Simply just exploring nature will inevitably lead you towards rivers and streams. Where water is, life follows. When filming rivers and streams, a few problems present themselves. There is always a lot going on around these rivers and streams, and getting your video to not be overwhelming to the audience can be challenging.
Around rivers and streams, there tend to be lots of life and things going on. Animals running around and drinking, fish swimming, mud, and leaves and ground clutter. All of these things are great, but too much outside action can lead to the focus shifting away from the river and stream, and towards the outside commotion. Reducing the amount of outside commotion can help the audience be more engaged in the moving stream and river.
The best way to capture the best angle of a river is to get in. Bring water shoes with you to filming and get in! By getting in, you can address the issue of finding the best angle. Getting in and getting your hands a little dirty won’t hurt, and can really help you find that perfect angle that you can’t see from the side.
A safe bet when filming streams is to avoid the sky. Having too much sky in your shot will likely leave it blown out, and there will be too much going on in the shot. The sky can also mess up the color of your river or stream, either by being too bright or too dull. Avoiding the sky is a good way to help avoid the problem of your film of a river being blown out.
Watching the weather is important when filming rivers and streams is a good idea. Usually, partially cloudy days are the best for filming rivers since the clouds will weave the sun in and out of the shot. This prevents your shots from being too bright, or too dull. Partially cloudy days are the perfect mix of light and dark in order to make sure your video pops.
What is the craziest thing you’ve ever done in order to get a good shot?