Now that video is my semi-obsession and suddenly part of my profession, has my still photography mind set changed?
More importantly, am I a better or worse stills shooter for it and is my intent the same?
I feel that the differences in processes are indeed messing with my head.
Stills shooting is all;
Identify subject and relevance, generally at the same time,
refine composition, light and angle,
set base settings to suit the situation and intent,
execute fast and intuitively,
post proces to define the look wanted, with a lot of latitude available.
Some shots are a result of making the best of what you have in front of you.
where video is;
identify potentially workable subject and location combinations,
pre-set some settings, then set the rest (more than stills) to make it viable for creative intentions and technical limits,
identify subject and composition, including movements,
manufacture or control light,
execute to the best of your ability, repeating if needed in a controlled and precise manner,
post process within strict limits for consistency and creative impact.
Some shots (video) can be pre-meditated, waiting to see what develops in a controlled space.
In process alone, there is clearly a difference.
The video process is likely making me a better stills, story teller. I am more aware of the linear nature of a story, with establishing, subject, detail and environment shots all taken into account. This is better and tighter than I usually shoot and something i have been aware of needing of improvement for a while.
On the other hand though, I feel the extra control and different priorities of video are making me a complacent stills shooter technically. I am almost just going through the motions with my stills, which is contrasting strongly with strong moments of still photography nostalgia and video micro control.
With stills for example, shooting RAW, I have never needed to worry at the front end about white balance or exact exposure control, both elements in need of precise control in video.
My videography on the other hand seems to be getting better the more I channel my stills shooting brain. If I think of video frames as good stills frames, I get better video.
Maybe, hopefully, the application of both will empower me to be a constatly developing exponent of both.