Low Light Struggles

Where is a full frame camera when you need one? Last week's small business profile shoot for Yelp had me setting up an interview in a restaurant. The ambience was excellent, with very romantic mood lighting.
That means it was dark.
No time to set up lights, and even if I did, there was no place to put them. We were smack in the middle of the dining area, with guests and hosts buzzing all around.
I set up two cameras, a Canon t4i sporting a 50mm f1.8, and a Sony X70. Neither one of them handled the stygian exposure very well, but the crop sensor DSLR delivered a much more usable image.

The exposure capture on Canon t4i (top) and after Brightness and Noise Reduction with After Effects (bottom).

I had hoped that the X70's XAVC 50mbps codec would have withstood post processing much better than it did. Trying to make a poorly exposed image look decent is difficult, no matter what camera or codec you're working with, but I didn't expect the DSLR to do better. But I was wrong. I took one look at all the messy noise in the X70 image and knew it was unusable.

A screen grab from the Sony PXW-X70, no post processing.

New England Heli Crew

Music Video: MC Moneypenny - "Bernin' Down Da Haus"

MC MONEYPENNY "Bernin' Down Da Haus" from Adrian Atwood on Vimeo.

Stand Up For Bernie Fundraiser

I shot some street interviews with attendees and passersby outside of the Somerville Theater last week. Local stand up comedians participated in a fundraising show to support Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign. 

2015 Allston Village Street Fair Photos

La Gondola Providence Web Video

La Gondola RI from Adrian Atwood on Vimeo.

MC Moneypenny's "You Just Got Bern'd" Music Video

PROVIDENCE ADVENTURE PART 3: MC MONEYPENNY

At the Capitol

I've collaborated with Miles AKA MC Moneypenny before and each time we make something, it's better than the last project. So when he asked me to help shoot a video for his new single, "Feel The Bern", a rap in support of presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, I was instantly on board.

MC Moneypenny and the Meatheads

La Gondola and Big Nazo were major contributors to the production of the video. A scenic boat ride with crazy space monsters would not have been possible without either of these benefactors.

On the water

"Feel the Bern" will be MC Moneypenny's third music video. You can check out his previous two singles "Tap Dat A$$et" and "Land of the Fee".

Out on a date with the aliens

Down time on set

La Gondola Providence Commercial

Part two of my Providence, RI adventure:

La Gondola. 

Midtown Gondola Ride

An old friend and fellow video junkie from my UMass Amherst days works as a gondolier and pulled me in to help produce commercial material for the company. And so it came to be that I spent this passed friday on a gondola on the Providence River.

Marcello "Il Boss"

Marcello is a fountain of historical information and gifted orator. As we made our way down the river where we conducted an interview, Marcello casually described the history of buildings and cultural landmarks of the city.

Miles aka Fabrizio aka MC Moneypenny

My college friend turned gondolier, Miles, was on board also to help and advise during the interview. Later in the day, Miles would transform into his alter-ego, political rapper MC Moneypenny, and we would record a music video for a new single.

Interview with Marcello on the docks

The biggest challenge of the day was besting the elements. Sunlight offered great exposures and tricky flares and highlight blowouts. Had I been shooting on a DSLR, I doubt I'd have been able to cope with the massive exposure shifts as smoothly and quickly as I could with my camcorder. For the dockside interview, a bounce was in order, but that proved to be too powerful for Marcello. The bounce from the midday sun was not only too bright but too hot for him. But the shoot looked good!

Frame grab from Sony X70

"Without a Face" Promotional Video

Part One of My Providence Adventure: "Without A Face"

Profile against DIY green screen

Many many miles away in a land called Rhode Island, there is a photographer I know. That photographer is planning a showing of his photos, centering around painters and their work. That's where I come in, to help create a dramatic promotional video in anticipation of the gallery show.

Photographer becomes the model

Eric Frazer (EricFrazerPhotography.com), who I have worked with before, is quite gifted. The aesthetic for the video was entirely his idea. We set up at his studio space outside of Providence, blocked out the windows and taped some green poster boards to the walls. We also pulled off some workable silhouette work against the bare white wall.

Eric in deep thought

The second half of the shoot was more candid. I followed Eric around while he set up his lights for a model shoot, capturing his thoughtful preparation. Overall, I think the finished piece will be sleek and moody. Looking forward to cutting it together.

More FLIR on Boston Harbor

Another shoot on a boat. A much smaller vessel this time, and much rockier. It was beautiful day on Boston harbor for a demonstration video for FLIR's navigational software. It was quite a challenge to keep the camera steady. A tripod is almost worthless when the horizon keeps shifting, and the engines vibrate the floor so much that the image is fuzzy. Luckily, I brought my shoulder rig, and did my best to keep 'er steady.