Videography vs. Photography

Jamie Perez • March 29, 2024

I often get asked if I can also take photos or do headshots for people as a videographer. The simple explanation: Can I PHYSICALLY do it with my camera? Yes. Am I trained or skilled at it OR do I brand myself as a professional photographer? No.

 

There’s a bit of a misconception around the video and photo world. What’s the difference between videography and photography? A lot of people think that because both fields require a nice camera and nice lenses, that the two are interchangeable. Although there are some people out there who do BOTH art forms, many do not and they often stick exclusively to one or the other. Here are some key differences in the art forms:

 

Videography:

1. Motion and Time: Videography captures a sequence of moments in a continuous stream, allowing viewers to experience the passage of time. This medium is perfect for documenting events, telling stories, and conveying dynamic narratives.

2. Emotion and Sound: Videography excels at evoking emotions through the combination of moving visuals and audio. It can transport the audience into the heart of the moment, utilizing dialogue, music, and ambient sounds to enhance the storytelling experience.

3. Storytelling: Videography shines when it comes to in-depth storytelling. It allows for character development, plot progression, and exploration of various angles and perspectives, creating a more immersive narrative.

4. Challenges: However, videography can be challenging due to its need for stable footage, smooth transitions, and post-production editing. The equipment can be bulkier and more expensive, requiring additional skills in video editing.

Photography:

1. Single Moments: Photography captures a single moment frozen in time. It excels at highlighting the beauty of a single frame, emphasizing details, emotions, and aesthetics.

2. Simplicity and Versatility: Photography is often more straightforward and accessible. With just a camera and a keen eye, photographers can capture powerful images in various conditions, making it a versatile choice for documenting the world.

3. Creativity and Composition: Photography relies heavily on composition, framing, and lighting to create visually compelling images. It allows photographers to focus on the smallest details and produce striking visuals with the right technique.

4. Limitations: On the downside, photography may not capture the full depth of a moment or story, as it only presents a single slice of time. It might require more creative interpretation by the viewer.

The similarities:

Both are forms of visual storytelling that have the power to capture the essence of moments, evoke emotions and take you to places in time you’ve never been. They also both require nice cameras to produce such results. But they are two VERY different skillsets that require hundreds of hours of work and skill to be able to do professionally.

It took me six years as a TV news reporter, filming and editing all of my own stories and seeing failures and successes play out to get to the level of storytelling I’m at today. Even after I left the TV world, shooting for a newscast is very different than shooting for businesses’ video storytelling purposes. So, even after I launched my own business, it was still a learning curve to see what skills I needed to adjust to meet the market I was providing services for.

So many people would ask me at the beginning of launching my biz if I would do photoshoots too. At first, I agreed. I needed to generate income.

I took photography training classes, practiced taking still photos, etc. It just didn’t speak to me the same way video did. I’ve asked my photographer friends how they feel about doing video and they feel the same way. It’s just a whole new beast that we don’t share the same passion for. And that’s okay! Because that’s how referrals end up being shared amongst us and it brings BOTH of us enough business to keep us passionate about the work we’re doing.

I genuinely applaud the folks out there who are skilled at doing BOTH and offer both services to their clients. It’s a great model and brings them even more business opportunities!

Camera Lens

Here's Why Nonprofits Should Be Sharing Donor Stories

By Jamie Perez • May 29, 2025
Most of the time when nonprofit organizations are sharing stories, we are hearing from staff members, the founder and clients. All of these are perfectly fine stories to tell... but what about sharing the donor stories? When a nonprofit has regular donors, there's probably a story behind WHY they believe in your cause so much. There's a heartfelt element to why out of all the nonprofits they could donate to -- why do they choose YOURS to give to time and time again? They most likely relate to your mission. They believe what you believe about a problem that needs to be addressed and they wanted to be part of the solution. Maybe they went through a traumatic situation that your organization is helping people solve. Get to know your donors. Be curious. They're just as much a part of your organization as your staff and clientele. By sharing their stories, they not only feel more involved in an organization they already care so deeply about, but it also could be a great way to attract MORE donors who can relate to their story. Donors give because of stories -- their gifts don't come from coercion; they come from emotion, a desire to connect. It opens up a relationship and this is how wallets open and lives are transformed. People want to know they belong to something and that they're making a difference. It feels good for anyone to know they're needed, wanted and appreciated. Show them the impact of their gift through storytelling. Don't just focus on them when you need something from them. Engage them. Make them part of the organization's journey. To help get you started, here are a couple questions that could ignite some great soundbites when interviewing your donors: What happened in your life that makes you so compelled to support our cause? Why is this need so important to address? With these questions, you're not only asking them to address the need that your organization is addressing, but you're still focusing on THEIR story. By bringing them along this journey and asking these questions, it helps remind them why they give monetary gifts to you. And their story and their reasons could encourage others to do the same. BE CURIOUS. THESE ARE THE TYPES OF STORIES THAT ARE NEVER TOLD BECAUSE WE NEVER ASK . By being curious, sharing THEIR story, you're showing them you not only care about them helping your cause, but you care about them as people. And who doesn't like to share their story with someone who is truly interested?
Owner of Beyond Words Jamie Perez interviews woman on camera in studio setting

3 Tips for Ethical Storytelling

By Jamie Perez • April 30, 2025
Owner of Beyond Words Jamie Perez interviews woman on camera in studio setting
A person is holding a video camera on a tripod.

Three Mistakes Organizations Make When Creating Video

By Jamie Perez • April 28, 2025
We see this time and time again... organizations wanting to tell an emotive story through video and then being disappointed that the final product wasn't as heart-tugging as they'd hoped. This mainly happens for three reasons: 1. Controlling the narrative. There are too many cooks in the kitchen. Organizations want to include everyone in the conversation and then there's too many opinions on what should be included in the video, who should be included, what should be shown, etc. This convolutes the message and becomes a jamboree of information and takes away from the natural flow of what the true story should be. 2. Trying to fit everything into one video. Organizations often don't think about what it truly means to tell a story. It's not talking about all the facts and features of the organizations, the different types of programs, showing the building, etc. We don't need to know everything about you. We KNOW you're doing incredible work, but we can read the facts and figures through the caption or text on your website. What we want to see and feel is the stories and emotions that accompany what you do. Which brings us to the next point... 3. Focusing on the features rather than the people. While it's great to inform people of the logistics of your organization -- those things are often not unique and they don't really retain people's attention. What does accomplish these two things, however, is gripping people by the heartstrings by focusing on one or two people's stories to show the audience the impact you make. It's not about telling me all the generalities of your organization. We really need to hyperfocus on ONE story that embodies the difference you make in people's lives. Remember what a story truly is. It has characters, it follows a journey, it presents a problem, a solution, has layers, and evokes emotion. If your videos are mostly just a summary of what you do as an organization, then you haven't really told a story. You've told me WHAT your organization does. The true heartfelt stories are always found in the WHY.
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