With ski season palpable, here’s a few tips to help you capture POV video footage that your friends will actually want to watch when you get back to the lodge.
1. The single most important tip is hold your phone horizontally. You’ll get more stability when shooting and avoid dark or blurry lines on either side of your finished video.
2. Stability is key to professional-looking video. Prop your phone against something or hold your arms close to your body and use both hands to keep your shots steady.
3. In darker environments, use your phone’s flashlight to better illuminate your subject and reduce shadows.
4. Some video cameras have a wide angle lens that can make everything seem far away. Frame foreground elements (your bike, your friend skiing, rocks) to add interest and give depth to your video.
5. Use the “rule of thirds” to make your videos more dynamic and visually appealing. Imagine your screen has a tic-tac-toe board over it and place your subject at one of the intersecting lines
6. Experiment with light. Shooting with the sun behind you helps illuminate your subject. Or, add some variety and a unique perspective by pointing your camera toward the sun.
7. Avoid choppy slow motion by adjusting your camera’s frame rate before going into the field. 60 frames per second (FPS) works great or try 120 FPS for extra smoothness. Just be sure to choose a resolution of 720 or higher and be prepared as high frame rates will eat up your memory and drain your battery faster.
Images courtesy of ProEditors. Visit their website for more tips on how to up your POV game.