Since high school I have been periodically exploring film, photography and animation. It’s always been something of a hobby of mine but nothing I have pursued. In high school I started off with a Nikon FM 10. It had three buttons and I still know what they all do. Unfortunately, since I have no intention of spending time in a darkroom or paying to have my film shots printed, I have had to make the digital leap.
My digital leap has been a slow process; maxing out the capabilities of my previous camera phones before eventually graduating to an iPhone 4. While I currently have limited underwater/low light/too much light/zoom/macro shooting capabilities with the iPhone, it’s still a helluva a point-and-shoot camera. Add to it any kind of editing app you can think of and some of my iPhone shots turn out halfway decent.
My video career has evolved with the internet which means every project I have worked on is available for view somewhere on the internet.
The first project I ever worked on was U2’s “Beautiful Day.” We were in high school back then and obviously did this for a girl. My favorite shots are the elevator and stairwell shots. Also, the jib shot at 2:47. How did a couple 16 year olds get a crane for that? We didn’t.
My next project, “The Milktrix,” was my final project for photography class senior year. I was looking to do something different than the typical music video remake. Been there, done that. Had a lot of fun shooting this one and got my first experience editing.
the milktrix from Michael Donohoe on Vimeo.
I kept an interest in video in college, but never really had time for it, or my own camera. In the time from high school to the end of college, cameras started getting better and better and cheaper and cheaper, but I still did not get one. In fact, I have incorporated video projects into almost every job I have held since graduating in 2007 and somehow been able to get by on other peoples’ cameras.
I want video to be a part of my life. Whether freediving, hiking, breaching, or hammocking, I want to be able to show off the places I go and the things I do. More importantly, I want to get good at filming and better at editing. All of the pieces are in place. I have amazing locations and activities to shoot and a camera to shoot them with. The challenge is to produce some sick media.
Gear:
iPhone 4
Lots of apps
GoPro Hero2 Outdoor Edition
15″ Macbook Pro (4 years old)
Final Cut Studio
