Dan Dunkley, 38, a commercial photographer and cinematographer from Todmodern, West Yorkshire, explains how he progressed from stills to motion with the help of a DSLR.

For the short, corporate videos Dan produces, a DSLR is the perfect tool for the job.

“DSLRs are great for me as most of my shoots are very controlled. They’re best when they’re locked on a tripod and you can fully plan the scene, and really think about what you’re capturing. A bit like shooting a film really, on a much smaller scale of course.

“You’re limited to manual settings, which can be difficult in certain situations. But the filmic, high-quality videos you can create for the relative price is just incredible. That’s why I’ve stuck with them,” he says.

Breaking into Video

When Dan first started taking stills as an 'enthusiast' about nine years ago, the Nikon D70 was his chosen camera, but DSLRs at this stage had no video capturing facilities. It wasn't until he acquired a Nikon D7000 that Dan's DSLR video journey really began.

“I love learning new skills and taking on a challenge. I think that’s what drew me to video after I'd turned pro on the stills front.

“I really enjoy the whole process with filming and cinematography – the shooting, the edit, and putting it all together to impart a story. Not always easy with corporate stuff, but it's what I aim to do” he says.

Dan says he’s stuck with Nikon equipment since he bought his first camera about 20 years ago.

"My first ever camera was a pretty basic Nikon compact film camera – a Zoom 300AF, and my first digital was the Nikon Coolpix 3500.

“I’ve always bought Nikon gear because it's always clicked with me. I just get on well with the look and feel, ergonomics and whole menu design, and the image quality of course.

“When I was moving into photography professionally, the Nikon D3 came out. At the time it was considered the must-have DSLR and received wide critical acclaim, so I used that for most of my stills work, and still continue to use it today for many assignments. Definitely a good buy that one.”

Dan’s latest DSLR is perfect for both photography and cinematography.

“The camera I use now for a lot of my work is the Nikon D800, which is fantastic for architectural photography - the area of stills photography I specialise in.

“The full frame, massive medium format challenging sensor is ideal for this type of work, and the fact it also shoots high-quality video is just the icing on the cake for me.

“With one camera, I can do a lot of work.”

DSLRs Open Cinematography up to the Masses

Dan says the video feature on DSLRs has changed the cinematography industry.

“DLSRs have opened video production up to the masses. You can do stuff now that would have cost a fortune years ago.”

He believes most photographers have the knowledge and ability to explore video, but many are still reluctant to do so.

“If you’re a good stills photographer, you should have the basic skills to move into video, or at least consider it. In principle the two are very similar.

“Understanding how to use light and composition is the same for both video and photography really. Knowing what will make a good shot, still or moving, is essentially the same thing.

“I think what puts a lot of photographers off though is the learning curve for everything else that goes along with video. It's not just shooting pretty moving scenes. For the type of work I do, sound is as important as visuals. Editing and post production is an entirely new and different skill set to learn.

Creating Your Moving Masterpiece

If you’re new to filming on a DSLR, Dan explains that you need to be prepared for challenges like changing light conditions and the fact that most of the time you'll be in full manual mode, even for focusing.

“It's best to keep the shutter speed consistent when shooting with a DSLR. To follow the established '180 rule' regarding shutter speed and filming, if you're shooting at 24 frames per second like I mostly do, you need to keep the shutter speed at 1/50. It’s important to use the right lens filters for the changing light conditions.

“I use a variable ND filter for most shoots, but also graduated ND filters sometimes.”

DSLRs suit Dan’s stop-start filming style. But he advises others to invest in the right accessories if shooting longer videos, such as speeches or events.

“The standard video recording time for DSLRs is quite short and usually about 24 minutes depending on the model/ settings.

“With the D800 came the ability to record directly to an external HDMI hard drive recorder, which not only solves the time limit issue but produces slightly higher quality footage too.”

Dan believes getting the focus right is a vital ingredient for your cinematic masterpiece.

“The accessory I use the most is my Zacuto EVF electronic viewfinder and Zacuto Z-Finder Pro. With the EVF's 'peaking' functionality it can show you precisely what’s in focus and what isn’t, which is pretty vital in most shoots.

“A lot of people like shooting with DSLRs because you get that lovely, shallow depth of field and cinema-style, filmic look. To achieve that effectively though, you’ve got to nail the focus.”

See Dan's website for portfolios and more examples of his work:

www.dandphotography.co.uk

Progress from Stills to Motion with Wilkinson Cameras

We have all the tools to help you create your filmic work of art. Whether you want a camcorder to shoot the family holiday or a DSLR to progress into cinematography, you can rely on our friendly team.

We also run workshops and courses to help you get the most out of your equipment.