5 Tactical Camera Tips for Beginning Videographers
Mastering the basics is key to producing professional-looking videos. In this blog, I share five essential tips, from adjusting your shutter speed for sharp motion capture to using storytelling techniques and managing lighting effectively. Whether you’re shooting events, dance, or music videos, these practical tips will help you level up your videography.
As a beginner in the videography world, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with technical details and endless advice. When I started, I had to figure a lot of things out on my own, and I learned that mastering a few simple techniques can go a long way in improving your work. In this blog post, I’m sharing five tactical camera tips for all the new videographers out there—practical advice that will help you produce sharper, more professional-looking footage.
1. Crank That Shutter Speed
One of the first things I wish I knew was how important your shutter speed is. You’re usually told that your shutter speed should be double your frame rate, right? So if you’re shooting at 30 frames per second (fps), your shutter speed should be 1/60th of a second. This gives you natural motion blur. But, if you’re shooting something fast-paced like dance, natural motion blur can sometimes make your footage look blurry even when it’s not.
That’s why I recommend cranking up your shutter speed beyond the standard setting. A higher shutter speed gives you sharper edges and reduces motion blur, which is especially useful when you’re working with fast movements. This trick also helps with post-production techniques like masking and rotoscoping, where having crisp, clear footage can make a big difference.
2. Shoot at 60 Frames Per Second (FPS)
My second tip is to shoot at 60 fps whenever possible. I know, I know—higher frame rates can mess with your exposure and low-light performance, but here’s why it’s worth it: flexibility. Shooting at 60 fps allows you to slow down any moment in post-production while keeping the footage smooth. Plus, unlike slow-motion modes (like SNQ), shooting in 60 fps still records audio, which means you don’t have to sacrifice sound quality for slow-motion effects.
This is especially helpful when filming dance or action sequences. You can capture the full performance at normal speed and then slow down specific moments in post, giving you complete creative control. Not to mention, slowing down shaky footage at 60 fps can help stabilize it a bit more than you’d expect.
3. Learn the Choreography (or Understand Your Subject)
Whether you’re filming a dance performance or an event, learning the choreography or understanding your subject’s movements ahead of time is a game changer. If you’re shooting dance, for example, knowing the movements allows you to sync your camera movement with the performance, which results in more dynamic and engaging footage.
If you’re filming an event, understanding the flow of the event (like the venue layout or the sequence of activities) will help you anticipate key moments and position yourself for the best angles. This tip applies to any performance-based shooting, from music videos to action sequences. Learning the flow ahead of time will help you move with the subject and capture the energy of the moment.
4. Add a Storyline
Even the most visually stunning footage can fall flat if it doesn’t have a storyline. As a videographer, your job isn’t just to record what’s happening—it’s to craft a narrative that engages the viewer. For me, this often starts with asking myself, “What story am I trying to tell here?”
For example, if you’re shooting a dance video, can you create a story around the performance? Is there a deeper theme that you can express through visuals? In a recent project, I added a subtle storyline to enhance the visual of a dance piece by suggesting a male figure be part of the choreography to represent the subject of the dance—a boyfriend. This added depth to the video and made it more relatable for viewers.
Even in an event setting, you can focus on following one individual or highlighting the different interactions between people. The key is to create a narrative that your audience can follow, which will make your video more engaging and memorable.
5. Avoid Direct Sunlight
Lighting is everything in videography, and direct sunlight is often your enemy. Shooting in direct sunlight can flatten out your subject, making them look harsh and one-dimensional. Instead, try to position your subjects in shaded areas or at an angle where the light falls softly across their face.
I like to use an app called Sunseeker (available on both iPhone and Android) to track the path of the sun during a shoot. This helps me figure out the best times and angles to shoot outdoors. By positioning myself at a 45-degree angle to the sun, I can create dynamic lighting that adds depth to my subject’s face.
Lighting makes a huge difference in the final product, so spend time observing how light interacts with your surroundings. This small change can transform the look and feel of your footage.
Bonus Tip: Use White Balance Creatively
This one’s for when you’re feeling a bit more advanced. White balance isn’t just about making sure your colors look correct—it can also be used to add mood and emotion to your video. For example, indoor lights tend to be more orange, while outdoor lights appear bluer. By adjusting your white balance settings, you can emphasize these color differences to enhance your story.
In one of my projects, we set the white balance for the indoor lights to a warmer temperature (around 2700K) and balanced the outdoor light to a cooler 3200K. This made the moonlight appear bluer and the indoor lights more golden, which added an extra layer of mood to the scene. This trick is great for those moments when you want to add a little extra emotion or atmosphere to your shots.
Conclusion
These five tactical camera tips will help any beginning videographer take their work to the next level. By cranking your shutter speed, shooting at 60 fps, learning the choreography or subject, adding a storyline, and mastering your lighting, you’ll produce footage that’s not only sharp and professional but also visually engaging. And when you’re ready, take your work up a notch by experimenting with white balance for creative storytelling.
Videography is all about constantly learning and evolving. The more you shoot, the better you’ll get at anticipating these small details that make a huge difference. I hope these tips help you as much as they’ve helped me. Happy shooting!
Watch the Full Video for More Tips!
If you prefer watching instead of reading, check out my video on 5 Camera Tips for Beginning Videographers for even more insights! In the video, I go into detail on each of these tips and show you how they can transform your shoots.