Photos vs. Videos for Personal Documentation?
Video version:
Photos or videos for personal documentation? Which one should I prioritize?
This is a question I have been pondering this past year as I started a personal long-term photography project that is intended to capture various aspects of my 30s. Given the nature of the project, it makes sense to prioritize shooting photos of personal moments. It is not all that surprising then that as the project progressed this year, my interest in video began to dwindle until I nearly stopped shooting video entirely. The interest in video has resurfaced as of late, however, and I find myself hesitant to forego video documentation entirely.
This was particularly salient recently, when Youjin and I went on a quick one-day trip to Seattle. I was contemplating whether to capture it on my photography camera, the Leica MP240, or my video-capable camera, the Nikon Z8. The former would allow me to add photos to my personal project, which is centred around that camera, and the latter would allow me to become more familiar with the Nikon Z8 and the Tamron 28-75mm G2, as I’m beginning to pick up some gigs here and there on the side. I have officially entered millennial-defined boomer territory, finding the new technology to be extremely frustrating. I need all the practice I can get. I miss the simplicity of the Blackmagic Pocket 4K and the Red Komodo, but can’t deny the versatility of an auto-focussing mirrorless camera package.
So naturally, as we all tend to do, I decided to bring both.
The first day and the bulk of the trip, I ended up only using the Leica since I wanted to prioritize the photography project and because it’s so much more enjoyable to bring around. I love how the camera integrates seamlessly into my day and my experiences. When I look back at the photos, however, I can’t help but notice how mediocre they feel from a photography perspective. They’re undoubtedly invaluable to me, as they capture and give meaning to a random day in December of 2024, but they’re simply not great photos. That in itself however, is surprising to me. The fact that I seem to care at all about their quality.
Here is our first tangent to be discussed: What creates a great photo?
This is not a question I seek to answer concretely, nor do I think I should be the one trying to answer this at my current level of photography. On a hypothetical level though, I would assume that any individual’s “great photos” are entirely aligned with their particular understanding and pursuit of photography.
Currently, I would say that I am still trying to define what my pursuit of photography is, and I try to define it through observing which photos of mine I particularly like.
When ruminating on this notion, I am brought to believe that, contrary to my love for personal documentation, I consider that avenue to be a separate pursuit than that of “photography.” My idea of photography is closer to the craft itself, and after reading Henri Cartier-Bresson’s The mind’s eye, I think I have a better idea of what I personally consider that craft to be.
The craft I am after, is one that aims to distill multiple facets of what we consider “life” into one single frame, composed entirely through intuition and comprised of self-projection and expression. A single utterly dense moment that is infused with humanity, however humanity is defined by the photographer in that particular moment.
For me, this explains a few reasons why I have been so invested in street photography this year. To achieve my idea of photography, I think it requires me to be an observer. I must play the third party in order to fully grasp both consciously and subconsciously the dynamics of any given moment. I would say it also requires to be in a flow state of sorts, as you process as much raw stimuli as you can so that your intuition, which I would argue is driven by tastes developed over time by personal experiences and reflections, can then intervene and guide you to the shot that is before you.
This would be my current personal definition of photography, as in, this is the kind of photography that I wish to pursue, and the kind that seems to best fit where I am in my life and as a person.
So a great photograph, whatever it may be, at the very least should align with that pursuit.
Surprisingly, personal documentation does not seem to fit that criteria, as it does not allow me to be a detached observer, nor am I in a similar flow state to when I’m alone in the streets. I consciously use the word “seem” here though, because I’m not yet entirely sure. One could say that there are still opportunities to distill my understanding of life into frames, perhaps even enhanced by the unique perspective of being amidst the action, and that may suggest a simple lack of skill on my part, but I do find some dissonance in that I still wish to fully partake in these personal moments, and I feel like pursuing excellent photos inherently clashes with that desire.
What about video?
