This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Zooming
Now that I've lectured on the evils of moving your camera, let's get into the realities of the types of motion you'll encounter. To start, let's look at one of the most common troublemakers, the zoom control.
When you bought your camera, the first thing you probably did was play with the zoom control. It's usually a rocker switch that moves between W (wide) and T (telephoto), and enables you to view distant objects. Combined with a camera's automatic focus feature, especially when shooting in the field, zooming can get you closer to your subject (Figure 3.2).
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Figure 3.2 Optical zoom and automatic focus can be a great combination when you're shooting something from far away.
However, the control can be sensitive, leading to abrupt or too-quick zooms in and out. A better approach is to smoothly zoom in on your subject, hold for a bit, then slowly zoom out (Figure 3.3). Practice with the control to get a feel for how much pressure is needed, and try to run through the shot a few times before you actually record it.
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Figure 3.3 Quick zooms in and out are effective ways to instill headaches in your viewers. Instead, slowly zoom in, hold, then slowly zoom out. This technique gives you good, clear footage at several distances.