Yosemite

CaptainMench

CaptainMench

Carbonite Member
Disjecta --

This one's for you. YOU NEED TO COME DOWN HERE AND FILM!!!

3 Hours from my house. We camped at 6000ft and froze our tails off but the valley floor was 75 and sunny. Best time for crowds is Mid-Late September, best time for waterfalls is June.

Anyway -- this is just a family home travel-log... but with some nice shots. I didn't CC anything. I'm in the middle of a really busy month at work so don't have the time just yet.

Things I've learned and tried to incorporate into this film:

Turn off the auto - iris
Bring a Tripod - EVERYWHERE!
Change Filters -- Man, I need a matte box!
SLOW pans if you are going to use them at all
Get a series of Wide Medium and Tight shots of everything you shoot -- sometimes this works, sometimes not.

Things for next time:
Turn off Auto Focus and rely on quick focus and focus ring
BUY A QUICK RELEASE pad for the tripod -- ugh, cranking off that screw everytime sucks!
Buy that book you saw of photography in Yosemite... tells you where and when to stand for that perfect shot!

The music was a scratch, but almost works, so I kept it. Pat Metheny.

Two versions

QT6 - wait for the download
http://homepage.mac.com/captmench/Yosemiteweb.mov

QT7 - quick streaming
http://homepage.mac.com/captmench/Yosemite264.mov

Enjoy - we did.

CaptM
 
That was some great vacation footage. Your kids are adorable. I loved the scenery. If I could offer some constructive criticism (even though you didn't ask I'll do it as if this was a film you made, seems like you want to learn) I'd have made the transition from camp to trail a little more than just a dissolve. Maybe see the family walk out of the campsite? Another thing, crop out the unimportant "human, non-natural stuff" in your scenic shots (usually on the bottom of the frame, i.e. pickup truck, other hikers) Maybe you got burned by the underscanned LCD? Did you use Auto-iris? Cuz most of the shots looked perfectly exposed. I liked the editing too, you had a nice mix of kids/scenery:) Good work man, I'll bet you have the best vacation vids of anyone in your town :thumbup:

-Ryan
 
Thanks Ryan...

Yes, I was looking for constructive help. I wouldn't post here if I didn't expect some.

I did get a little hung up on the camp scenes and didn't have any transition footage. Something I'll have to get on pick-ups.. HA!

Big problem with the web versions... they are full value. I agree there is some croppable stuff. As for the auto iris. Yes, I had it turned off. Something I learned from an earlier film. Man, you guys are tough. You see that and scream video! HA. I got burned once or twice on a few great shots where it moved too quick for me to adjust the iris after a particulary dark shot into a light one... ended up blown out and gone before I could find that wheel.

Thanks for watching.

CaptM
 
Looked like a fun time. You definately have some cute kids

Only thing I recommend is maybe to bump the contrast a bit on some shots (like the waterfall ones).
 
CaptainMench,

We were in the valley this past spring - May 10th or so - and the waterfalls have never been so full! Of course, I had the DVX and the kids too. I'll batch that stuff over the next few days and add it to your thread.

I love Yosemite! We spent every June there as we were growing up... my parents always yanked us out of school a few days early to beat the crowds.

e
 
RONINFILMER said:
pretty boring.
Click to expand...

NICE!!



I'd LOVE to see the full waterfalls, Overland! It's a must go back to place. One of my top evers.

I am working CC on it, but that will be later.

Thanks again, -- You too, Ronin.

CaptM
 
Hey Mike,

Nice footage...you are getting some super-clear shots from the camera and it really gave me the feeling of being there. Make sure if you are going to do dutch shots that there is a reason for it. I found them a little distracting at the campsite.... I agree about watching your framing and blocking out more...

You might also consider having your family shots surround your scenic footage more. So, start off with the campsite and then, cut out any people shots and just show the scenery, change the music completely for this to reflect a more grand sweeping vista. You are shooting these amazing rocks and your music is keeping this inocuous happy tone almost like I should be looking up to see what floor I'm coming to on the elevator.

Then you could go back to a different style of music when you return to your family stuff.

Just suggestions. I love your travelogue stuff. Keep it up.
 
The colors looked great. The flames from the campfire really looked nice. Lot's of smooth pans. Only a few glitches in those movements. Even subtle ones are distracting so work hard not to let them happen during filming. Otherwise, cut them in post.

Thanks for posting the clip. I also live in the bay area and need to be reminded about what a great place lies just a short distance away.
 
I was thinking... I should let the audio play on some of those rock shots. You'll be amazed at how I got ANYTHING smooth...

NATHAN!!! GET OFF THAT F'n ROCK -- ALEX!!! DON'T PUSH YOUR BROTHER DOWN THA... OH MY GOD! LINDA!@!!!!!!!!!!!

That one REALLY jerky pan across the bottom of the valley up to half dome... I was leaning out over the rail and forgot that Zachary was on my back. As I start to make the turn to push the camera up the other side of the valley Linda's SCREAMING at me to get my child (her child) back to safety!

Very funny (and sad...) But I'm not too upset with being hard on them there. I met a friend there standing in line for the shuttle bus and we hiked up one of the trails together. Her family and mine. We got to a good stopping point - one of the waterfalls - and they kept going and we turned back. But while there we saw some rescue folks heading up past us on the trail.

Saw my fried on Monday and she was VERY shaken still. She said a young boy had seemed to have broken his back on the trail. Shook her and her husband up badly. I'm glad I turned around... and I'm glad we're all safe.

CaptM
 
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