Behind the blog – How to shoot YouTube videos

Hair Romance x Olympus Collaboration

YouTube used to scare me. I put off making videos for ages, but now I love it. I feel like I can show so much more detail easier with video and give you an idea of what Hair Romance is about.

So I want to take you behind the scenes to show you how I shoot YouTube videos.

Now we’ve covered blog photography and Instagram photography, it’s time to share some easy tips on how I shoot videos.

Behind the blog – A video about how I shoot YouTube videos

Click here if you can’t see the video above

What do I use to film my videos?

It doesn’t have to be complicated. I shoot with:

• Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II camera
• M.Zuiko 12-40mm f2.8 Lens
• Manfrotto 190XPOROB tripod

Camera gear tip

When filming videos, it’s wise to invest in faster camera cards. I recommend using Class 10 SD cards or higher to ensure you capture the best quality video fast. It’s also great when you’re filming timelapse or other video effects.

Lighting videos

For lighting I use either soft boxes or umbrella lights, and the star in my inventory is my ring light from eBay. I wish this light would follow me around everywhere!

My hairbrush microphone

Some of you love and some of you hate it, but I’m not getting rid of the brush.

There’s a small lapel microphone hidden in the bristles and it is a fun prop that really suits my channel.

Why video has been hard for me

Having a background in photography gave me a lot of confidence to start shooting but when it came to video, it was another story. On the surface they might seem quite similar, but videography brings up a whole new set of challenges.

When I started I didn’t have the right equipment. I also had to change how I thought about filming and look at it in a completely new way. And since getting my camera, the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II, everything changed. It made me more confident to try more video, but it also meant I didn’t have any excuses not to shoot video.

The Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II is incredible for video. It has the best stabilisation on the market and it even makes my handheld videos look smooth. You would have seen it in action in my recent post about my experience at Stevie English Hair. It has in-built timelapse settings too, which are so easy and fun.

Now most of the tutorials I film are using a tripod, but when it comes to the travel videos I shoot for Mr & Mrs Romance, that’s when the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II really comes into its own. It really compensates for my shaky hands and the colours it captures are fantastic.

Editing videos

Here’s where I really need help. I’m the slowest editor ever, which is why it takes me so long to post. Jim is now my editor behind the blog. He’s taught himself how to use iMovie and Final Cut Pro and has sped up the whole process.

It can feel overwhelming when you’re getting started with video and can feel like you need to invest in a lot. But I think once you’ve got a great camera, all the other parts come together easily.

My previous camera was a nightmare because it didn’t have video autofocus. So many other cameras I tested had really noisy autofocus that you could hear in the video. Olympus is super easy to use and silent.

The video mode works beautifully in automatic or you can switch it manual to set it exactly the way you want. Normally I shoot in aperture priority mode. This allows me to control the depth of field but then the camera does the rest. I know, I should probably use manual settings, but it’s easy and works perfectly every time as the camera calibration is so good.

A tip for video newbies

While I never work from a script it does really help to make some notes before you start. I probably couldn’t memorise a script even if I tried, but making notes will mean that you have some order to your video and that you don’t forget what you want to say.

I also create a checklist of the shots I need to take so I don’t miss anything.

A fast hack for uploading videos to Youtube

If your internet speeds are slow, you need to know about Handbrake. This program compresses your video with only a slight loss of quality. Before we had broadband internet, it could take 7+ hours to upload videos! I would set it overnight and hope for the best in the morning.

With Handbrake, that reduced to around 30 mins. No one has commented on the difference and I don’t think anyone really needs to see my face in 4K high definition anyway.

How to get over your nerves on camera

A beautiful friend of mine, Karima McKimmie, who’s also a Youtuber, gave me a great tip when I was starting out. She got me to collaborate on a video with her and told me that making videos with someone else is a great way to get over your nerves.

It can be hard to talk to the camera lens, so having someone with you just gives it a little more energy. Then once you’ve done it a few times making a video on your own is easy.

Keep your mistakes

Don’t delete the mistakes you make – the bloopers are often the best bits. Jim will occasionally cut a few in to the end of my video for a laugh.

Personally, I love pulling the curtain back to look at what’s happening backstage and so I hope you are enjoying this behind-the-scenes blog series.

I hope these tips have helped if you have your own Youtube channel and leave me a link so I can check out your videos.