My Vlogging Gear

This year I finally started to vlog besides my photography. I’ve always wanted to show some behind the scenes footage for my photos, kind of taking you along on my photo shoots. But somehow filming always felt too distracting for me. After all when I’m out chasing the light I want to focus on my photography and don’t want to have filming interfere with it.

So what has changed this year? Well, I finally took the time to find a filming setup that would allow me to vlog while operating my main camera and taking photos. There were a few key elements to figure out.

First I wanted my setup to be as minimalistic as possible while still providing smooth footage. I didn’t need to zoom and get lots of different angles in my video. For a start I just wanted to record myself and my surroundings in reasonable quality.

What was more important than the video for me was the audio and how to record it while not having to think about where the microphone is. Once this was sorted I realized that there’s really not much to it and after some practice, Vlogging while taking photos has become enough of a routine that it doesn’t make me miss a photo.

Last week I recorded a video where I show my setup and how I use it. It consists of a GoPro Hero 4 Silver*, a Zhiyun Evolution Gimbal* and a Smartlav+ from Rode*. For the audio recording I use the App Smart Recorder on my self-phone, which works perfectly even in the free version. If you have an IPhone or Windows Phone you might want to check this comprehensive list of recording apps.

Since I record Audio and Video separately I have to synchronize both in post. I use Premiere Elements for the editing, but you can use any software, which supports multiple tracks and to display the audio levels for each track. In this video I show you how I get Audio and Video into sync for my vlogs.

I hope you found those videos useful and maybe inspiring enough to also start with some Vlogging. I myself always like to watch behind the scenes videos of other photographers. There’s often something to learn.

* Above I use Amazon Affiliate Links. If you use them to buy something, I’ll get a little commission from Amazon