DIY Photography

Your one stop shop for everything photo-video

  • News
  • Inspiration
  • Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • DIY
  • Gear
Search

Submit A Story

Create cinematic shots with just a tripod and a camera strap

Apr 26, 2018 by Chad Verzosa 1 Comment

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

When I was in college in the early 2000s, I still vividly remember how much I had to improvise to make my shots look like a real movie. Back when sliders and gimbals still weren’t available to the masses, we had to create makeshift rigs with PVC pipes and ride skateboards for tracking shots.

Of course, a lot has changed since then. These days, even amateur filmmakers now have access to all sorts of accessories online to achieve cinematic shots. However, I think it’s still important to instill in people the value of DIY ethos in filmmaking.  You can’t always bring a carload of gear to every location, so learning how to shoot quality footage with minimal equipment will benefit you in this line of work.

This new video from Sheldon Evans shows you that you can achieve a lot even with basic equipment. With a little creativity, you can use a tripod, a camera strap, and even a string, to create stabilized shots and buttery movements.

The most important advice he shares in the video is to achieve three points of contact for stabilized shots. The simplest way to do this is by putting the camera strap around your neck and pulling away from you. The tension the strap creates minimizes the camera shake your hands make.

We often think that tripod is only capable of panning and tilting. However, there are also plenty of other ways to create different camera movements with it. In the video, Sheldon shows that you can create dramatic reveal shots by extending the first two legs and using the third one as a handle.

If you don’t have a tripod, you can also use a string to create stabilized shots. All you have to do is attach it to the camera and step on both ends of the string. Just like the camera strap, the tension it will help minimize camera shake.

Evans also adds that you can also add movement to your footage in post. Simply go to the effects panel, move to the beginning of the clip, and toggle scale animation. Next, move to the end of the clip and change the value to about 110%. Using this effect can drastically reduce the resolution of your footage. Therefore, it’s not recommended if you’re shooting below 1080p.

As shown in the video, you often don’t need expensive equipment to achieve cinematic movement. No more silly excuses about not getting the shots you want when you already have all you need.

[watch Make Your Footage Look Cinematic FAST with Camera Movement | Sheldon Evans ]

FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Related posts:

This flexible camera strap turns into a rigid tripod in a second Default ThumbnailA Simple Camera Strap That’s Tripod Friendly Level up your DJI Pocket Osmo videos with these three cinematic Hollywood shots Peak Design ventures in to the tripod business with a “Next Generation” travel tripod

Filed Under: Tutorials Tagged With: cinematography, tripod, Video

Chad Verzosa: from diyphotography.net

About Chad Verzosa

Chad Verzosa is a freelance writer and photographer currently based in Florida. When not traveling, he likes to spend his time printing pictures in the darkroom.

« Snap releases new version of Spectacles which you will (not) want to wear
This woman shows the truth behind “perfect” Instagram photos in a hilarious way [NSFW] »

Submit A Story

Get our FREE Lighting Book

DIYP lighting book cover

* download requires newsletter signup
DIYPhotography

Recent Comments

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Recent Posts

  • Comica CVM-VM30 is the world’s first wireless shotgun mic
  • Everything you need to know about science/technology photography
  • How Fujifilm survived while Kodak didn’t
  • Use these two simple methods to remove skin shine from portraits
  • Improved Sun Moon Expert app gets you perfectly timed sun and moon photos

Udi Tirosh: from diyphotography.netUdi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.

Alex Baker: from diyphotography.netAlex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

David Williams: from diyphotography.netDave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred: from diyphotography.netJohn Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.netDunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2023 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure | Privacy Policy