Quick Digital Imaging Tip 32/101: Keep It Level

This is tip #32 of 101 digital imaging tips I plan to post here over the next few months. Stay tuned.

Today's tip: Keep it Level.

Not keeping the horizon line level is of the biggest mistakes novice still photographers make.

Keeping the horizon line level, and the entire scene level for that matter, is even more important when shooting video . . . but not always, as recently pointed out by an astute reader.

I've found, by watching Juan Pons in action, that the easiest way to keep the scene level is to use the Manfrotto Ball Leveller (438).

I just got mine. Juan was using his when we were at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose, Texas shooting videos for our upcoming Wiley Publishing DVD: Canon DSLR Video Master Class.

The new holiday classic, The Christmas Cheetah, was shot at Fossil Rim with the Canon EOS 7D and Canon 70-200mm IS f/4 lens. The camera/lens set-up was mounted on the rig you see at the opening of this post.




For all my video gear, click here.


Explore the light,
Rick