Scott Kesterson is a veteran freelance photojournalist preparing to travel to Afghanistan while being embedded with the U.S. Army's 41st Brigade (composed entirely of National Guard volunteers). He plans to file a daily blog of his experiences hosted by Belo Interactive on www.KGW.com that will include video and still photographs for TV station KGW Channel News 8, in Portland, as well as the Dallas Morning News newspaper. (Both are owned by Belo Corp.) For the past three months Kesterson has been working at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, covering the pre-deployment phase while preparing for a full year in Afghanistan with a Sony HVR-A1U prosumer-grade HDV camera. Interestingly, he chose the A1U as much for its ability to capture high-resolution stills as for its HDV video capabilities.
Why did you choose the Sony HVR-A1U and how much shooting do you plan to do?
When considering the cameras for my embed, I looked to video cameras, in particular HD cameras, rather than still-frame cameras. The Sony A1U offered a small, lightweight camera with a great lens, and additional features which made, in my opinion, carrying a separate still frame camera unnecessary.
I plan to shoot one to two tapes a day. The techniques that we use are very similar to still-frame shooting techniques. I shoot a great deal of burst shots. The shot segments are typically from 6 to 20 seconds. Essentially, this style of shooting is adding streaming image capacity along with audio to the tool bag of traditional photojournalist shooting techniques. It's not about capturing everything, but about capturing what is needed to tell the story.
Do you feel limited with the camera’s fixed lens?
The lens is a telephoto, functioning at a 35mm equivalent of approximately 28mm to 250mm with an f-stop of f1.8 to f2.1. Simply stated, impressive. The lens was one of the key elements that affected my decision to go with the Sony A1U. So, rather than feeling limited, I actually feel empowered, getting rid of the need to carry multiple lenses and extra gear. After all, wearing body armor, a rucksack and a CamelBak for water reduces mobility and adds approximately 55 pounds of weight. The camera needs to be efficient and precise. The A1U achieves that.
How will you transmit footage out of Afghanistan?
The workflow that I have been developing with KGW is to send media via the Internet. Videos are converted to MPEG-4 files and sent directly via FTP. Images are sent in high resolution via Internet as well. If something is needed beyond that, a tape can be sent overnight. This workflow worked for KGW with their reporting during the invasion of Iraq.
How do the footage and still images look?
In a word ... outstanding!! HD has some different qualities with still images. Some of this comes from the nature of video, while some of it derives from the interlaced scan of the camera. The Visual Innovations Department at the Dallas Morning News has now developed a technique that takes the 6 megapixel still-frame image from the A1U, and, accessing some of the embedded data in the image, produces a 64K image. As for video, the clarity and the sound are again impressive. Though the MPEG-4 files don't do the HD format justice, they nonetheless demonstrate its potential.
What will you use to edit in the field?
I download my video clips to an Apple MacBook Pro laptop with a 100 GB hard drive and an 80 GB pocket drive and begin editing. If I am doing a video story in conjunction with a blog/photojournalist essay, then I'll capture my images as I edit the video. Otherwise, I'll jump directly to capturing images. As for software, I use iMovie HD. Some in the video field have questioned this choice, but frankly, those challenges have come from studio-based editors. I love iMovie HD for field editing. It's simple, intuitive, efficient, and allows me to produce a quality product.
Any production tips you've learned so far that will come in handy in the desert?
A few, which I'm sure will be lasting. For one, dust is a factor here at Camp Shelby, like I’m anticipating it will be in Afghanistan. Keeping your equipment maintained goes without saying. I cover the back of each battery with weather stripping, adding cushion to my cheek as I press the camera to my face for a measure of protection. The windscreen on the included mic is another thing. It needs to be taped to its base so that when moving in around rough areas it doesn't fall off.
The A1U lens hood is a nice feature, but it will not allow for the use of a UV filter. I have disassembled the hood, removed the set of keeper pins and then put it back together, attaching the hood to the threaded ring with electrical tape. It's a bit crude, but it works well. Which is another thing — black electrical tape is must have. I carry a roll with me at all times. The tape can be used to add protection to the various connection ports and does not leave a residue.
Finally, the A1U switches from pause to standby automatically. This presents a challenge at times, since the start-up time on standby can be 5 to 7 seconds — an eternity when going after a great shot. I do two things: I make a habit of clicking the record button on and off every couple of minutes if I'm standing idle, and/or I start the record on the camera early if I am anticipating a shot. After all, tape is cheap. A lost shot is irreplaceable.
[Editor’s Note: You can follow Kesterson’s exploits at www.beloblog.com/KGW_Blogs/afghanistan.]
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