Up until yesterday if a person had asked me to compare the differences between still photography and video, I don’t think it would have been too hard for me. They’re two different disciplines that that share a lens but have different output’s and different uses. But after watching a video from friend Justin Steele who’s known for his portraits of athletes like Roger Federer and Derek Jeter among others, the difference between the two mediums is just about non existent now. If you compare the two still photos that Justin took while watching the video, he’s using the same skill to light and compose in a consistent matter. It seriously was one of those aha moments where something clicked for me that a lot of people that are used to interacting with still photos online might really enjoy something that’s highly photographic but with a small amount of movement. Video has been around for quite some time, but we’re used to pretty bad stuff that isn’t lighted very well or really high quality video that takes a crew of ten to create. As far as I know Justin is doing this stuff with one or two assistants. If you can’t tell already, I’m pretty excited about the potential for this kind of hybrid photography. Of course with the good comes the small quips; after watching the video and seeing the closing credits—the typography does the video a disservice. It’s a bit clunky though I’m sure he’d be the first to say he’s not a designer, and the second is that there’s a bunch of dead time after the video. Not a big deal as I’m sure he’s going to re cut the video when he has the time.

Justin’s got five videos online at http://vimeo.com/justinsteele/videos and his portfolio of star athletes and others at http://www.justinsteele.com.