By Wyatt Bechtel, ACN Board Member
Doing more with less is something we’re all accustomed to. Shrinking budgets for travel makes it critical to capture as many visual assets as possible when we’re out in the field.
Something I started doing to be more efficient on farm and ranch visits as an editor and still occasionally do for marketing photo shoots is setting up a GoPro to take videos and photos. I usually do this while multitasking during an interview conversation or taking photos with a DSLR so I can get more done in less time.
Because action cameras, like GoPro and DJI Action, are so compact they can be put on a variety of mounts to capture unique shots. I regularly use a clip mount or a magnetic mount so I can place my GoPro on spots such as feed bunks, fences, and machinery to capture shots that would be difficult with a DSLR. When I’m conducting video interviews on camera with my DSLR, I can also set up the GoPro at another angle on the interviewee to have additional footage for a finished video.
If I’m riding around a pickup talking to a producer, I like to attach the camera to the window and have it shoot outside. I’ve been able to capture nice footage driving around feedyards and even the U.S.-Mexico border wall that I could utilize as B-roll in video stories.
Action cameras have various settings to shoot in slow motion, bursts, and time-lapse. My favorite setting is the “video + photo” option with my GoPro since I get the best of both worlds. I can set the GoPro up for a few minutes on “video + photo” leave it unattended while I’m doing something else on my interview visit and then move it to another spot. It’s basically like having another photographer or videographer with you.
Most action cameras are pretty affordable at $500 or less, considerably cheaper than paying for another person’s travel, and with the added benefit of capturing unique shots.
– Bechtel is PR Supervisor at Broadhead