Camera Exercises (page 3)

If your camera will let you override its autofocus capability, you can add a second subject like a willing friend or family member to the tripod exercise above to get practice with manual focusing. Just set up your scene so that one subject is at least 4-5 feet closer than the other, keeping your lens at a medium telephoto setting. That way, when you pan or tilt between subjects, you'll also need to turn the lens focus ring during the move to shift the focal plane.

For another advanced variation, turn the iris control to manual if your camera has that feature. Use the same setup as for the focus exercise above, but make sure that one of your subjects is significantly brighter than the other. One real-world example where this might come in handy is when you have an indoor subject standing in front of a bright window in a backlighting situation. As you change the exposure from shooting outside the window to shooting your subject inside, you'll need to adjust your iris control with one hand as you move the tripod with the other.

You've reached the end of the camera operator's training regimen. If you've successfully made it this far, you're well on your way to developing some serious shooter's chops. Now get back to those exercises.

Bill Fisher is a documentary video producer based in Portland, Oregon.

Like athletes and musicians, camera operators need to warm up before an event. After all, shooting video demands some serious physical and mental work. Run through this routine to make sure you're ready to roll.

• Stretch your arms, shoulders, back, legs and neck. These areas absorb the most stress during a shoot.
• Take stock and load up on tape, batteries and other supplies. Without these you're out of the race.
• Do a camera check with tape rolling. Verify your settings are where you want them and that all functions are normal.
• Don't forget to fire up those brain cells. Develop a strategy or goal and think before you shoot.

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