OVERVIEW:
When I discovered how easy it was to do portraits with video, I was sold. I had done portraits, weddings and other freelance photography gigs for over 20 years, and this difference (between shooting stills for portraits, often using flash, and shooting video) was shocking. With flash photos, the challenge was always that you had to take the shot at JUST THE RIGHT MOMENT to capture good a smile, and you had to do it over and over again (waiting for the flash to re-charge after each shot) whilst encouraging the person to keep smiling as they endured the process. Now, compare this to my first day using VIDEO to shoot portraits: There were 5 or 6 employees that needed a business-style portrait, and none of them had the time for it. I simply composed the shot, rolled video and held a casual conversation with each subject (for about 5 minutes each) and pulled the best frames from the video files. I was completely done in less than an hour. Not only that, but they all like their pictures. One person remarked "I NEVER look good in portraits, but these (look good)!"
ABOVE: Portrait subjects don't always sit still, as they typically don't have time to waste (especially business shoots). This is one reason I think video portraits work better.
WHAT IS 6K/4K PHOTO MODE?
What we're talking about here is Panasonic's 6K/4K PHOTO mode. It's tech that's been around for almost 10 years, but somehow it never caught on. (I have a theory as to why it didn't work (back then) but I've also got an idea that I think can make it work now.) If you haven't heard of Panasonic's LUMIX 6K/4K PHOTO modes, they're video recording modes, designed for extracting still images, but they allow you to shoot in 4:3 or 3:2 aspect ratios, instead of the traditional 16:9 video aspect ratio, and I prefer to shoot HORIZONTALLY (to increase the cropping options) and I'll talk more about this point soon.
ABOVE: A while back, DPReview did a segment on 6K/4K PHOTO mode, which I thought was pretty good (even though it was delivered with Chris' typical pessimistic "snarkiness")!
WHY SHOOT PORTRAITS WITH VIDEO?
So then, why do I like using this mode to shoot PORTRAITS? Well having been a stills-only photographer myself (who is transitioning to video) I've found it's much easier to shoot portraits using video, for both time and other reasons (it captures much better facial expressions). I do understand there are pros and cons of using video to capture stills, because you need to use high shutter speeds to freeze the action (with the resulting videos not following the traditional "180-degree shutter" rule) but once you know this part, capturing portraits using 6K or 4K video, has very few downsides. The biggest objection some have is that you won't be capturing in RAW (as of yet) because these modes currently capture as compressed video files, and only allow you to extract a compressed JPEG. This brings up the topic of shooting JPEGs SOOC (Straight Out Of Camera) and this is where I've come up with a solution. I've been working to create this really nice website where I share custom SOOC settings, for shooting with my budget filmmaking cameras, SOOC!
WHY HASN'T "6K/4K PHOTO MODE" BECOME POPULAR?
You might be like me and be asking "If these (6K/4K PHOTO modes) were such a good idea, why didn't they catch on?" or "Why aren't all photographers using this for portraits already? My guess is that photographers haven't been willing to stop shooting in RAW, because they haven't mastered shooting SOOC (Straight Out of Camera). I know that makes a lot of people worried, because not shooting in RAW means figuring out how to get a quality image using in-camera settings, and that's a challenge...especially in the area of dynamic range. However, dynamic range is not as important as you may think for PORTRAIT photography (as it would be for landscapes, etc.) but it is still a challenge, as it means you have to master lens choice and in-camera settings. So, this comes back to the fact that I created a database of all my CUSTOM (SOOC) CAMERA SETTINGS (specific to each lens and camera I've owned) and the exciting part, is this could unlock this door to the almost-lost but powerful feature Panasonic created, called "6K/4K PHOTO" mode!
