Shoot some test footage. You may find the zebra outfit the lead character is wearing is not a problem at any focal length, or you may find it's only a problem in super wides, but the concentration of detail in the wardrobe is fine on medium close-ups.

If you can't do this in preproduction, at least make mention to wardrobe that too much detail will look horrible on your camera.

If you don't have any preproduction involvement with wardrobe, try to shoot some test footage quickly on set at various focal lengths/subject distances and see if it is only a problem in closeups or wides or whatever.

Sometimes, you just have to fix it in post.

 

[vision_filmz]

If the light is hitting both of them, say, from in front of the car, set up your light and expose for the driver and then scrim down the spray on the passenger with a net on a stand.

If you're in too wide of a shot for that, expose for the passenger and place an LED panel inside the car above the driver. Gaff tape tends to work well for that; velcro can for lighter LED units.





Always check with wardrobe in preproduction, if you can. If you sign on as DP, talk to your director about the limitations of the camera, if he or she does not know the issue with moire. Shoot some test footage. You may find the zebra outfit the lead character is wearing is not a problem at any focal length, or you may find it's only a problem in super wides, but the concentration of detail in the wardrobe is fine on medium close-ups.

If you can't do this in preproduction, at least make mention to wardrobe that too much detail will look horrible on your camera.

If you don't have any preproduction involvement with wardrobe, try to shoot some test footage quickly on set at various focal lengths/subject distances and see if it is only a problem in closeups or wides or whatever.

Sometimes, you just have to fix it in post.

I was using Led lights on the Driver but it wasn't really helping that much as it was mid day outside and he was very dark skin. I even tried to use a Reflector but the angle of the sun was simply not letting me bounce it correctly.


If I would have not been shooting Guerilla Style I would have easily set up some large HMI Lights, but sometimes that's not possible.