Jameson Abart

Brooke+Mark Wedding

Admin — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 10:44:55 +0000

Wow – it’s been some time since my last blog entry. This summer has been incredibly busy, but fun. I’ve had the opportunity to work on several projects and will try to provide some more updates soon.

I’m continuing to dive into motion projects with DSLR fusion. And, I’m learning a great deal about the end-to-end production workflow and really enjoying the progress I’ve made. I’ll look to a future post to share more about the workflow that’s shaping up as a good solution for me.

In the meantime, I wanted to share a sneak peak of a promotional short I created for my good friend and fellow photographer Bryan Allen. The actual wedding took place in late May and we’re putting the finishing touches on this behind-the-scene perspective for Bryan’s potential clients. Look forward to any comments.

Great Book for Fusion Shooters

Admin — Mon, 24 May 2010 02:07:53 +0000

I highly recommend 101 Things I learned in Film School for anyone who’s beginning to shoot motion pictures with HDDSLRs. Written by Neil Landau with Matthew Frederick, this is a quick read packed full of great insight and tips for the digital storyteller.

Moving Portraits by Jesse Rosten

Admin — Sun, 23 May 2010 01:48:06 +0000

I’m really excited by all the new possibilities emerging through the fusion of photography and motion pictures. I stumbled upon these simple but powerful Moving Portrait concepts by Jesse Rosten. I’m looking to step into the studio soon and explore these ideas further for myself.

Moving Portraits from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.

iPad Shopping Mock Up from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.

Time-lapse: Ice Melt

Admin — Thu, 13 May 2010 00:49:36 +0000

I’ve been experimenting a bit with time-lapse techniques. Here’s a simple sequence I created using this approach:

Captured raw images on a 20D every 20 seconds tethered to laptop using Canon’s EOS Utility – 242 total frames.
Color graded and cropped the first frame to 1920×1080 using Bridge and ACR.
Copied/pasted the ACR develop settings to all images in the sequence. Exported all images as JPEG.
Opened the sequence of JPEG images with Quicktime Pro, saved as .mov

Outdoor Portrait Session

Admin — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 03:17:42 +0000

A few picks from a children’s portrait session earlier this evening. See more at http://jamesonabart.zenfolio.com/p85267747.

Still+Motion: The Journey Begins

Admin — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 12:45:07 +0000

I’ve been bitten by the film bug and there’s no turning back. The HD video capabilities of the newer DSLR cameras have grabbed my attention and I’m jumping in with two feet to learn more. I’m expanding my creative pursuits by beginning to blend both still and motion pictures.

My first steps are experimentation and getting familiar with the skills and techniques inherent to motion picture capture. Here are some quick examples of my first test shots with the Canon 5D Mark II. I’m excited with the prospect of being able to mimic the shallow depth of field and rich tonal range that I’m able to capture with stills.

I staged some simple shots around the house to take the 5DMII through the its paces. Granted, none of these are masterpieces in storytelling. Rather, these are my motion ’sketches’ that document progress as I experiment with capabilities and technique.

DSLR Fusion Info & Resources

Admin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:01:38 +0000

I’ve spent recent months working to understand DSLR Fusion – what I refer to as using DSLR cameras with high quality HD video recording capabilities. As a photographer, I’m interesting in blending still images and motion pictures on projects. For me, “Fusion” seems to be the name that fits best. Other monikers such as HDSLR, DSLR Video, and Convergence seem to be prevalent in describing this space.

Like most topics on the web, I was able to find an abundance of information and resources through search and observation over the last few months. For those who are interested, I’ve assembled the list of resources I’ve gathered. Hopefully you’ll find something useful in this list. Please comment with additional resources you’ve found.

Inspiration

MIND|Castle Studios
Pacific Pictures
Stillmotion Photo + Cinema
Whitestone Motion Pictures
The EOScars.com
The Doorpost Film Project – great, annual short film competition
Eqypt / Lebanon Montage by Khalid Mohtaseb

Info/Workflow/Technique

180 Degree Shutter Rule – Learn the basics of the 180 degree shutter rule and why it’s important
Flatten Your 5D
Recording audio with your video DSLR
5dmkII workflow from Philip Bloom
The DSLR Cinematography Guide – A comprehensive survey of the basics
Custom Picture Styles from cinema5D
Color Correcting/Grading from Stu Maschwitz
The 5DMKII Handbook of Facts from cinema5D
Advanced Sound for DSLR’s from Zacuto
Sound Recording Tips from Philip Bloom
Flatten Your 5D from Stu Maschwitz

Podcasts

Crossing the 180 by Ron Dawson
LensFlare35 by Dave Warner
Film Riot by Ryan Connolly
Meet the Filmmaker
16×9 Cinema’s Digital Convergence by Carl Olson
Red Centre @ fxguide
Zacuto Original Programming

Blogs

Follow on Twitter

Casey Warren from MIND|Castle Studios
Jason Wingrove
Shane Hurlbut – HDSLR trailblazer
Brandon McCormick from Whitestone Motion Pictures
Ryan Connolly from Film Riot
Philip Bloom
Ron Dawson
FreshDV
Carl Olson

Gear/Tools

Magic Lantern – Firmware enhancements for the 5DMKII
Twixtor – Tool for frame rate conversions
PluralEyes – great solution for synchronizing audio and video clips when using double system sound
RedHead Windscreens
Canon’s Picture Style Editor
IndiSYSTEM – rails, support, slider and follow focus solutions.
Genus – Matte box solutions
Zacuto – Comprehensive DSLR rigs, view finders
Redrock Micro – DSLR solutions
iDC – support and follow focus solutions from Bruce Dorn
smallHD – HD field monitor
D|Focus – follow focus solutions
H4n Handy Recorder – excellent double system sound solution
Cool Lights – Flourescent Studio Lighting
Light Craft – Fader ND filters

Community

Books

The DV Rebel’s Guide by Stu Machwitz
From Still to Motion: A Photographers guide to creating video with your DSLR
Directing Actors by Judith Weston
Sound for Digital Video by Tomlinson Holman
Refocus: Cutting-Edge Strategies to Evolve Your Video Business by Ron & Tasra Dawson

Location People II Workshop – Video Series

Admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 05:01:04 +0000

Today I’m excited to premiere a series of videos that I produced in conjunction with Bryan Allen’s Location People II Workshop. We covered the multi-day event back in October 2009 and I’ve been working for the past few months to complete post production and pull the content together.

The purpose of the videos is to share a glimpse of the workshop experience and inspire others who might be interested in attending a future event to learn, share, and celebrate a common passion – people photography.

This entire process was a fantastic learning experience. I was completely immersed in a creative environment for several days with some talented photographers. This gave me a wonderful opportunity to witness their individual photo journeys and the steps they’re taking to advance their skills. Moreover, I had the privilege to meet and work with some really great people.

Please check out the content and pass along to others who might be interested.

http://www.jamesonabart.com/LPII

Wired Magazine Goes Digital

Admin — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:05:40 +0000

Check out this great video from Wired on the evolution of the digital magazine – interesting stuff! Maybe we’ll be seeing eMags on the iPad.

Teaser – Location People II Workshop

Admin — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 12:22:36 +0000

Here’s a short teaser for a production I’ve been working on over the past several months. I’ve been experimenting with video production and exploring ways to combine my photo and cinema interests. This was shot in conjunction with the Location People II photography workshop hosted by Bryan Allen in October 2009. Stay tuned for more information and a premiere of additional content in the near future.