Steven Dempsey
 

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Thanks for dropping by. Here you will find my thoughts on shooting both DV and HDV and some meanderings on my film passion. Updated sporadically.

Snow Motion with the IndiSlider

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January 17, 2008 04:58 AM Views:605   Favorited:0   Comments:0
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While on DVXUser recently, I came across a post by a user who mentioned a tool called the IndiSlider by Indifocus. I took a look on their site and couldn't really figure out what this thing was. I took a look at the some footage

New Year's Eve in Seattle

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January 17, 2008 04:51 AM Views:104   Favorited:0   Comments:0
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A friend of my daughter's came to town on New Year's eve so we took him sightseeing in Seattle. The weather was unusually cooperative so I decided to document our trip. I strapped on my Letus Extreme 35mm adapter to my Canon

Canon XHA1 and Steadicam Merlin - the Perfect Match

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July 13, 2007 09:52 AM Views:330   Favorited:0   Comments:0
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I just replaced my Glidecam setup with a Merlin and all I can say is wow.The attention to detail in everything from the packaging right down to the precision engineering of this device is inspiring. This is a company who cares about

Canon XHA1 - a review

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March 13, 2007 09:55 AM Views:268   Favorited:0   Comments:1
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After shooting with an XLH1 for about nine months, I decided to sell it and buy an XHA1 instead. I can’t say I loved the attention I got when I went out with the XLH1. I spent a lot of time smiling and waving at people as they

A Final Piece to the Film Look Puzzle

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August 01, 2006 11:11 PM Views:178   Favorited:0   Comments:0
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There are many people who seem to be in search of the film look these days. For fun, Google the phrase and you will find thousands of results. Everything from elaborate post production processes to using 35mm adapters is well covered

The Cottonwood Tree

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June 08, 2006 11:02 PM Views:78   Favorited:0   Comments:0
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Here is a work in progress. This is the time of the year when cottonwood trees lose their cotton and it's a pretty cool sight, it looks like it's snowing. There's a cottonwood in our yard and it was shedding its skin the

Journey Into Spring

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June 06, 2006 10:31 AM Views:80   Favorited:0   Comments:0
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When I bought the Canon XLH1 camera I was eager to go to a few of my favorite spots to capture the beauty of nature in high definition. I was not disappointed. Although this piece is disparate in its imagery, it highlights the

Cloud Timelapse

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June 04, 2006 11:46 PM Views:113   Favorited:0   Comments:0
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Yes, timelapse shots are completely overdone. I agree. However, that's not going to stop me doing them because, to me, the world is always a fascinating place to study and no two timelapse shots are the same because

Lighting test with the XLH1

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June 04, 2006 11:10 PM Views:232   Favorited:0   Comments:0
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I was watching "21 Grams", a great film by the way, and was inspired to do some lighting tests and added a little Magic Bullet Bleach Bypass. I think it looks pretty good.500w softbox for keylight, 250w Lowel pro light for fill and another 250w Lowel for a backlight (need to better position

Water In Motion

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June 02, 2006 01:43 PM Views:102   Favorited:0   Comments:0
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It rained here in Seattle for what seemed like an eternity which was frustrating for me because I had plans to go out and shoot at various locations. I decided to document the falling rain which has a beauty unto itself. The

Comparing "Soft" Filters

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May 29, 2006 12:52 PM Views:83   Favorited:0   Comments:1
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Here's a comparison between Tiffen's much used Promist (the strength in this comparison is 1/4) and Schneider's Classic Soft filters (1/2 strength). These filters can help contribute to a more filmic look, taking some of the sharp edge off the original video. Of course you can create something

Should I Use Filters On My Camera?

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May 25, 2006 09:14 AM Views:125   Favorited:0   Comments:0
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I get asked this question a lot. Basically, it comes down to the major question of what you are going to be shooting. You could get all types of advice on filtration for optimal landscape shots but if that's not your focus then it's useless information. Some common filters include:

Helpful Hints For A Successful Shoot

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May 25, 2006 07:20 AM Views:88   Favorited:0   Comments:0
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Say this over and over in your mind before you shoot:Focus, aperture, shutter, frame rate (more important if you are shooting different rates), sound level, battery level.Check every one of these for every shot. Remember, you've got a lot going on trying to frame your subject, deal with

More Thoughts On Using The Canon XLH1

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May 23, 2006 11:46 AM Views:283   Favorited:0   Comments:1
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I've been using the XLH1 for a number of weeks now and I've learned a lot about the camera by taking it out and shooting under various conditions. Having shot in standard definition (SD) up to this point, I'm finding new challenges shooting HD. None are overwhelming but if care is not taken while

In-Camera Black and White

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May 21, 2006 01:15 AM Views:84   Favorited:0   Comments:0
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The Canon XLH1 is capable of shooting black and white footage as well as color. I prefer to shoot black and white in-camera as opposed to draining the color in post production. There's something much more organic about doing it this way. It makes me

More Canon XLH1 Tests at Discovery Park in Seattle

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May 21, 2006 01:03 AM Views:114   Favorited:0   Comments:0
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My daughter and I headed off to Discovery Park after work last week and got lost not only on the way there but couldn't even find our way out of the park after our shooting expedition. My sense of direction is woeful and I couldn't find my way home to save my life. Well, actually I did find my way

Test Driving the Canon XLH1

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May 21, 2006 12:53 AM Views:108   Favorited:0   Comments:0
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I took the kids to the zoo today and brought the Canon along. Here are some stills from the footage (keep in mind that these images are heavily compressed jpegs):  

Anatomy of an HD Camera Purchase Decision

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May 05, 2006 11:40 PM Views:99   Favorited:0   Comments:0
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I wrote some words about what led me to decide on the new Canon XLH1 for future HD acquisition. You can read it here: Canon XLH1

Taking the HD Plunge - Canon XL H1 Review

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April 27, 2006 04:55 PM Views:99   Favorited:0   Comments:0
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I finally bought a Canon XL H1 HDV camera instead of my original desire to own the Panasonic HVX200, which is like an HD version of the DVX I used for most of the films on this site. This is a partial review because I have only been shooting for less than an hour. First off, the XL H1 delivers
Steven Dempsey
Sammamish, Washington,
United States
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Documentary
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