Photography

02.21.10
posted by Josh Klenert

Photo Shoot or Video Shoot?

Photo Shoot or Video Shoot?

With cameras like the RED ONE, digital photography is starting to merge with shooting video. These recent covers for TIME and Esquire (after the jump) were shot on video. Esquire says, "For the first time in Esquire's history (and, we imagine, magazine history in general), a cover image was shot as a video." 

Have you had experience with this new process? Tell us what you think about this new arena.

Esquire.com has more on the process of creating their Megan Fox cover here. 

Is this a good thing for magazines? More content for magazine's online, app and tablet presence? Weigh in. 

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TIME, December 7, 2009; Video still by Finlay Mackay.


megan-fox-cover-0609-lg.jpg
Esquire, June 2009; Video still by Greg Williams; featuring Megan Fox.



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  • Matt Tierney

    I can see the advantage for capturing an uncooperative model like a screaming baby, but it feels like a cop-out to me for something like the Megan Fox cover. Or a gimmick at the very least.

    What's the advantage in that situation?

    As for the DiCaprio cover, do we know it WASN'T vid-cap? I could see nailing the flying liquor could come easier, but, again, feels kinda lazy...

  • Josh Klenert

    Likewise. I completely thought that Esquire's DiCaprio cover was a video still.

  • Jeremy LaCroix

    It's like you guys were reading my mind, I was actually asking myself just the other day if this months Esquire DiCaprio cover was a Digital still!

    On the web of course it's not odd to use video stills as stand-ins for photography in promotional units. Especially for promoting Video content, if carefully curated the stills can come across quite convincingly as a photograph.

    I think it's pretty cool and opens up a new world of possibilities for capturing rare moments.

    Can you imagine trying to set up and execute that Time magazine shot of the baby Crying? I admit, it may not be as polished as a Jill Greenberg crying baby but it 's pretty damn good!

    I think Casey's right it's just a matter of time before before High end cameras and video meld together...the Canon 5D Mach II is starting to get pretty close!

  • Erik Spooner

    Well said, Casey. We were lucky enough to work with the fantastic folks at Biwa Studio for our March cover, where we blew up a few clocks. All the images were shot with a high-speed HD video camera, and we were pretty impressed with the results. Videos proved to be super-awesome, as did the cover. Sure, the quality may still have a little way to go, but just as digital photography went over the hump about ten years ago, I think these HD video cams have done the same now. The content options, however, have only started scratching the surface, and I know we're all looking forward to the awesome possibilities doing covers like this presents...!

  • Casey Tierney

    It's absolutely a good AND necessary thing for magazines...as long as quality is high. I haven't worked with the Red cam up close and personal so I'm prematurely dubious. I just hope that both the level of video and still capture are high and not just mediocre versions of themselves. So far, I haven't been overly impressed with the stills but just like digital photography, it will come...

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