For video I don’t believe I can approach the question of personal documentation in the same way I did for photography. Most likely, this is because I have never approached videography or filmmaking as a craft. At its core, video has never been associated with any kind of ambition. I believe in good work of course, whatever the industry, but again, my interests never fully aligned with becoming great at this craft. I have mentioned it a few times on this channel, but video for me has mostly been about communication with others. Whether it’s a video message to an overseas friend or a form of self-therapy, it has always offered personal utility.
Our second tangent: here too, there is some dissonance. As of late, I have been invested in learning more about cinematography, and I have a lot of admiration for sound and colouring, even going so far as to take a Cullen Kelly course. It has also been a large part of my career journey, as a freelance videographer for so many years. As a result, there is a desire to produce videos that are of high quality, cohesive, and interesting, even when documenting personal moments, which I want to be as authentic and organic as possible. The more I learn about lighting and composition, the more I fall in love with the craft, and the more it seems to clash with what I would consider run-and-gun, first-person personal documentation.
Returning to the main question. So when I switched to the Nikon Z8 for video on the second day, and the little clips I took on the Insta360 Go 3 the first day, I certainly felt more at home. I must admit, however, that lugging the Nikon Z8 around and trying to be mindful of the overall quality took me out of the moment far more than photography did. Filming on the Insta360 Go 3 was a much better experience, but the clips are a little too poor in quality that I don’t find them appealing.
Third tangent: This might be my justification to purchase the Osmo Pocket 3 that everyone seems to have. More gear solves everything doesn’t it? (I bought one on New Year’s Eve….)
But at the end of it all, I’m finding the question I should be asking isn’t photo vs. video for personal documentation. Rather, I should be asking, “So what?”
For both photos and videos, documentation does not stop at capture. We also need to consider what to do with the clips afterwards. Are we just going to edit the photos and leave them on a hard drive? What are you going to create with the videos? A cute video for social media that you might come across in the future?
And I’m sure we’ve all experienced at some point, complete abandonment of the files. If the raw files are abandoned, does it render the experience of capture meaningless?
Lots of questions, but it seems reasonable to say that for personal documentation, it does not matter whether you take photos or videos if you do not end up using them. Maybe you come across them in the future while cleaning up your files, but I would surmise that most of our raw files need at least a bit of curation or editing, and this is especially the case for raw codec files that you can’t yet preview without opening a video editing program.
If we accept that an intentional approach is beneficial to personal documentation, perhaps we can achieve this by setting up frameworks or goals pertaining to how we intend to use the captured moments. To be honest, this is where I find myself stumbling.
My current goal is to document my 30s, but equally so to become better at photography, writing, and thought. As I mentioned before, it appears that these goals are somewhat at odds if I want to be fully present while documenting personal moments. More concretely, in terms of deliverables, I wish to create a series of zines and eventually a photo book, but I also want to create videos for this channel, while still continuing with my 9-5 career path.
I suppose the core issue I am facing then, is balancing everything. Having a 9-5 does take up quite a bit of time. Getting older also seems to be introducing more time and money variables that we colloquially coin “adulting,” so I find myself lusting after more streams of income. Any editing or creative pursuit on top of this, then, I feel has to be very efficient and focused. My stumbling may be due to trying to forcefully align personal documentation with the idea of efficiency. Perhaps these things are inherently incompatible because, again, should not personal documentation be free and organic?
…
As usual, perhaps I’m just overthinking things. I think my photography project will still allow room for personal documentation, and I just need to become a better photographer. On the video side of things, I think I need to have more focus on what I intend to do with the raw clips, and clearly define why I want to capture personal videos at all. How will I revisit it in the future, or will I revisit them at all? Perhaps video should just be relegated to this YouTube stuff and like the photography project, personal moments will naturally seep into the channel later on.
Anyways, thank you for joining me in this little mental meandering, and I hope that spurs some thoughts for you.
How do you approach personal documentation? Do you organize these pieces into a cohesive whole or do you let them be, organically rediscovering them like a box of random photographs years down the line?
Hope you are well and Happy New Year.
Cheers,
Joon