Aikido/Martial Arts Photography and Filmmaking
 

Anyone else out there into Aikido/Martial Arts Photography? Photography and video has been a hobby of mine for a while but I am starting to do some serious work with the martial arts.

Below is a photo slide show and a video of some stuff I have done for my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class. Let me know what you think. There are a lot action shots after you pass the initial portraits.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/michael...1311/lightbox/

http://vimeo.com/18848640

If there is anyone who might want some photos and/or video of their Aikido class in the general vicinity of DC let me know? This is just a hobby right now so I am not charging money or anything, just for fun. As far as video goes I am now getting into slow and ultra slow motion video which would look great with Aikido.

Seminars would be fine with me too.

Re: Aikido/Martial Arts Photography and Filmmaking
 

Wow you take fantastic pictures. Iv'e taken a bunch of pics and some video in my classes but the camera I was using is not nearly so nice. Still Iv'e gotten a few pretty nice shots. I have often thought it would be really fun to have a professional photographer come and shoot during class just to see what sorts of neat shots we might be able to get. It would be nice to have a few really well shot pictures of myself in my aikido world like I have for my equestrian world. Ah well if you are every in Pittsburgh and sensei agrees....:)

Re: Aikido/Martial Arts Photography and Filmmaking
 

Actually my wife went to college in Pittsburgh and has friends we visit there occasionally. It has been a while so she would probably love to go there soon. Let me know what your sensei thinks.

Re: Aikido/Martial Arts Photography and Filmmaking
 

Great Photos ,
love the lighting in the portraits.
What camera and lens are you using ?
I would love to be able to take those shot but I need to thing.
1. Your camera and skills
2. Not to train and take photos (This is really hard for me)

I'm lucky enough that my instructor allows me to video all his classes, I've only just been getting around to editing them.

What do you use for slow motion, I've been looking for a while for a video camera that does High Def slow Motion , but can't seem to find anything affordable.

Regards

Re: Aikido/Martial Arts Photography and Filmmaking
 

Oh cool. Well Sensei is Garth Jones and he does visit this forum so he might weigh in himself but I'll ask him what he thinks as well as ask some of my dojo mates if they would be interested in something like this. :)

Re: Aikido/Martial Arts Photography and Filmmaking
 

Michael, man you've really gotten good over the last couple of years! Nice work. You really capture the "life" in your stills.

Re: Aikido/Martial Arts Photography and Filmmaking
 

Oh yea, not sure if you remember Jonathan, a brown belt from Arlington Judo Club. Well I was going to my aikido class a few weeks ago and one of my BJJ students was rolling on the ground with a guy, he looks up...and it is Jonathan! Small world. We get together every now and then and do some training.

Re: Aikido/Martial Arts Photography and Filmmaking
 

I used a Canon 7d and the 17-55mm f2.8 lens. For slow motion I shoot most of the footage at 24p and then for slow motion clips I shoot 60p and put into the 24p timeline, then adjust to playback rate of the clip. You just need a camera that can shoot 60p which gives you enough frames to look good slow.

Re: Aikido/Martial Arts Photography and Filmmaking
 

Thanks Kevin, Yea I have seen a few people from Arlington Judo when training BJJ, Is Jonathan Sensei Robert Winston's son? That's the only Jonathan I remember.

Re: Aikido/Martial Arts Photography and Filmmaking
 

No...not the same one. I know Winston and his son. His son should be in his last year at the Air Force Academy right now I believe.