Boston-based sports camera operator and director of photography Tom Guilmette recently added Vinten’s new Vision blue5 head to his solo shooting package. Guilmette finds it a useful complement, whether shooting a segment of Spotlight Performer for Men’s CWS NCAA Baseball or going on location for background images.
“On a recent location shoot, I chose the new Vision blue5 to support a 2-foot slider and my Canon 5D Mark II DSLR camera,” Guilmette said. “The idea was to set the camera to slowly move down the slider in smooth and easy movements. The blue5 was my pivot point and I panned the camera in the opposite direction of the slide. This back-pan added a 3D feel as the camera wrapped around an object, creating a parallax effect.”
Guilmette used a similar package while shooting the story of young Dillon Coleman, of Gordon College, in Wenham, Mass. Born with no bones in his left hand, Coleman touched a baseball before a rattle. 19 years later, Dillon hit a home run while playing for Gordon College’s baseball team. “For this shoot, using a Sony PMW-F3, we followed Dillon going through his paces on the field and captured interviews with his family, coach and fellow players,” Guilmette said. “The blue5 works perfectly with the F3 along with my Zeiss CP2 prime lenses and a matte box.”
“The Vision blue5 was the ideal support for both projects,” Guilmette said. “It is designed for smaller, light-weight cameras; so I could get the right balance and silky smooth action I expect from a vision head, in a tighter, smaller and less-expensive package. The new head is similar to the original blue, but it can take more weight. It’s a great match for my set-up.”
