9 tips for setting up a selfie 'station' for photos and videos



After spending a ton of money on equipment with a plan to make promotional videos for my photography business I was frustrated when I could not get all the equipment to work together. I know my photography equipment inside and out but when it came to producing video not so much, actually not at all!
Out of frustration I did a search on line (of course) and found a simple, low cost option that includes what you already have. This hack is particularly for iPhone users but may also apply to other mobile phone cameras as well.
This link will take you to a quick video with the instructions as well that may give you a good visual way to implement the solution for yourself. I will outline here as well.

  1. Find something you can put the phone on that is stable. I have a mini-tripod which isn't very expensive and helps. You have a choice of many specifically to hold a mobile phone. Position the camera horizontally which is best for almost all uses.
  2. Take the headset provided when you got your phone and plug it in.
  3. Open your camera app.
  4. Select video or photo depending on what you're doing. This is also a great photo remote trigger so no more long arm selfies.
  5. Press the volume 'button' on the headset to start recording, press again to stop. It will give you about a second before it starts to record.
  6. To review the video, remove the plugged headset from the phone.
  7. Look in the upper right corner of the screen for the small volume control icon (circled in red on the photo above.) It will probably have a / (slash) through it. Turn it on. For whatever reason it is off when the headset is removed.
  8. Review. You'll be able to make minor edits including some trimming on the beginning and end of the video. 
  9. The editing software I used for the YouTube video is iMovie but there are plenty of products that you can use if you want more extensive changes.
    • If you are going to use the video for marketing purposes and post on YouTube in particular you'll want to have professional closed captioning translations embedded so that they are always on. The majority of online viewers do not turn the sound on so it's important that they have something they can read. I use financialpotion.com (nothing to do with taxes!) They're fast and cost effective. You'll be surprised.
Enjoy yourself. Hope this Tip Tuesday was interesting and fun. Linda K.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Part 2 of 2 Thoughts for Better Visuals During a Virtual Meetings

Image
This 2 part blog addresses the professionalism and your personal brand that you can project in a virtual meeting. Don't waste the opportunity or other attendees' time if you aren't going to respect who they and you are. In Part 1  we discussed paying attention in a virtual meeting, dressing professionally, and staying in one place sitting still. The next 3 thoughts address the environmental setting. Backgrounds - Is it as difficult for you as it is for me to concentrate on the person when the background is like a storage facility? OK, that's harsh. But even though not all of us have the luxury of devoting a spiffy space to where we meet it wouldn't hurt to clean up the mess behind. Solution: have your logo, product photos, etc. ( professionally shot if possible ) printed by a retail printer and hang them up behind you. Make sure the photo size is large enough or close enough to your screen that your viewers can appreciate what's behind you. Optional...
Read more

3 Bright Ideas For Better Visual Branding During Virtual Meetings

Image
  In the past, I've written a lot about virtual meetings and the visual impact on your brand.  As a  virtual photographer , my eye starts to recognize opportunities for improving how you appear at a virtual meeting.  The tweaks are subtle.   Following are the three next level suggestions for improving your image during a virtual meeting.  💡Color of light. The most common color on an attendee's face on a virtual meeting is yellow, followed by orange. That often means the lights used are incandescent. Solution: Soft white lights are a good solution. A techie option is to go for a light rated close to 5500k (kelvins), a neutral. Many ring lights have options that include Warm White, Cool White, and Daylight. 2. 👀 Glasses. I wear them. Half of my clients do as well. They are a challenge. Solution:  Look straight at the screen. Do not have the screen positioned so that you have to look up. Have lights slightly above your screen an...
Read more

Everyone Else Is Posting A New Headshot. Are You?

Image
  How did you feel that last time you posted a new professional headshot? I'm guessing pretty good. What I've noticed on social media is when a client posts a new headshot the comments like these start to explode.                                                        Love it Gorgeous Wow You're so pretty Very professional... You look younger than ever Fabulous as always only more so... Awesome So handsome. Keep up the good work. You're looking good... Who took that photo? I want to look like you. When I read the comments and see clients' social media likes it's an endorphin rush. There are so many reasons why you'll want to update your headshot.  It will attract new viewers. Have you ever bought a book twice because the cover was changed? You get the idea. An updated headshot will keep you in front of clients and prosp...
Read more