WHY IT CAN WORK NOW (CUSTOM "SOOC" SETTINGS)
So, the big question is, how are we going to control the image quality if we can't shoot in RAW? Well, I'm super excited to introduce an idea I've been working on for the last year (or so). I'm calling it "Lens-Sensor Specific SETTINGS & LUTS". So, the answer is "Yes! There is a way to get great results by shooting SOOC (Straight Out of Camera)". Huh? Really? Lens-sensor-WHATs, you may say? Okay, there's much to talk about for this topic (since it's literally why I created my website to start with). So, if you want to read that whole story, there's another article on my BLOG page (links at the bottom of it) about What Camera Settings Are Best (Differs For Each Lens?) Then after that, carry on below:
HOW TO (TIPS):
ABOVE: While you could use almost any camera to record 4K video portraits, the best way is to use a camera that has a 6K/4K PHOTO mode (Panasonic) so you can shoot 4:3 or 3:2 "open gate" horizontal video (not 16:9) for more cropping options.
TIP 1 USE 6K/4K PHOTO MODES (PANASONIC)
The first tip would be to use a camera that has 6K/4K PHOTO mode, not only because it makes it easier to start and stop recording images (including options for pre-burst capture) but it also allows you to record in sort of "open gate" video aspect ratios of 3:2 or 4:3, which provide more cropping options than shooting vertical (9:16) video. You could kind of make this work with any camera that can record in 4K, but it would be recording in a 16:9 aspect ratio which would pretty much mean you'd need to shoot vertically to have a decent amount of image resolution...and I don't like shooting vertical video (see TIP #7).
MY FAVES WITH 4K (OR 6K) PHOTO MODE:
Panasonic G7 #ad (4K)
Panasonic GX85 #ad (4K)
Panasonic G85 #ad (4K)
Panasonic G9 #ad (6K)
Panasonic GH5 #ad (6K)
TIP 2 USE A FAST SHUTTER, HIGH ISO (NOT 180° SHUTTER RULE)
The main reason (I believe) photographers and filmmakers haven't picked up on the benefits of using the 6K/4K PHOTO modes (on Panasonic cameras) is they don't (typically) agree about what SHUTTER SPEED to use. Photographers usually go for the highest shutter speed possible (to reduce blur) and filmmakers use a rule called the "180-degree shutter rule". I think shooting portraits with video will work okay (for both sides) though, as you can use a shutter speed of 1/60 second (if the subject isn't moving too fast) and that works with that 180-degree shutter rule (it's double or 2x the 30p frame rate used by the 6K/4K PHOTO modes).
TIP 3 USE CONSTANT LIGHT SOURCES ('COURSE)
'Course you would use constant light sources, this is video, right? Don't worry though, I like to keep things pretty simple, and I don't (generally) add light OUTDOORS. Then, for INDOOR shoots, I use my very simple technique I call "T-lighting". T-Lighting is a really easy way to get "cinematic" lighting (for video or stills) in a few minutes. It means you don't have to bother with tricky "3-point lighting" techniques that require more gear and setup time (including setting up a pesky hair light on a boom, etc.)
ABOVE: Video portraits require constant light sources, of course. When you're shooting INDOORS, you'll probably need to add light, so I just use 2 lights (using my T-Lighting method). When I'm OUTDOORS, I like to keep it simple by not adding light (if possible).
TIP 4 WHITE BALANCE (FOR EVERY SCENE)
Using the SOOC method (and not relying on RAW and fixing stuff in post-production) means you'll have to get your white balance right. The CUSTOM SETTINGS I recommend make the picture profile settings work well to get the exposure right (using the viewfinder) but it's still a challenge to get the white balance right. Some lenses tend to have their own "color bias" (too orange/warm or too blue/cool, for example) so you can't always rely on the camera's built-in white balance presets if you want an accurate rendition of a scene. You'll also run into a variety of non-standard lighting conditions including sunsets or early morning (what they call "golden hour") which aren't covered by most camera's WB presets!
ABOVE: My custom (lens-sensor specific) settings do a lot of things to keep scenes looking "REAL" but they don't fix the white balance (sometimes keeping up can be a challenge).
