Wedding photographer Scott Johnson reveals how image makers can seamlessly transition to video
Scott Johnson has been documenting weddings for 20 years, specialising in grandiose, fine-art portraiture. He is singled out by clients seeking images with a vintage, timeless quality – but even among this slice of the wedding photography market, certain modernities have come to be expected.
“Video has certainly come to the forefront,” Scott begins. “Now, especially with the cameras we use – it’s just a flick of a button to go from stills to video. It’s something I tried to start doing coming out of the lockdowns. It’s difficult, I always used to second-guess myself that I should be making pictures here or doing video there. But I’m going to be offering it even more this year.”
Video coverage of a wedding is simply an expectation nowadays, and Scott claims that photographers will need to either adapt or risk being left behind.
“The days of just being a photographer are over,” he remarks. “You have to be multifaceted in this industry, especially in weddings now, because so many people are doing it. And if I’m sending work to photographers doing video, there’s a chance I could lose out on the photography side. Offering both is very important in this day and age.”
What’s Expected from a Wedding Videographer?
Video coverage of a wedding isn’t anything new, Scott points out – although the coming of the digital age has made it a much more common request. What has changed significantly over the course of the last few decades is the style of presentation.
“When my parents got married, it used to be a three-hour epic,” laughs Scott. “People these days haven’t got time to sit down and watch all that. They want a ten- or 15-minute snapshot of their day. It’s about highlighting the key aspects of that day and not over-egging the pudding. We do film the entire ceremony and all the speeches, so if the couple wants to sit down and watch all that, they absolutely can. But we’ll put snapshots together, capturing the energy and fun of the whole wedding in ten minutes.”
For filming those set-piece moments, Scott’s methodology is about keeping it simple.
“We set up a couple of tripods – one at the front, one at the back – then wirelessly mic up the vicar and groom. We obviously don’t put a lapel mic on the bride – that’s not cool, having a big microphone sitting on top of her dress. Then we just sync it and cut it all together.
“It’s the same for speeches. We put a mic on the table, focus one camera on the speaker, one at the top table, then film a couple of guests’ reactions to certain points and cut that together, too.”
Filming Authentic Moments
For the rest of the wedding, Scott focuses his attention on recording short vignettes. “I want an unfiltered view of the day,” he explains, “and video is at its best when it’s undirected.
“Nobody wants a video of people standing still, it’s just boring. I’ll film interactions with the couple – so they’re talking, laughing, sometimes looking at the camera. Couples want a video that complements the photography, and videos full of movement and expression are best.”
Knowing what will make a good photo versus what will make a good clip is a skill that comes with experience, advises Scott. “All you want is a ten-second bit of film, then you can cut it together. Get the photos done, then flick to video and hit record for ten seconds.
“I’m getting much better at being more aware about what I should be filming and what I should be photographing now. You just have to trust yourself and your ability. At the start it’s very difficult, I was definitely all over the place. But like anything, the more you do it, the more proficient you get – and the better the end result.”
A camera that can fluently switch between stills and video certainly empowers this process. Scott makes use of the FUJIFILM X-T5 for this very reason. “Autofocus is really quick on the X-T5,” he points out. “So I’ll be using that for documentary photography, then turn a dial and hit the same button for video. It’s literally one dial, it’s so much simpler now.”
Coming to video after years of experience as a photographer has an upside: the core skills are the same. The rules of composition apply equally when making short video clips. “Obviously, you can’t film in portrait, everything’s in landscape,” Scott states. “But it’s just about capturing that narrative. When you see a picture, you might see someone laughing, but don’t necessarily know why they’re laughing. A good video fills in the gaps between the photos.”
How to Edit a Wedding Video
Photographers considering a video service should keep in mind that, when the wedding has finished, the work has only just begun. Editing down a whole day’s worth of material into a finished product can be a painstaking process – so it helps to have a system in place.
“We’ll probably film four or five hours of coverage, then sit down and catalogue it all – good stuff, okay stuff, B-roll stuff. After that, we drop a little bit of everything in together, so you get a nice, balanced end result.”
The wedding industry is known for having very particular clients. But when it comes to editing the final video, Scott says what may seem like a small request is likely to create a lot of headaches. Drawing boundaries ahead of time can help temper a couple’s expectations of creative control.
“You pretty much have to say: ‘This is how you’re going to get it,’” he notes. “That’s because we use certain musical beds and cut in time to that. Just by asking for a quick two-second change, it’s an entire re-edit. So we say: ‘This is how it’s going to be.’ When you get the video, it’s the finished video.”
A common theme of Scott’s approach is never forgetting he has been hired for a reason. A couple will put a lot of thought into choosing their wedding photographer, so once he’s on the job, he acts knowing that he has the complete confidence of his clients.
His parting advice for any photographer interested in exploring the world of video is for them to have the same confidence in themselves.
“Just trust yourself,” he concludes. “It’s okay to second-guess, but the more you try video, the better you’ll be at it. Before you know it, you’ll be doing both seamlessly.”
