Andrew Smith
September 26th, 2025, 02:18 AM
This is from the long defunct Image Junkies website, originally published back in 2012 (see here (https://web.archive.org/web/20120917062651/http://www.imagejunkies.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-shooting/2012/04/17/shooting-tips-from-a-news-cameraman-part-1/) and here (https://web.archive.org/web/20120917062651/http://www.imagejunkies.com/2012/05/26/shooting-tips-from-a-news-cameraman-part-2/)). Too good to lose!
Andrew
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Intro: I recently exchanged emails with a top News Cameraman from Ireland called Colm Hand who very kindly sent me a list of hints and tips for News Cameramen that he has picked up over the years. This is the second of two posts and covers a fascinating variety of subjects relevant to our profession.
People
Always fuss over people. Even if someone’s tie is straight let them know you’ve checked it or if someone’s necklace is crooked let them know so they can fix it. People will always appreciate it if you go the extra mile to make them look good.
If you’re doing a sensitive story, for example something about a bereaved family, try and get the set up’s shots done before you do the interview. Occasionally after someone does a very emotional interview they might break down and decide they don’t want to do anymore filming which is understandable but if you don’t have the set up shots in the can it may be very hard to construct your package.
If you need to shoot an anonymous interview don’t just shoot the Reporter listening, you could go to a park and shoot a low angle shot looking up with the sun in the middle so the reporter and the interviewee are in silhouette for example. The park would give you loads of potential options for set up shots and cutaways, shooting through the flowers with the flowers in focus and interviewee and the reporter totally out of focus for example (One of my favourite techniques – ED).
If you are shooting a silhouette interview with a victim and they are concerned about been identified shoot 10 seconds of the shot and play it back for them in the viewfinder or on a monitor. It helps put them at ease.
Try and be nice to people, I have always found you get much more out of people when your in good form and have the craic with them. It costs nothing to be nice.
Lives
Make sure you have enough battery power to get you through the live, especially in winter if it’s cold and you’re using your top light.
If you are doing a static live with a reporter always make sure to use a mic stand or lapel mic. It can be very difficult if you have to hold a mic in one hand while flicking through your notes with your other hand.
Avoid radio mic’s during lives if you can.
Don’t shoot with the iris wide open, the shot might look lovely with the nice depth of field but if the sun goes in during you live you’re going to be in trouble.
If it looks like is going to rain make sure you have an umbrella for the reporter and one for yourself. Make sure to use the umbrella right over the lens if its raining, if the live goes on for a few minutes and you have a wet lens its going to look very poor.
Compromise on backgrounds, if you’re waiting outside a particular building to do a live and there’s a gang of youths waiting for you to go on air so they can jump up and down in the background then it’s time to adjust your location slightly if you can. Warn the gallery if there looks like there is going to be trouble so they can make a call on it and during the live always be ready to tighten the shot to a close up if necessary to avoid distractions in the background.
If you’re doing a live where the reporter interviews a guest it’s probably best to shoot it handheld, it’s much easier to correct the shot if the reporter misses their mark when they turn to the guest.
Sound
Always wear your headphones, if you come back with no sound you may as well come back with no pictures.
It’s worth having a decent mic on your camera, I have a Sennhiser 416 and a Rycote wind jammer with a short XRL attached and its got me out of jail many times, it you’re in a scrum and your radio mic goes down or you’re chasing someone down the street they might say something the reporter could potentially use as a full sound.
If you use a foam windshield for your stick mic with your organisations name on it then keep it wrapped in a plastic bag in your backpack, it keeps it clean and it will last much longer.
If you are using a lapel mic for an interview or PTC and the person is on the right hand side of the frame the clip mic should be on the left of their jacket if you’re looking at them so if they gesture to the building or whatever is behind them the don’t go off mic.
Always take the little windshield off the lapel radio mic if you’re not using it, they very easily fall off and are expensive to replace (and let’s face it Reporters always lose them – ED)
Keep a small bit if Blu-tack on the back of your camera so if you ever need to stick your lapel mic to a speaker or to another mic in a hurry.
Put Blu-tack in the Channel 2 audio selection switch so it can’t move off Front to WRR or Line for example. Having natural sound is vitally important and the camera mic can easily get flicked off by mistake.
Tripod
Always put the bottom legs up first, it’s much easier to make the camera higher when it’s already on the tripod if you do the bottom legs first.
Balance the camera properly by setting the tilt friction set to zero, once it’s balanced properly chose which ever fiction tension you like, it makes filming a lot easier.
