Good at video, bad at photography

[WhiteOpus]

Hey guys, wanted to see if anybody has this same problem.

I am a strong cinematographer with consistent, quality results on every shoot I do. Now, I would assume that photography would be the same game (as video is basically just 24 photos a second)...bad assumption. I'm just not good with photography!

Does anybody else have this issue? I feel like it has something to do with the fact that the settings used in photography vary greatly from photo to photo, unlike in video where I always shoot 1/50, 24fps. Perhaps also, the issue lies in the fact that I generally plan out every shot when I shoot video, but when I shoot photography it's more an on-the-fly decision of what to shoot.

Why am I struggling?

[WalterB]

Photography is about capturing that 1 moment.
That is the big difference.
No motion, no sound, no story arc. Everything has to be in that single frame.

Practise, practise, practise

And plan ahead if you can.

[KomodoreDragon]

Originally Posted by WhiteOpus

Hey guys, wanted to see if anybody has this same problem.

I am a strong cinematographer with consistent, quality results on every shoot I do. Now, I would assume that photography would be the same game (as video is basically just 24 photos a second)...bad assumption. I'm just not good with photography!

Does anybody else have this issue? I feel like it has something to do with the fact that the settings used in photography vary greatly from photo to photo, unlike in video where I always shoot 1/50, 24fps. Perhaps also, the issue lies in the fact that I generally plan out every shot when I shoot video, but when I shoot photography it's more an on-the-fly decision of what to shoot.

Why am I struggling?

I can feel you. I experienced that in the past. I was so bad in Photography. I couldn't even create a perfect shot of my human subjects. I guess it's not for me.

[Lucky Hardwood]

If you put as much thought, planning, and effort into your photo shoots as you do your video shoots, you would see a significant improvement. When I plan out one of my project photo shoots, I have a specific image in my mind that I want to create and I build the shoot around achieving that image.

[sfoster]

I find that i put a lot more effort into lighting and set design for a film.. also there's more of a story so a screen shot tends to capture more information that a simple picture.

Maybe instead of thinking about just one moment, you can think about a scene and then capture one moment from the scene.

[WalterB]

Most of the time when I photograph I don't try to 'tell a story': I just want a certain style, attitude and ambiance. Sometimes there is a message. Sometimes it is just the color and the shape.

[joelhall]

Good photography is a whole different game. We can tell stories inside of 3 minutes, a great photographer tells a whole story within 1/1000 of a second.

Have to admit, that's a talent I envy.

[jax_rox]

My suggestion is to get a 35mm stills camera and just start taking photos of things that you connect with. Whether it's a particular frame, a colour, the way the sun comes through the trees on your walk to work...

Using a 35mm camera means you have to stop and think about the photo you're taking, looks heaps better than digital and IMO helps you learn better and faster. You start thinking solely about framing once the digital display disappears and you've only got one chance to get this particular shot right...

[Cracker Funk]

Photography and filmmaking are similar, of course, but they are not the same thing. I've got friends who are professional photographers, and their intimate knowledge with the myriad ways in which the image is influenced by the ISO, exposure, shutter speed, etc., is far more detailed and intricate than anything most of us have any clue about.

Think about it this way -- directors like Spielberg may be very well versed in lots of different skills. He knows his way around a camera and has a great ear for sound design. But he's not a cinematographer. He's not a camera operator. He's not a sound designer. The people who fill those positions have far greater expertise in their specialized skill than he does. Same logic applies for photography. Sure, you're not a foreigner to it. But you've just learned that you're no photographer. That is a very specialized and focused skill that takes lots of education and practice.

Simple solution -- educate yourself, and put in the practice. If you want to get good at it, you can!