Virtual Photography In The Time Of Social Distancing
Photoshoots in the time of social distancing are virtual i.e. “Virtual Photoshoots”. Due to the measures being taken to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, social distancing has been highly recommended if not already imposed by mandate of law. Until then, photoshoots are just not happening. Even if it just involves 2 people, the photographer and model, at this time it may be low risk, but there is also a “Stay Home” or “Shelter In Place” rule in effect in some places. The best way to create images with other talents is the use of social media apps.
I took part in a virtual photoshoot hosted by @StreetMeetLA “National Virtual Photo Meet”. Photographers were shooting with models from the comforts of home. You can shoot from your couch while having beer and tacos since you don’t have to go anywhere. A Zoom meeting was created to host the event, though I have my reservations about using this app. It is more a security issue for me, but since that is what you have to use there is not much choice. I did make sure I had the latest version due to the recent security issues and I will surely not be using Zoom to do photoshoots again, so this is fine for this purpose only.
I joined the Zoom meeting along with hundreds of other photographers based mostly around the greater Los Angeles area. The models were also mostly based in California, with the exception of a few who are from out of state. I really had one expectation for this virtual photoshoot, which I am sure the other photographers had as well. I was not sure how it was going to work out though with so many photographers, but this would surely put on screen the model. From there, I suppose it is up to the photographers to be creative.
The Virtual Photoshoot
The first model appeared as the active speaker in the meeting. This becomes the large window in the Zoom app, which everyone can see. All microphones are muted, to avoid the chaos from all the photographers talking at the same time. Instead we have the chat window to send messages to the model.
I was wondering at first whether I should just screenshot every frame or use my DSLR. I decided to give both a try and see which is best. I would later realize that screenshots were easier to do and even had better quality sometimes. Using the DSLR to shoot a computer screen just wasn’t working out for me.
Taking A Look At Image Quality
You may already have noticed that none of the stills I captured are of high quality. Even at high resolution, I still don’t get the quality I was looking for. A 16 or 32 MP camera is useless in this case. The poor quality can come from the camera used on the model’s end, the streaming quality of the video and of course the computer display resolution and refresh rate. If all those factors are horrible, you get the poorest quality in the image. I have not used a 4K or higher monitor with a higher refresh rate, but I still don’t think you will get the best quality from that compared to an actual live photoshoot.
Most of the shots from the DSLR were soft and out of focus, even when trying manual focus mode. Using autofocus was fine until the model starts moving and you have to recompose. Asking the model to stay perfectly still cannot be communicated since you are one among many photographers trying to give different directions. The worst part of shooting at a screen is the Moire effect in the final image. You can minimize this by capturing the screen at different angles, but that is a compromise. You get less Moire, but not the composition you would otherwise want.
I did find the screenshots to be better most of the time. Less artifacts and no Moire patterns compared when shooting with the DSLR. If the screen had a higher refresh rate, it does help. Not everyone has a high-end professional monitor that is correctly calibrated though so while that type of equipment can be used, it is not widely at everyone’s disposal. I will stick to doing screenshots for future virtual photoshoots.
Final Thoughts
It turned out to be exactly what I expected … fun. That’s right, go and have fun with it. However, we can’t really keep doing virtual photoshoots for more serious photography. Absent is the social interaction needed between photographer and model. I am more used to giving direction on location rather than having to type in a message to request what the model should do. That can get drowned in the mix of messages coming from the other photographers. You also have a better idea of composition when you are there with the subject you are shooting. You don’t get that same look and feel when shooting at a screen.
The quality of the images were also poor, even if you were shooting with your high-resolution DSLR or mirrorless camera. It doesn’t mean a thing since the quality is already lost in the Zoom app itself. You can only get a maximum 1080p resolution from the video stream, and you cannot choose the angles you want. The model has control of their camera for Zoom, while on the other end you are just either taking screenshots or shooting with your own camera. There may also be some lag due to slow network connections, which did occur from time to time. That results in noticeable artifacts which totally ruins the image quality.
The lack of resolution and quality from Zoom is just one of the limiting factors, but there is another one. You are also shooting a computer screen display for the most part, which doesn’t improve quality with sharpness and focus. There is a world of difference focusing on an actual subject as opposed to a computer screen or monitor. Sometimes the focus is off because of how the display is rendering the image on screen. It can throw off your focus point and by the time you recompose you may lose it again and it results in a blurry image. Even when the lens is able to focus on the display, when the app is returning a blurry image it will still result in a blurry image. In this case the screen’s display is distorting the image.
Virtual photoshoots would have been a way to demonstrate the features of computational photography. What I did notice though is the cameras on the model’s end were not of great quality. A typical flagship smartphone camera for selfies, which is what some of the models used, can provide 8 MP resolution. Not exactly high resolution compared to a Nikon D7000 16 MP. When the quality of the imaging is poor, computational features could solve the problem, but only through the lens that is immediately capturing the image. This processing would have to be done on the model’s end. By the time it reaches the photographer’s end, the quality is so poor it would require advanced super resolution algorithms to get a decent quality. I found taking screenshots much better in quality at times, compared to using a DSLR.
Despite the limitations, I salute the models and everyone else who participated in this activity, as I would call it. I really don’t think virtual photoshoots are going to replace live photoshoots. At least at this time with the existing technology. If at some point quality improves and you can manipulate the camera remotely, that would be a game changer. Then again, photoshoots were meant to be a social activity, unless you are shooting landscapes or inanimate objects. I do like the creativity though, because it shows how digital is allowing us to explore new ways of creating images.
When it comes to photographing people it is about communication and interaction. I think the best images are created when these elements are present between model and photographer. The model gets better direction from the photographer. The photographer also doesn’t require an app, but rely on their own camera to capture the images. Hopefully virtual photoshoots won’t be regular, but more the exception for times like these.