If you have one of the legs of the tripod under your lens and the camera accidentally tilts forward the leg will stop the camera and tripod from toppling over.
If you’re shooting on rough ground use the spreaders.
Don’t let a reporter carry the tripod buy the pan arm, obviously it wrecks the teeth.
Andrew
-----------------
Intro: I recently exchanged emails with a top News Cameraman from Ireland called Colm Hand who very kindly sent me a list of hints and tips for News Cameramen that he has picked up over the years. This is the second of two posts and covers a fascinating variety of subjects relevant to our profession.
People
Always fuss over people. Even if someone’s tie is straight let them know you’ve checked it or if someone’s necklace is crooked let them know so they can fix it. People will always appreciate it if you go the extra mile to make them look good.
If you’re doing a sensitive story, for example something about a bereaved family, try and get the set up’s shots done before you do the interview. Occasionally after someone does a very emotional interview they might break down and decide they don’t want to do anymore filming which is understandable but if you don’t have the set up shots in the can it may be very hard to construct your package.
If you need to shoot an anonymous interview don’t just shoot the Reporter listening, you could go to a park and shoot a low angle shot looking up with the sun in the middle so the reporter and the interviewee are in silhouette for example. The park would give you loads of potential options for set up shots and cutaways, shooting through the flowers with the flowers in focus and interviewee and the reporter totally out of focus for example (One of my favourite techniques – ED).
If you are shooting a silhouette interview with a victim and they are concerned about been identified shoot 10 seconds of the shot and play it back for them in the viewfinder or on a monitor. It helps put them at ease.
Try and be nice to people, I have always found you get much more out of people when your in good form and have the craic with them. It costs nothing to be nice.
Lives
Make sure you have enough battery power to get you through the live, especially in winter if it’s cold and you’re using your top light.
If you are doing a static live with a reporter always make sure to use a mic stand or lapel mic. It can be very difficult if you have to hold a mic in one hand while flicking through your notes with your other hand.
Avoid radio mic’s during lives if you can.
Don’t shoot with the iris wide open, the shot might look lovely with the nice depth of field but if the sun goes in during you live you’re going to be in trouble.
If it looks like is going to rain make sure you have an umbrella for the reporter and one for yourself. Make sure to use the umbrella right over the lens if its raining, if the live goes on for a few minutes and you have a wet lens its going to look very poor.
Compromise on backgrounds, if you’re waiting outside a particular building to do a live and there’s a gang of youths waiting for you to go on air so they can jump up and down in the background then it’s time to adjust your location slightly if you can. Warn the gallery if there looks like there is going to be trouble so they can make a call on it and during the live always be ready to tighten the shot to a close up if necessary to avoid distractions in the background.
If you’re doing a live where the reporter interviews a guest it’s probably best to shoot it handheld, it’s much easier to correct the shot if the reporter misses their mark when they turn to the guest.
Sound
Always wear your headphones, if you come back with no sound you may as well come back with no pictures.
It’s worth having a decent mic on your camera, I have a Sennhiser 416 and a Rycote wind jammer with a short XRL attached and its got me out of jail many times, it you’re in a scrum and your radio mic goes down or you’re chasing someone down the street they might say something the reporter could potentially use as a full sound.
If you use a foam windshield for your stick mic with your organisations name on it then keep it wrapped in a plastic bag in your backpack, it keeps it clean and it will last much longer.
If you are using a lapel mic for an interview or PTC and the person is on the right hand side of the frame the clip mic should be on the left of their jacket if you’re looking at them so if they gesture to the building or whatever is behind them the don’t go off mic.
Always take the little windshield off the lapel radio mic if you’re not using it, they very easily fall off and are expensive to replace (and let’s face it Reporters always lose them – ED)
Keep a small bit if Blu-tack on the back of your camera so if you ever need to stick your lapel mic to a speaker or to another mic in a hurry.
Put Blu-tack in the Channel 2 audio selection switch so it can’t move off Front to WRR or Line for example. Having natural sound is vitally important and the camera mic can easily get flicked off by mistake.
Tripod
Always put the bottom legs up first, it’s much easier to make the camera higher when it’s already on the tripod if you do the bottom legs first.
Balance the camera properly by setting the tilt friction set to zero, once it’s balanced properly chose which ever fiction tension you like, it makes filming a lot easier.
If you have one of the legs of the tripod under your lens and the camera accidentally tilts forward the leg will stop the camera and tripod from toppling over.
If you’re shooting on rough ground use the spreaders.
Don’t let a reporter carry the tripod buy the pan arm, obviously it wrecks the teeth.