I finally got a chance to edit together the video from the weekend before last. Allan, J and I headed up to Whistler Blackcomb for the end of the TELUS World Ski and Snowboard Festival. We met up with the famous Shay from Shayboarder.com and her friends Kendra and Mike.

Sunny, slushy, and pretty mellow conditions. We hopped around on a few things but mostly ripped around on the groomers. A really fun day. Shay is absolutely AWESOME in person and every good thing anyone has ever said about her is 100% true. I somehow managed to delete the pictures off my camera, so Shay has been kind enough to let me repost her pics. I also never manage to get photos of myself filming etc, so it’s really neat to see. Thanks Shay!

Check out the video. Hope you like it. I especially like the part where J and Allan ride over the house. I of course am wearing my Canucks jersey, as part of my “playoff beard” tradition. A little departure from my normal boarding getup, but still fun.

I have to say I’m a bit disappointed with my progression this year. I’ve been boarding for 1.5 years now, and in the past year I’ve spent more time filming and photographing others than I have focusing on developing my skills. Next season I need to make sure I focus more on that. I’ve kinda regressed, actually. But I’ve really enjoyed making little movies so perhaps a balance/compromise is best

Shay and I

Filming Allan coming down the slope

Filming J

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In other news, the Canucks play the Blackhawks tonight at 5:00 pm. It’s sure to be a big game, and I think the Canucks are going to bounce back. I’d like to see a tough road win. Really, really excited.

That’s it for now folks. Accessible Twilight filming is on a lull this week, and this is one of the busiest weeks in terms of work for me ever. Plus next week I’ll be heading to Monreal for work, so I’ve got lots to do!

Phew!

As promised here is the video that I took with the GoPro Hero 5 Camera on my favourite drive in the whole world — the drive between Tofino and Nanaimo. I quickly edited this video in Adobe Premiere CS3. It’s about 2 minutes long. Bonus points if you know what the final location in the clip is!

I love photography, don’t get me wrong. But lately I’ve been looking for a new project (as if I’m not already busy enough!)… and I think it’s going to be video.

Now that I’ve got a helmet camera, and my DSLR, I feel like a video camera would be a great addition to my love for documenting my activities and those around me.

I’ve been watching a lot of snowboarding and surfing movies lately, and I’m getting inspired to cut my own moving pictures together to music and voiceovers.

I have a dilemma though. I can’t decide between getting a DSLR that does video, or getting a video camera. It may seem like a no-brainer to go with a video camera for video, but let me present to you the pros and cons of what I’m considering. I need your help!

My Goal

To be able to put together a high quality cinema-like surfing/snowboarding movie that can do well in most conditions, including low-light conditions, and be able to capture high speed action.

The Video Camera Option

Photo Credit: Canon.com website

I’d likely go for a consumer video camera, since I can’t afford to buy a $5k+ pro HD camera at this point in my life, especially not for something I’m just wanting to experiment around with at this point. I’m thinking either: a cheaper camera like the Canon Vixia HF11 (records to Flash memory), or a more expensive Canon XH A1 (3 CCDs).

Pros
- Tried and tested, a video camera will be able to auto-focus and capture high speed action
- Small and easy to handle
- Can capture long, continuous shots.. hours upon hours
- Some additional lenses (e.g. fisheye or wide angle) are available and not too expensive

Cons
- I’m not experienced with video
- Getting into a whole new system of accessories and add-ons to buy
- Needing to hold/bring two different cameras (the video camera and my DSLR)
- More moving parts to break

The DSLR Camera with Video Option

Photo Credit: The NikonUSA.com website

The newest generation of DSLRs are starting to come out with some limited video options. The Canon ones look really nice, but unfortunately I’ve already built my Nikon collection so I’m not going to switch. Thus, the only option for me is the Nikon D90. It’s basically the same as my D80, but with more features from the Nikon D3 and the FULL HD video capability. It’s an extremely intruiging idea.

Pros
- I can sell my D80 and only pay marginally more for an upgrade to the D90
- With that savings, I can pick up some nicer lenses for it
- I already have TONS of lenses that can be used with the camera, so all my video would reap the benefits of having those lenses (e.g. fisheye video, telephoto video, wide angle etc)
- Only one camera to carry around
- I know the camera very very well and feel comfortable with it, I could milk the depth of field options and exposure etc
- Already got all the accessories for it
- I get a nice step-up to a newer/nicer DSLR too!

Cons
- Limited to 5 minute video clips
- The video functionality is new and untested
- Auto-focus might struggle with high speed action?
- Need to buy much bigger memory cards

So basically, I’m stuck. I love the idea of just using one camera and using all my lenses, but I’m worried that the Nikon D90 might not do as good video as just having a video camera along. All the videos I’ve been watching on YouTube for both the Nikon D90 and the Canon camcorders I’ve been researching look comparable… but I would think they would look completely different blown up on an HDTV.

Any suggestions?