6 Reasons Why Shooting Handheld is Best for Wedding Films
It’s not hard for guests to figure out who the photographer and videographer are at a wedding. Normally, the photographer is always snapping away while holding a camera up to their eye, while the videographer is roaming around looking all professional with a gimbal.
Gimbals are definitely fun tools to use and having shot on a gimbal for a couple of events, I’ve decided that moving forward it would be best for me to go back to my photographer roots and shoot wedding films handheld.
Here are 6 reasons why!
1) Shooting handheld saves you time
Shooting a wedding on a gimbal does take some time to set up. Videographers must come early to a venue to gear up, and once that’s done you’re pretty much using the same lens for a good portion of the time. And when it finally does come time for you to use a different lens, you might be missing out on some precious moments because you were too busy trying to readjust your gimbal to handle the weight of the new lens on your camera.
When shooting handheld, you don’t have to worry about balancing any equipment. Just pick up your camera and start shooting! Time is money, and when it comes to your clients, you want to make sure they get their money’s worth and not miss a single moment.
2) Shooting handheld saves your body
Holding a gimbal for large portions of the day can be quite tiring! So why put all of that unnecessary stress on your arms and back for an entire day? Yes, you can build your body up to be able to handle the weight on a gimbal over time, but personally, it’s more ideal for me to conserve my energy and increase my body’s longevity.
3) Shooting handhelds makes you see things differently
This point really matters to me a lot as I’m first and foremost a wedding photographer. That being said, I’m all about framing scenes with meaning and believe that each shot that I take should have a purpose in a couple’s love story.
Experienced wedding videographers can do great things on a gimbal, but to those who are inexperienced, it is very easy to move around on a gimbal without a clear sense of direction. Why am I zooming into this moment, or panning this way or that way? Does it actually enhance the story, or distract from it?
When shooting handheld, you’re forced to view the world in a different way. Think of how you can compose all of the elements that make up a scene come together so that viewers can not only follow along with ease, but they’re enjoying simplistic beauty in your work.
4) Shooting handheld gives you more options
One of the biggest advantages of shooting handheld is that I could walk around with two cameras strapped to my shoulders!
This is super handy for me as now I can have two different focal lengths to work with. I really enjoy shooting with that 85mm and 35mm look to compliment my photojournalistic style of videography. I love the compression and bokeh that I get out of those lenses when compared to the usual choice for gimbal users, the 24-70mm 2.8.
Having two camera bodies with you also comes in handy in the event that a camera shuts down, I’ll have a backup camera immediately on me to switch to and save the day!
5) Shooting handheld allows you to be discreet
Sometimes videographers can be too intimidating, or worse, annoying to the wedding guests when they’re swooping in and out with their gimbals. Mind you, this doesn’t happen often once the dance floor is opened up and the guests are just focused on dancing the night away. However, when it comes to the other parts of the day, videographers can take their liberty a bit too far, sometimes surprising guests with no warning which may cause them to not be happy.
When you’re shooting handheld, it’s more subtle for the guests. You are able to blend into the room a lot easier and can take video clips of the guests without disrupting their flow.
6) Shooting handheld immerses you into the action
When a filmmaker first gets a gimbal, they’re going to love the smoothness of the footage. And who wouldn’t? It’s so nice to look at! But, imagine a wedding where the bride and groom are being lifted up high on chairs? Or when the bridal party is tearing it up on the dance floor. Don’t you want to get in there and be part of the action?
Shooting handheld allows you to immerse yourself in the action and show the viewer what it was like to be in the heat of the moment. The raw movement of a handheld camera could actually enhance these types of scenes better than any gimbal could.
And there you have it, 6 reasons why you should just save the cash and shoot handheld instead. I should end by saying that I’m not anti-gimbal, and applaud the wonderful videographers who tell fascinating stories with them. But, as for me and my house, I find that this approach works best for me, and I hope it’ll work for you too!
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