First try at ski video...

[Dakine]

Finally got around to trying a little ski video.
Trying to keep the camera pointed in the right direction with a level horizon is a great drill for practicing upper body separation.
The snow was hard and fast and I ended up making slarvy little turns to keep in position.
Next time I'll either need to get closer or get a tele extender.
Go Pros have a very wide angle lens and to really fill the frame you would have to get awfully close.
The light was interesting and I learned by watching my shadow ski.
Hats off to Warren Miller who did this with a ten pound camera on his head.

 

[Jenny]

That really makes the run look a lot longer than it is. I never realized that before, as any GoPro footage we have is from our vacations out west, where they really ARE long.

 

[Dakine]

Music by Donna the Buffalo...good stuff!

 

[DoryBreaux]

That was fun! I'd suggest just lowering the volume on the music instead of stopping it when you have someone talking and lowering tht volume of the skiing clips. GoPros don't have the greatest wind reduction in their audio system..

 

[Dakine]

It could be that the editor was tired and drunk after a hard day of skiing.....

 

[DoryBreaux]

It could be that the editor was tired and drunk after a hard day of skiing.....

You have no, no idea how many times I've used that excuse.
Somehow it never wins with the client

 

[Tricia]

Would it be odd for me to say that it made me a little nostalgic?
Thanks for sharing.

 

[Nobody]

Through the years I've had many POV usage test attempting to obtain a "didactic" video (meant to "record" the skier- a good one at that- and then show him the video for his self analisys)
In truth, most attempts ended up a "catch me if you can" type of thing, making me consider it "failed" because of the speed the subject started off at, which made my "work" all the harder, and dangerous . The advantage of a POV is that you can concetrate on the action (keep the subject in sight) and to your own skiing (I also spent, IIRC in 2005 a week filming my sons with a Sony video 8 cam with no LCD, to ski seeing the surroundings in B&W was no fun at all)
In one specific case I dared to be as close (e.g. to ski) to the "subject" with a POV camera (Gopro, chest mounted) as possible (given the circumstances) but
in the end, to keep safe and avoid hitting other skiers I had to give up trying to stay as close as possible to get a correct amount of details for later MA (where/when one passes through safely, usually the second doesn't)

 

[Tactical Speed]

That video is a lot like my favorite ski area. It has a long run out.

Seriously, that's a fun video. Well done.

 

[SSSdave]

Nice work, fun watch! Nice level upper body skiing.

Yesterday spent about 4 hours going page by page through a long user manual for a small Cannon camcorder, Vixia HF R700, 10.8oz 32x optical zoom, I bought a couple years ago but have hardly bothered to use mainly because for non-skiing videos tend to use my Sony mirrorless camera or moto g smartphone (only wide angle). However for skiing the camcorder is a much better tool on the slopes. Unlike a helmet mounted Gopro, a conventional camcorder requires hand holding. And doing so, recording while skiing behind someone is awkward. Instead it needs at least two people working together, one working the camera from a static position with the other(s) skiing. The biggest advantages are one is not stuck with the head perspective, one can vary zooming while recording, not being stuck with wide angle views, and am apt to have a more stable image from a static position, especially in difficult all mountain or mogul terrain.

And for that I prefer skiing down to a mid way point in a skiing fall line to capture both skier(s) coming down from above, passing close, and then receding down a slope, all the while using the huge zoom range to maximize skier size. That also requires arm signals from a distance to get going.