Oregon Country Fair Video
Capturing the Magic: How to Shoot Stunning Smartphone Videos at the Oregon Country Fair
Oregon Country Fair video. They held their first fair in Eugene in early November 1969 with the tagline, “come in costume.” It began as a craft fair to raise funds for an alternative children’s school. In 1970 the Oregon Country Fair moved to its current location in Veneta, about 13 miles west of Eugene. Until 1977, the fair was known as the Oregon Renaissance Faire.
Every year, the Oregon Country Fair draws thousands of attendees worldwide to its vibrant and eclectic celebration of art, music, and creativity. This unique event provides a fun opportunity to capture moments of beauty and magic and share them with the world. In this blog post, I’ll explore some of the essential tips and techniques to shoot captivating videos at the Oregon Country Fair with your iPhone or Android Phone, ensuring that your footage reflects the spirit and energy of this fun festival.
Oregon Country Fair Video: get to know the festival before you go
Before attending the Oregon Country Fair, it’s crucial to do your research and plan your shoot. You’ll be able to familiarize yourself with the fair’s schedule, map out the key areas, and identify the locations or performances where you’d like to film. The fair is a bustling and colorful environment, so having a solid plan will help you make the most of your time and take advantage of all must-see moments.
Embrace the Spirit of the Fair
The Oregon Country Fair is known for its vibrant and fun atmosphere. Enjoy the unique energy and spirit of the fair by interacting with the beautifully dressed attendees, capturing candid moments, and documenting the diverse expressions of art and culture. As a videographer, I also recommend dressing up and being part of the color and beauty.
Oregon Country Fair Video: Capture the Colorful Costumes
One of the most iconic aspects of the Oregon Country Fair is the array of costumes and outfits worn by attendees and performers. Take advantage of the vibrant colors and creativity by focusing your camera on the stunning attire, like beautiful women in white with amanita mushroom heads. Slow-motion shots can beautifully showcase the flow and movement of dancers with fabric, adding a touch of cinematic flair to your videos.
Shoot in shallow depths of field cinematographic mode.
A shallow depth of field allows your subjects to pop against a blurred background. I shot all these videos with an iPhone 13 in cinematographic mode. This video mode is new to the iPhone 13 and subsequent models. (The iPhone 7 Plus was the first camera to shoot portraits in this mode.) The Cinematic Blur mode is only available on the Google Pixel 7 and 7 Pro.
Use Natural Light
The Oregon Country Fair has beautiful, natural settings, including lush forests and open meadows. Use natural light to add color and richness to your videos. The Golden Hour occurs during the first hour after sunrise and the last hour before sunset. It is magical for capturing warm, soft lighting. During the day, the sunlight filtering through the trees provides beautiful backlighting in parts of this video. l The fair is dark at night, and even with my new iPhone, shooting videos with limited light was challenging.
Showcase the Performances and roaming performers.
The Oregon Country Fair hosts many captivating performances, from lively music acts at the various stages and roaming the extensive forest pathways. It has mesmerizing dance routines, fun parades of drummers and “bumble bees,” and amusing theatrics. I recommend having your smartphone in hand and being ready to video these performances. They offer enjoyable opportunities to capture the performers and audience’s energy and enthusiasm. You can experiment with various angles and focal lengths on your smartphone to find the best way to showcase the dynamic nature of live performances. I recommend setting your lens to 1x, which provides better optics than 3x or 1/2x on the iPhone.
Oregon Country Fair Video: Consider Sound Quality
Good quality sound is crucial in video production. Capture the authentic sounds of the fair, whether lively music, parades, or softer sounds like the sound bowls in this video. You could consider an external microphone that can isolate and minimize unwanted noise to ensure high-quality audio. That said, I am delighted with the audio of my iPhone 13. The new iPhone and Android models are impressive.
Create a Narrative
While capturing spontaneous moments is essential, remember to create a narrative in your video. Develop a story that guides your viewers through the fair, showcasing the movements, colors, and sounds that make the fair unique. An engaging narrative will keep your audience hooked from start to finish.
Edit Thoughtfully
Once you’ve collected ample footage, approach the editing process thoughtfully. Trim and arrange clips to create a cohesive and captivating story. Utilize transitions, sound from the fair, or music to enhance the emotional impact of your video. In some of the sequences, I have overlapped the audio tracks. This helped to bring out the flavor, sounds, and ambiance of the Oregon Country Fair.
I edit all my videos with Adobe Premier. It lets me quickly lay out multiple tracks and overlay video and audio. Final Cut Pro is also an excellent program. iMovie is free for Mac users and is suitable for basic editing. Many people edit short videos on smartphones for social media. I recommend using a computer and a program like Premier or Final Cut Pro.
Some of the people in this video
Erica Snowflake