Seeing Double: Tips for Shooting Photo and Video Together

Whether you’re trying to enhance a marketing campaign’s brand story or dazzle your client with more comprehensive event coverage, there are times when shooting still photos and video at the same time just makes sense. Mastering a hybrid production takes a little work, however, as there are several technical and creative challenges to consider.

To help us unpack these considerations, we sat down with Nico Zurcher, a 25-year veteran in still photography and recent convert to hybrid shoots. Nico shares his insights on the common difficulties of working with both mediums, from lighting and camera gear to the nuances of visual language, and offers tips to help your production go as planned.

Why bother with hybrid shoots?

Many companies today are looking for ways to maximize their production budgets, and splitting resources between photography and video allows them to get a little more 'bang for their buck,' so to speak. Nico says he’s seen a clear uptick in clients asking for hybrid shoots over the past 5-10 years, prompting more professionals to offer both services to stay competitive.

“The web has moved from a static place to a more animated one, and I think the smart clients are looking for something that acknowledges that,” he says, noting that a little video can go a long way on social media or a client website. “They don’t have to be much—sometimes just 2-4 second long clips that can be stitched together in a narrative or non-narrative way to bring the brand essence to life.”

While incorporating both mediums will certainly add value to your projects, transitioning between the two is a nuanced process. As Nico points out, “It’s an entirely different set of tools—and they often don’t overlap.”

Here are some practical tips to help you navigate these challenges seamlessly.

Minimize Those Camera Changes

When switching between photo and video, physical changes must be made to the camera as different accessories, like monitors or a gimbal, are added or removed to accommodate different shooting requirements. These adjustments can eat up a lot of time, and since we all know time is money on set, it’s important that hybrid photographers carefully plan out their days and pay attention to the schedule to avoid constantly switching between the two mediums.

As a longtime Canon user with a collection of the brand’s lenses, Nico opted for the Canon R5C when seeking a hybrid setup that could capture both stills and video. However, when a production budget allows for a second camera, he prefers to bring in his Canon C70 for dedicated motion capture. 

Having two fully built-out rigs minimizes setup time and helps Nico avoid time-consuming transitions between photo and video modes. In fact, minimizing camera changes is a hurdle he attempts to eliminate as early as possible, sometimes sitting down with clients and showing them how squeezing that second camera into the budget or reassessing the shot list can significantly improve the flow of production.

Preview Your Lighting Game Plan

Another technical difficulty that can complicate hybrid shoots is lighting, since photo and video employ different setups to achieve desired effects.

Generally, still photography uses strobe lighting, which involves brief bursts of intense light to capture sharp, well-defined images and effectively freeze action. Video production uses continuous lighting, which provides a constant and steady light source that illuminates subjects evenly throughout the duration of a shoot. Since each has its own unique setup configurations, switching between the two takes time and careful coordination—not to mention know-how.

Deciding whether to alternate between the two lighting setups or default to one style is a critical choice for hybrid photographers. Using separate setups for optimal lighting can yield stunning results, but it’s a time-consuming process that might not be practical (or cost-effective). Often, professionals will resort to continuous lighting, as it accommodates both mediums, unlike strobe lighting, which video cannot use. Like anything else on a film set, the choice requires some compromise and will be heavily dependent on the project's specific needs and constraints.

Nico admits that while he understands still lighting inside and out, grasping all the particulars and evolutionary changes of continuous lighting is an ongoing exercise. “That’s where I rely on a team to help me better understand what are the best tools for the assignment.”

During pre-production, Nico will actually craft an entire mood board just around lighting. Then, he shares the visual with his gaffers and grips to get their expert opinions on the best gear and techniques. This not only helps him enter a shoot with more confidence and clarity but also ensures fewer corrections during post. (After all, things that could easily be remedied in a single photograph might be prohibitively expensive to correct in a video sequence!)

Learn the Language

Aside from the technical quirks of hybrid shoots, there are also creative challenges to consider when shooting photo and video together. Namely, the fact that you’re trying to tell the same story in two different languages.

While not every project includes (or needs) a clear-cut narrative, it’s important to consider how motion can naturally convey meaning. When a person moves through a space, will the camera follow them or let the action play out in a box? Should it carry that same movement into the next scene or do something different? Nico says questions like these really drive how he approaches a video shoot, because each camera movement is a different style of storytelling.

“You could almost think of still images as a ‘reactive’ way of working and motion as a ‘predictive’ way of working,” he says. Previsualizing how certain motions will be captured ensures that you’re not just “whipping the camera around the entire time without really having a reason for it.”

It’s not just the visual language that differs between the two mediums; the actual jargon used for communicating on set is different too. The film industry is notorious for having its own slang, and Nico says picking up the lingo can be a funny learning experience. Even just adapting to the use of shouting “Points!” when coming through with a stand or other pointy-ended piece of equipment took some adjustment.

“Sometimes I’m just nodding my head like I know what they’re talking about, or saying ‘Can you move that…thing?’ and they’re like ‘Oh, you mean the 2x2 floppy?’”

Dos & Don’ts

Ultimately, Nico says it’s exciting being able to expand his longtime photo repertoire with video. His journey into hybrid shooting has been both challenging and rewarding, and his experiences have led to some valuable dos and don’ts for anyone looking to succeed in this dual medium.

• Don’t let the intimidation derail you. Focus on the fundamentals, ask for help when you need it, and remember that what you’re capturing is the most important part.

• Do practice “active” viewing. Study the highly executed imagery you encounter in the things you’re already watching, taking note of how the camera moves from scene to scene. Learn while being entertained.

• Don’t be afraid to play and experiment. Trying multiple approaches gives you options in the editing room. Motion capture is different from stills—use that to your advantage and play with it.

• Do aim for art. Strive to make the best, most beautiful thing you can make at all times–even if it’s a project with lots of restrictions or one you’re not very passionate about. Try to find the beauty in every assignment.

• Don’t try to do everything yourself. Video production is a team sport, so if you need help, ask for it. Wherever you need the extra hands, bring them on board.

• Do practice, practice, practice. Make sure you understand the tools and formats, so you’re not fumbling around on set. Know your gear, so you can focus on capturing the best content.