Steve's Blog

I just returned from a wonderful week in the Florida sun. My tan is much improved, but my tolerance for windchill has vanished completely. My family, both sets of grandparents, a sister and a few others spend 7 days introducing … Continue reading →

As 3D field acquisition becomes more popular, the need for better tools to analyze the image has risen just as fast. Matrox recently released the MC-100 and it is loaded with features including a 3D analysis mode. It’s a small … Continue reading →

Another day, another chance to play with big trucks! Thanks to the rather mild temperatures, a shoot that would normally happen in May took place the last week in December. Mobile Track Solutions from Elkader, IA manufactures excavation equipment and … Continue reading →

This image is from a job in Pocatello, ID late this past summer. On this job I worked a couple of knee revision  surgeries with another Polecam op from Portland named Boyd Anderson. This was a two camera shoot so … Continue reading →

A while back I was called upon to help solve a problem on the University of Virginia. Videolink (Boston, MA) was doing a show for CNBC and needed a JIB placed on the “upper deck” of the Jefferson Rotunda. That’s … Continue reading →

What do Fairies and past Olympic Boxers have in common?  Not much, unless you were on a shoot with me last summer. This job was all about capturing unique still images for a commercial campaign. The still shooter was Dewey … Continue reading →

Steve Rausch of focused motion (USA) has been producing a 3D project for quite some time. When the Polecam 3D rig became available after the X Games in Los Angles it was time to shoot. “We wanted a complete experience … Continue reading →

Recently I used my Polecam on a commercial shoot here at home. We had three completely different physical locations to shoot at with talent in an 8 hour time period. Plus multiple setups in each location. Thank goodness the rig … Continue reading →

A former co-worker and recovering video guy invited me to speak at the 2011 South Dakota’s MarketPlace. Chris Studer is the Comunications Director for SD Farmers Union. We crossed paths many moons back in the broadcast arena. His group put … Continue reading →

To keep production costs in check, a lot of programs are using Skype to conduct interviews instead of purchasing airfare to ship a producer half way across the continent. It’s almost like the real thing, but I understand the efficiencies … Continue reading →

From years past: My wife found this old picture while ridding her phone of unwanted forwards and old pictures used to help decorate the basement of our previous house. Here I am in full firefighting gear. I am not on … Continue reading →

It’s not often, but I do get requests for long form projects such as speakers and panel discussions. This was the case with the South Dakota Ag Summit held in Sioux Falls last month. The Dept. of Ag held an … Continue reading →

Anvils. What else is there to say, other than… “incoming!” Seriously. I was brought on to do field audio for a show that looks into the word of Anvil Shooting. No really. It exists. Apparently this is mostly a Southern … Continue reading →

Polecam was the tool to have on a recent shoot. We needed a lot of images from a small office space as well as exteriors. All shots needed movement so the polecam was perfect. Because it is relatively easy to … Continue reading →

I was hired to shoot video for a project focusing on a portable mining plant. This one was built by a South Dakota Company and lives and works in St. Louis. We spent 3 full days shooting different capabilities of … Continue reading →

My polecam was hired by Videolink out of Boston Mass. to shoot difficult angles for a series of heart surgeries. I was one of 4 manned cameras and 4 unmanned for a total of 8 camera sources. This was a … Continue reading →

Last summer was a fun one. I spent 13 days in Sturgis, SD at the bike rally. Part of it was helping a friend do BBQ, the rest was spent working the stage at Monkeyrock, USA. This production had 24 … Continue reading →

I purchased a new camera for my Polecam at NAB 2010. Because the camera control is also a recorder, it needed to be mounted differently than my previous cameras.  I couldn’t find anything commercially so I headed to the garage … Continue reading →

These pics were taken from my perch at the 2010 ISOC SnoX racing Grand Finally held at Lake Geneva, WI. This is the second time I have worked the event but first with the Polecam.  The second photo is from … Continue reading →

After shooting and editing a music video for the musical family The Browns last year, they asked for another.  They have gotten a lot of positive feedback about the video while on tour and wanted to add another. I used … Continue reading →

I was in Louisville continuing a series of surgeries. Polecam is great for this as it can be position to have the same line of sight as the surgeon. It’s small and out of the way and gets great video … Continue reading →

I picked up a new still camera. It’s the very hard to find Panasonic Lumix GH-2. It has great video options with its micro 4/3 chip. It does pretty well with stills too. Here is a pic I took in … Continue reading →

Polecam is a pretty versatile piece of equipment. It can be configured for 3D stereoscopic capture. I filled in for John Gillen on a 10 day shoot of factories in the US. These images came from the John Deere Harvester … Continue reading →