going skiing

[martin barker]

So, to start off my name is martin. I am 24 in san antonio texas, and i work for a non-profit youth organization called youth for christ.  This is my first year working for yfc and i am in charge of their graphics and video work. They want to do some footage when we ski and were telling me that they have had trouble with fogging of their cameras. So, any ideas on that would be great. The big thing is i want to ski down with the camera. I am a good skiier, but i know they are going to want some protection.  So, stabilizer and shock box are what im looking at here. any places to look and info on people who have done this. please help!

[Joe Sanders]

We used to travel up to San Antonio to ski their slopes when I was a young man.

Sorry martin I just couldn't refuse to bust up on a fellow Texan.  For the rest of you San Atonio is almost on the edge of the West Texas Desert.

Anyway, welcome to the greatest place on earth to share DIY stories.

[Wade Francom]

I have a firend who has shot several news stories from the slopes...in motion, about Olympic hopefuls. And I have some friends who do winter events here in Utah. I'll see if I can get their input. I'm sure I can get my news photog friend to send me a link so you can view that story. He shot it, of course, with a BetaSP between his legs or to  the side.

I don't think there's an easy way around the slopes. You're arm is going to be the stabilizer, and in this case...more weight on your camera is a plus. A BetaSP or comparable size camera has good weight distribution front-to-back, and forces your arm to absorb the bumps of the terrain you go over...and the camera is not going to jitter and rock like a small camera is going to.

My friend has been skiing since he was 3, too. So it helps to have the skills behind you, too. If you're going to follow someone skiing, I would either do it that way, or rent a snowmobile. Strapping on a full rig is a death sentence in my opinion, and working with a small camera on a steadicam jr. won't give you the control you need.

[martin barker]

yes the slopes here in san antonio are wonderful this time of year lol.  yeah see, snowmobile would be greaet, except the wont let me take it down the good slopes lol.  i plan on woo-ing a snow patrol hottie girl into taking me around a little, but i need to shoot while following some kids. I kinda figured my arm will have to be the stabilizer, short of hooking up some sort of pole/ski deal that i can only see ending badly. my biggest problem is that even though i am a good skiier, i will fall eventually. everyone does. so if anyone knows about a "shock box" or something that when i do fall, my camera is not gone.  and by the way me=poor. me and my used XL1 are lusting at the possibility of a new GL2 coming our way.

[michael carolan]

Martin ,
I cant remember where I saw it but I've seen an idea for a skiing rig which was an arm a bit like a ladder... then the skier was in the middle  with the structure supported over their shoulders with elastic belts.The camera was out front and everything nicely balanced with counterweights at back to keep the rig level.( Could it have been a Lisa Trainer idea ? )
Anyway you'd probably break every bone in your body twice... not to mention the camera... but it worked for them...( maybe it was a rig for a James Bond film that I saw in American Cinematographer).
Mike

[Wade Francom]

That's actually a pretty cool idea, Michael. I may have to do some studying on that. I wonder if I can get some Carbon Fibre from MacQC (close to me) and fabricate me a skiers "sling".

[michael carolan]

I found the drawing Wade its here:
http://www.sticktowhatyouknow.com/bts/index.html
Look under other specialized film equipment.....Craneman....Its maybe a little unwieldly for skiing but its an idea...carbon fibre would be ideal.
The whole site is great inspiration and well worth a visit..
Mike

[Tim Le]

I've done some shooting from a snowboard. I've never really had a problem with my lens fogging up, but I do carry a lens cleaning cloth to wipe off water and snow that gets sprayed onto the lens. I don't use a stabilizer or a crash box and most guys I've seen don't either. The common setup is a small camcorder with a wide angle converter handheld at waist level. The only stabilizer I've seen is a real simple "V" shaped apparatus used during the winter X Games. The cameraman skier holds the "V" at about the midpoint and the camera is mounted to the tip of the "V". This was mainly used in the half-pipe so the cameraman was going pretty slowly. You wouldn't want to use that at higher speeds because it would be extremely dangerous if you fell with that thing. This is why the only thing I would want in my hand is just the camera if I'm doing any sort of high speed action shots. I've only had one major fall while filming and usually you can just tuck the camera in to your chest to protect it and tumble though the fall. But it's always possible to smash your camera. I've heard of camera guys crashing while going off a jump and the camera is pretty much demolished.

The main thing about filming from a snowboard or skis is that you have to be a pretty good boarder or skier in the first place. You're doing two things are once: skiing and being a cameraman, so a lot is going on. You have to be able to control those skis or that snowboard without even thinking about it because your head will already be concentrating on framing the camera and holding it steady and level. Typcially I don't use the viewfinder or the LCD monitor. I just point the camera in the general direction and after some practice you know where the frame is. The hard part is judging headroom though. Sometimes you have too much sky and sometimes you end up cutting off people's heads in the framing.  Also, the snow conditions play a big part in how smoothly your skis or snowboard rides so softer, smoother runs will yield smoother, less bumpy shots. Icy conditions are the worst.

[constantine tirint]

Iam doing a lot of snowboarding too.
If you are to shoot with a small dv or even an mini hd cam I recoment you fix a helmet cam, which basicly is very simple to make, just get a helmet, fix the camera on top of it centered, if you can make an adjustable tilt bracket is a plus, puch rec and follow the skiers. Where you look is where you shoot and you cant go wrong with that. The head is the best remote head. Ha ha, yeah man, just fix the tilt angle so you have a good frame and use a wide angle lens. Then you have all of your body free to ski, even do jumps, I did that a few times following jumps but with a snowboard because you slide sidewise is a bit more difficult to do than a ski which you can slide with your body looking straight ahead.he he carefull not to crashthough I do it all the time.
Constantine

[Joe Sanders]

Constantine,

You're Back.

[constantine tirint]

Iwas never away my friend, I just dont write so often. I read the news every day though.
Take care.
Constantine

[martin barker]

hmm well i actually already have a helmet cam lol,  i use it for lots of fun stuff that could kill me that i want on tape.  that is actually probably what will have to happen.  lol i will definitly post some stuff up from my jumps. double blacks here i come!