Nikon P7000 ISO 1600, f/5.6 1/40

Today one of the most dreaded photo shoots happened. I arrived at the client’s location where I was asked to photograph a class of students in class and then afterwards we are doing their Christmas card photo.

The videographer needed no shutter noise on the video so I am using the Nikon P7000 ISO 1592 f/5 1/250

The client didn’t realize they had a problem booking a still photographer and videographer to shoot in the same classroom at the same time. I was not told about this situation nor was the videographer.

This is the first time in a while I had been put into this situation and this time I had a new solution for the problem. You first need to know the problem. The biggest issue for still photographers shooting with videographers is all about sound. Our cameras make a mechanical noise when the shutter is fired that microphones pick up even more than the human ear or at least Murphy’s Law seems to say so for the end result.

Nikon P7000 ISO 1600 f/3.2 1/130

On movie sets the still photographer often uses a blimp to eliminate the sound of the camera.  The costs start about $1,200 for one of these. I would typically rent one rather than buying one.

Jacobsen Blimp that you put your DSLR Camera into and put the tube over your lens to muffle or eliminate the shutter sound. I couldn’t use it because I didn’t have one or know that I needed it. So thankful that I always have my Nikon P7000 with me.

But today I had another solution. My point-and-shoot Nikon P7000 makes no noise at all when it fires. You actually can turn on and off a shutter noise.  They make this for those who want to hear their camera. I turn it off on mine.

The first time my friend, Dave Black, told me a few years ago he had used a similar Nikon camera during a PGA tournament and had the first photos of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in their back swing for Sports Illustrated. Dave Black surprised the editors so much they almost had a heart attack. You are not suppose to take any pictures of the golfers until they hit the ball. The reason is the motor drives and shutter noises can distract the golfers.

Nikon P7000 ISO 1600 f/5.6 1/35

Dave Black had to quickly pull out his camera he used and fire it to show the editor. Click here for that story.

This story was in my head this morning and so I pulled out the Nikon P7000 and saved the day.

No question I would have preferred to shoot the photos with the Nikon D3s and have even cleaner looking files, but this was a good compromise to get photos and let them video at the same time.

By the way I did use my Nikon D3s for their group photo.  They wanted themselves in a circle for a particular design purpose. Nikon D3s ISO 200 f/9 1/50