TIP 5 USE LOW-LIGHT LENSES (2.8 OR LESS)
Unfortunately, this tip is not always budget-friendly, as low light lenses are (usually*) more expensive than non-low-light lenses. The good thing is, this tip primarily (no pun intended) applies to shooting INDOORS (without adding lights). So, when shooting video portraits (or using 6K/4K PHOTO modes in general) you may need to shoot at higher shutter speeds than video people normally do for video, to "freeze" the action (i.e. you don't want motion blur). This is because you'll be pulling still frames from the video. This means you may need to "fast" glass of F/2.8 or less (at least F/1.4 for Micro Four Thirds) when shooting in low light situations. However, you need to be careful when you shoot with wide aperture, low light lenses though, as there is far less depth of field, so making sure the subject is IN FOCUS can be challenging!) Shooting with a lot of background blur does help create that "cinematic" look though, which is how I describe my style to portrait clients.
ABOVE: A budget-friendly (inexpensive) way to rig a low light lens (for Micro Four Thirds) is to use the Viltrox Nikon-mount NF-M43x .71x focal reducer #ad (avoid the Canon-mount version) and add a Nikon 50 1.8 #ad to it. This turns it into an approximately f/1.2 lens, which provides enough light, for most situations.
TIP 6 USE MY (SOOC) LENS-SENSOR SETTINGS
Shameless plug here: my "lens-sensor specific" custom camera SETTINGS are an absolute lifesaver in this situation, and if you're not familiar with them, check out my Budget Filmmaking CAMERAS page. What I do is calibrate each lens to make the video footage look as close to "real" as possible using SOOC (Straight Out of Camera) in-camera settings. I do this so I can hand the video portraits over to the customer immediately (on-location) and for details skip to TIP #10.
ABOVE: I've been testing a lot of lenses (with the cameras I currently have available to me) and one thing I've noticed is that not all lenses look good on certain sensors (cameras).
TIP 7 SHOOT HORIZONTALLY (BUT IN A 4:3 OR 3:2 ASPECT RATIO)
Before you conclude that I'm crazy, first consider that the Panasonic 6K/4K Photo modes allow you to use 4:3 or 3:2 aspect ratios (in addition to the normal 16:9) so you'll have more cropping options than you might have expected from the (horizontal) video files. If you were to shoot in the normal 16:9 video aspect ratio HORIZONTALLY, vertical cropping wouldn't work too well, as the image would be tiny. You might be asking why I don't I just turn the camera on its side and shoot VERTICAL 9:16 video, and sometimes I do (when I'm using 2 or 3 cameras on one camera cage, ha, ha) but when I only use 1 camera, I find shooting HORIZONTALLY (in 4:3 or 3:2) provides more cropping options in post.
WHY I SHOOT PORTRAITS HORIZONTALLY:
Images can be cropped later (vertically or horizontally)
Horizontal shots show more of the environment (after all, I do call them "environmental portraits")
It's easier to keep the subject in the frame (with horizontal composition)
It keeps me from having to change my camera mount (when shooting video vs. stills)
Horizontal is the only way to shoot large groups!
Using horizontal framing is good practice for filmmaking (my goal anyway)
ABOVE: After years of trying to take portraits at the perfect moment, I figured out that recording video is much easier, especially using Panasonic’s 6K/4K PHOTO modes.
TIP 8 START A CONVERSATION (& START ROLLING)
This is where you'll experience how easy (and fast) this portrait technique can be! Simply start a conversation with the portrait subject, press record in 6K/4K PHOTO mode (or hold it down, depending on the mode) and wait until you know you've recorded some good smiles. That's all it takes, and I find this approach of shooting video portraits not only makes the shoot go way faster, but the shots that are captured are much more natural than if a subject was "posing" for the camera (like they would with flash photography methods).
CONCLUSION:
So, can SOOC save the 6K/4K PHOTO mode from sinking into oblivion, and is the feature a legit photography (and filmmaking?) tool? Well, I don't know about anyone else, but I think shooting portraits with video is the only way to go, and now that I've got a library of custom SOOC camera settings, I'm ready to go, and I'm almost ready to say goodbye to using flash photography (for portraits) forever...and I made this little meme to celebrate.
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