Moving with the times

Richard Wakefield

With the advent of HD video-enabled DSLRs many professionals are now looking at adding moving images to their repertoire, and Richard Wakefield is the man to show them how to do it. When the first video-enabled DSLRs made their appearance a few years ago few could have foreseen the impact that a feature that at first looked like a bit of a gimmick might ultimately have on the serious business of professional photography.

The launch of the Canon 5D Mark II was the catalyst that really sparked the whole thing off, with its full-frame capability and access to the full range of Canon lenses finally taking HD SLRs into the professional arena. Initially it was the film makers who saw the opportunity to acquire gear that would offer them the chance to do something new at a much lower price point, and then some of the more astute professional photographers started to look at the video options now opening up to them, and everything has snowballed from there.

Richard Wakefield was amongst that first generation to jump in and he’s now a full-time cameraman and moviemaker and an established trainer whose mission it is to help photographers come to terms with the different demands of video production and the equipment minefield that lies ahead of them.

“I’ve been filming and editing weddings for the last six years,” he says, “and I moved solely to DSLR filming in the last two. I now film weddings (FX Films), corporate promos and music videos (FX Media), and run the international training site (WedFilm Academy). Along the way I’ve picked up several awards for my films, as well as representing and speaking for Canon UK at The Societies' Convention and Pro Photo Solutions and I’ve also run seminars for The Societies and The Institute of Videographers.”

The Wedfilm Academy Richard set up specialises in convenient distance training and is aimed at all wannabe, amateur or professional wedding filmmakers and those dabbling with HD SLR. Those who sign up for £55 a month get access to extensive video training tutorials that cover every single aspect of wedding filming and editing, from basic level to advanced. More films are being added all the time, and it’s all designed to be an invaluable resource that will allow photographers to take on training as and when they want it and all at their own pace.

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