Hi, this is Jay P. Morgan.
Today on The Slanted Lens, we're gonna show you how to put cameras in small, tight spaces.
I love doing this.
I want the camera to be in someplace that's gonna give me an interesting point of view.
We've got the Platypod, which is a great device to be able to make this happen.
It makes it really simple.
So let's get started and see what we can do.
If you're going to grow in your business, you gotta get some help.
You gotta get help from mentors and people who can help you grow.
I can do that for you.
Go to theslantedlens.com, sign up for our business material.
It'll help change your life.
You can sit and think about business, or you can do something about it.
And it's time to do it.
[00:00:34] [music]
[00:00:54]
So I've got Rachel Alec [SP] here with me.
She's gonna help me illustrate putting cameras in tight and small places.
In order to accomplish this, I'm using my new favorite tool, which is the Platypod.
This is a great platform to be able to put a camera on a full frame DSLR camera without
any problem.
So let's talk about the principle of getting a camera in a tight, small space.
There's two or three things that I think make this very easy to do.
The first one is I usually use a small monitor on the camera.
By the time you shove the camera back inside of a mailbox or the microwave or a cupboard
or wherever you put the thing, you can't see the back of the camera.
You can't see what's going on there.
So I'll put a small monitor.
I'll either lay it down next to it, turn it around so I can see how to frame, or I could
put it on top of the camera on the hot shoe and just turn it around so it's facing me.
Another way to be able to see what your camera's seeing is just to tether it, and I do that
often.
But a lot of times, the cable gets in the way in that wide angle shot and makes it difficult
to tether.
If you can drill a hole in the back of your mailbox or whatever and take the cable out
the back, then just put a USB cable on the camera, use Camera Raw, you can see the live
video view there.
You can even change your focus on some [inaudible 00:01:57] programs.
You can change your aperture.
It makes it really easy to see exactly what you've got going.
So that's another great way to see the image in that tight space.
But for me, it usually takes too long to set that up.
So I usually just throw a monitor up.
I can see it, shove it in there, get my shot, and get on.
Second thing is if you're using a platform like the Platypod, it just makes it easy because
you now have the ability to put a ball head on it.
And this ball head now gives me great control.
I can just loosen the ball head.
And now I can just sit there and get my shot exactly the way I want it, and I can tighten
it up.
So full disclosure, Platypod is sponsoring our video, but it's only because I found them
at PhotoPlus and I love their product.
It's just so much easier.
We used to throw a sandbag in there and try to get the camera to look right on the sandbag,
and you can make that work.
But this just gives you so much more control and the ability to just frame your shot exactly
the way you want it.
So there's the second thing.
The third thing is I focus.
I just really go by distance.
I'll say, "Okay.
I'm about at two and a half feet out," and I set my focus at two and a half feet.
Then I set my aperture generally not at a super shallow depth of field.
I set it a little more depth of field, like 5.6 or 6.3, and that gives me enough depth
of field that the person can move a little bit and still be in focus and not everything's
gonna fall out of focus really quickly.
I mean, you're focusing very close anyway, so when you're focusing that close, the depth
of field gets very shallow.
And so I think at least 6.3 or more is a very good idea.
Then I always use LEDs.
It's just so easy these days.
Rosco makes an LED tape.
You can tape it on the oven, you can throw it in the back.
We got a little mat here that we're using on this one.
Just throw that mat in the back and it gives you a little bit of illumination.
That really opens up a huge world of setting the camera in different places.
When you get this down with the Platypod, it's just so quick to set it up that you don't
have to get into the sense, "Well, it's gonna take forever for us to get that shot."
No.
You can throw an LED in there.
You can throw your Platypod in there.
Get your camera on it, frame the shot, and you can get your shot in just a matter of
minutes, which is really what you need to do.
If you're working on set in a commercial or something, you gotta get done fast.
This gives you a quick, run-and-gun, get it in there, get your shot, and move on kinda
approach.
But it gives you a unique view.
I always say I want broad, close, and interesting.
Well, this becomes my interesting.
I can do the broad shot of her putting the pie into the oven, but then I want a close-up
shot of her looking at it, but then I get that interesting shot from inside the oven
as she puts it in.
So there you have it.
A simple way to put your camera in really tight spaces.
I think this is a great principle, something you can use just about everytime you shoot.
Make yourself do it.
Your videos will become much richer.
I try to make myself do it.
It really helps out things when I shoot.
So keep those cameras rolling.
Keep on clicking.
Don't estimate alone.
Don't stand out in the cold all by yourself trying to put together an estimate.
Go to theslantedlens.com/estimating.
I've got a digital download that will teach you everything you need to know.
You don't have to be alone any longer.
[00:04:48] [music]
[00:05:04]
Make sure you subscribe to The Slanted Lens.
Check us out on our Facebook group.
We got a great Facebook group over there.
Follow us on Instagram.
Just get involved with The Slanted Lens.
Great stuff coming out here all the time.
This thing isn't hot.
[Inaudible 00:05:16].
So subscribe to The Slanted Lens.