How Skydivers Take Pictures

well for video to focus is set on the ground on manual while focusing on someone or something at around 4-6 feet. and same with the still camera on top put on manual focus and then the focus ring is taped with gaffers tape

hckyguy14 wrote in post #4495978
Just a few questions from someone who knows nothing about photographing while diving....

How do you know your subject is in focus?

How many shots do you usually get in one jump? And how many of those are useable? (I'm sure y ou get a lot where the subject is chopped or oof)

milehighpres is correct.

Both the video and still camera is set to infinity to keep everything in focus. But to really make sure the photos turn out sharp, I sight my camera into something that is about the distance away that I will be from the jumpers in freefall. For example, when im sitting in the plane before I jump I focus on the aft wall of the plane which is about 3-4 feet away.

Usually the avaerage number of photos you get from one jump is about 100. Out of those there may be a handfull that are unusable. Most comon problems are cutting part of the instructor off the frame or dropping the tandem out of frame on exit.

EVOL

TopGear1Ds wrote in post #4495702
Very cool setup, and I loved the video. I bet you're tired of the "tandem skydiving for dummies" joke after a couple hundred times, but that was hilarious!!

Its only old when the tandem doesnt react to it. You get some people who try to play it cool..........but they are usually the ones that freak out in the door .

lol what settings do you use in the camera, iso, fstop..

Wow just wow to that setup and those photos! lol I could and will never jump out of a working plane, but wow

AthleticsPhotog wrote in post #4497044
lol what settings do you use in the camera, iso, fstop..

Wow just wow to that setup and those photos! lol I could and will never jump out of a working plane, but wow

There is no specific settings I use from day to day. Just like regular photography you have to adapt to different weather days. Sometimes its perfectly clear and I set it to AV ISO 200 and jump all day. Other days when its cloudy or hazy you have to let the camera decide and I will use "Sports mode".

Every videographer has their own preference and secrets to shooting tandems.

Here is an example of a clear day but at 6000ft we hit a haze layer that the camera had to adjust for.

1. Just Above The Haze Layer

lol that is good stuff

So how is the video cam activated?

superdiver wrote in post #4500581
So how is the video cam activated?

The same "Cam Eye" light system is hooked up to the switch in picture #2. You can see a red button just below the XT. When the door opens I turn the camera to ON.........activating the light in my eye to blue. Then i press the red button until the light turns red which means the video is recording.

EVOL

EVOL wrote in post #4493392
I have had a lot of inquiries about how I take pictures in freefall skydiving. I whipped up a few shots of my gear to show everyone.

Everything is mounted on a helmet to keep your hands free at all times. I use a Sony PC-109 video camera and the 350D for stills. This is just one style of helmet......there are hundreds to choose from.

1.

EVOL

Dang that's a nasty snag point. Do you tape the tongue switch plug down? Does it do ok without being taped?
My Rig is a little more condensed but the lens from my 15mm can be seen in the video. I hate it but the FTP is like $800 and in 3 months I'll have the use of one for free.

burntbizzkit wrote in post #4494017
Looks fun. How about a link to some video?

LINK REMOVED
Search for JTVAL you'll see a lot of skydiving videos.

EDIT: Don't mean to hijack your thread Evol.

EDIT AGAIN:
I didn't see your post with the link to vid in it. Sorry Evol

JTVal.......yea my tongue switch cable is normally tucked into the helmet so about 2" are exposed. I'm assuming thats what snag point you are talking about?

I was very meticulous about keeping my helmet clean. I have been a DZ pilot for 5 years and a jumper for the last four years. I've pretty much lived at drop zones since college and I have seen a lot of weird things happen. So I went with the Rawa helmet to keep everything clean.

How do you like your 15mm lens for tandems? I am thinking of either that or the sigma 10-20mm. I went to a .43 video lens this year and the 18mm kit lens is to narrow.

As a pilot, I've never understood the need to throw oneself out of a perfectly good airplane... However, I sure respect your ability to capture people doing so. Way cool, man!

Amazing, very cool stuff!

I dont think I ever want to throw my self out of a plane though...at least I dont see it in my future.

Off topic but this signature by FlyingPhotog is funny as hell

That is very cool and interesting. Thanks for sharing the gear photos.

I will definitely leave the jumping to you. I'm chicken.

mark