The biggest problem for automatic camcorders involves exposure. Auto-exposure systems expose for the average amount of light in the frame. If all you have are auto controls, use less panning and tilting to avoid unexpected bright or dark images coming into view. As brighter or darker images come into view, the auto iris changes exposure, which can be irritating to the viewer. If panning or tilting the camera will cause an exposure jump, don't do it. Simply stop recording and move the camera to a location from which you can shoot without exposure jumps.

Many videographers have cameras with manual features. For them, the world of light outdoors is full of possibilities. Your camera should have a manual exposure setting, and this feature should include a way of locking the exposure. If exposure is locked, and a bright object comes into the frame, the exposure will not change. Many pros lock exposure on every shot. Practice every shot if time allows. Your viewfinder will show you if contrast problems exist. Some videographers lock their iris while close framing their most important subject (e.g. a face) to keep exposure perfect on that subject no matter what else comes into the frame. Brighter objects in the scene may appear too bright, or even blown out, but the main subject remains properly exposed.

Many cameras today give you a choice of shutter speeds. Though 1/60 of a second is the normal setting, some camcorders allow settings of 1/4000 and beyond. Faster shutter speeds require more light, and more light is the gift the great outdoors will give you. A hummingbird shot at normal shutter speed will have wings that are a total blur on playback. But drastically increase your shutter speed and you will see each individual wingflap. If you play back the tape in slow motion later, the results can be beautiful.

Adjusting shutter speed can help you adjust depth of field. Daylight usually means your iris will close down, giving you greater depth of field. But what if you want a shallow depth of field? Simply increase your shutter speed and the automatic iris will open to compensate. If you want to get the same effect without touching the shutter speed, use a neutral density (ND) filter to cut down the incoming light.

Tiny viewfinders make focusing a challenge. Color viewfinders help with color, but often make focus more difficult than traditional black-and-white viewfinders. The standard technique for good focus is to zoom in close to your subject to focus, then zoom out to frame the subject as you choose. Some camcorders do not have a well-adjusted back focus, and focus changes as one zooms in and out. Test out your camera to check out its focus throughout the zoom range. If focus does change, you are better off focusing at whatever framing you decide to use.

Sometimes, a focus shift during shooting, or rack focus, can be very effective outdoors. Focus on a subject that is somewhat close, but place a second subject in the background. Keep your depth of field short enough to leave the background subject out of focus. Then, without moving the camcorder or touching the zoom rocker (a tripod is a must), shift focus mid-shot from one subject to another. This is a beautiful technique that outdoor television programs often use.

Don't forget the audio in your outdoor video. In outdoor shooting, the audio often contributes as much to the impact as does the video. Take headphones along on your shoot and use them. Have you heard the horror story about the videographer who used an external mike with a mono plug and used it in his camcorder's stereo jack? The sound shorted and didn't record on tape. Since the videographer couldn't monitor the sound, he lost the shoot.

An external mike is important in outdoor video because there is often a significant distance from the camcorder to the subject, and because you often can't control ambient noise. A wired mike with a long cable, or a quality wireless mike, can be very helpful. Keep the mike close to the sound source. A quality shotgun mike can do some of this for you, but more often the best bet is just to get your mike in close.

Wind is probably the greatest challenge in outdoor audio. As wind blows across your microphone, it creates a low-pitched rumble that destroys the sound. If the wind is mild enough, you can sometimes overcome it. Use the camera's "wind" position, or shield the mike with your hand or body.

Extreme wind is almost impossible to conquer. You might just shoot at another time. Or, shoot your video now and just ignore the audio. Run your camera again when the wind dies just to capture the audio. Add this "wild sound" to your video later. This can also help overcome the problem of getting the mike close. A tree full of birds might look best from 50 yards, but it might sound best from the foot of the tree.