Tianna + Andrew

I can’t describe Tianna and Andrew’s wedding using cliche words like “beautiful,” “romantic,” and “cute couple.” Maybe if I added “times one hundred” to each phrase I’d get a little closer. What an honor and a pleasure to tell their wedding story and join the fun on their special day. Really, this is one wedding video you have to watch…and I don’t always say that. A rare sort of sweetness encapsulated the whole event:

 


fun technical stuff 

I shot almost all of the footage with my 5D Mk II on a monopod with my favorite fluid head. Shooting an entire day without an assistant or second shooter can quickly become overwhelming, but with the adaptability and portability of a monopod and a 24-105mm zoom lens, the task is surprisingly manageable.

For those who know my past woes, I finally invested in higher-capacity CF cards to supplement pitiful 4GB’s that I naively bought years ago. In the past I’ve struggled with using a monopod, but I found this tutorial by StillMotion to be extremely helpful: http://bit.ly/NLCjUJ.

While my monopod isn’t half as high-tech as the ‘pod shown, I tried their techniques and found that I could pull of shots I’ve envied for years. Honestly, fancy equipment and gadgets aren’t what make cool shots. Sure, there’s a certain amount of quality tools you need, and there are fancy gadgets needed for specific moves, but believe me when I say that I’m still learning the magic of my $45 monopod! That’s the main lesson I took from this last filming adventure: push equipment to it’s fullest potential, and never stop looking for ways to get more out of what you already have.

Another lesson I “reinforced by experience” at this wedding is equally important: always have at least one backup audio recording device during any one-time event. You never know when a technicality, miscalculation, or equipment glitch will slap you in the face. With so many elements to juggle shooting solo, play it safe. I’m beyond glad that I did.