Getting Quality Images and Video of LED Screens
About the author
Zachary Todd is a marketing communications coordinator with SNA Displays and works out of the company’s Dallas office. He writes and edits company blogs, case studies, press releases, and numerous other types of marketing copy. Since joining SNA Displays in 2020, he’s also become an amateur photographer, capturing company events and Dallas-area LED installations.
My company has highlighted the AT&T Discovery District’s stunning sound, video design, and deployment of top-tier creative content such as mesmerizing data-driven art from Refik Anadol and colorful comic book art from leading industry talent. Here though, I want to use the award-winning AT&T Media Wall and Lobby as a case study for important considerations when planning an LED display photoshoot.
Even though it looks like AT&T is moving its HQ from it’s current location at the Discovery District to a location just north of Dallas, The District will always hold a special place in my heart. It has a mix of tight-pitch indoor displays and a massive, curved LED spectacular, giving me a one-stop location to practice my shutterbug skills on different types of installations. It was also my introduction into the world of large-format digital screens, as well as the first SNA Displays project I ever saw in person.
So, when I found out that our media production specialist Davis Green was going to be in town to capture some drone footage of The District, I (mostly) didn’t mind waking up at the crack of dawn to meet up with him and try out my new wide-angle camera lens.
Do Your Homework
The first major item to consider is location research. I’ve been to The District often enough that I know the best corners and angles to get good images, but when I go to a new place I make sure to map out where all the displays are located. Not only does this help keep me from getting lost, but it saves me from accidentally spending 20 minutes taking pictures of the wrong display (again). Oh well, at least it’s easy to delete useless pictures on a digital camera.
It’s also a good idea to find out what content to expect so you can capture the best experience possible. Special events, like when The District had a big party to celebrate the release of a new Batman movie, can deliver a wealth of unique images. Similarly, there’s no guarantee the content you happened to discover on social media is going to be running at the exact time you planned to swing by.
Before You Arrive
Sometimes photoshoots are as easy as showing up with a camera (or phone) and going nuts, but that’s more often the exception and not the rule. So, save yourself a ton of grief by calling ahead for permission to film. Even in public areas that don’t require property access, security can get a little anxious when they see someone walking around with a camera, especially if you use a tripod or a gimbal to steady your shots (both pieces of equipment I strongly recommend).
Then there’s details like getting someone to take you places unavailable to pedestrians and making sure you have access to the site for long enough time. At one site, I was only able to get in before business hours, requiring more coordination and giving me less time to work than at The District, which is essentially open 24-7. At another site, a friendly (and possibly bored) security guard let me onto a rooftop to get shots I wouldn’t have otherwise been able to get. That was, of course, after having a nice chat with property management about who I was and why I was there.
What Time is Shot O’clock?
Timing your photoshoot is a major component of getting the perfect shot. I mentioned earlier how I woke up at the crack of dawn. Well, that wasn’t just to beat morning rush hour.
Typically, a shoot during the dawn or dusk hours of the day is best. Overall, the safest window for outdoor shoots is within an hour of sunset or sunrise, providing just the right amount of ambient light. Sunrise and sunset shots help eliminate photography issues stemming from direct sunlight (or streetlight in some cases). Not to mention you can get some great contrast against the sky if the weather is nice.
Also, if you’re so inclined, apps like PhotoPills can tell you exactly where the sun is at a certain time, allowing you to really zero in on the perfect balance of direct versus indirect sunlight.
Look at All Those Buttons
Once I know where everything is, the screens have the content I want, and the property owners are on my side, it’s time to set up. And that means checking all my camera settings. Thanks to the digital camera revolution, I can click, click, click to my heart’s content until I get some nice pictures, never having to worry about wasting film. But that doesn’t mean it’s all random luck, and over the years I’ve picked up a few tricks through trial and error that might help my colleagues in the industry.
If you’ve ever tried to take a still image of an LED screen (whether for work or because it had some neat content), you probably noticed that the picture of the screen looked nothing like it did in person. The reality is that LED displays are harder to shoot correctly than most subjects in traditional photography. Considerations like distance, angle, focus, and other minor adjustments can make a huge difference in the outcome of a photo shoot.
Auto-settings can get you a long way, but I recommend playing with your camera settings to make sure you don’t run into issues such as the screen’s refresh rate not matching the frame rate of your device, which can cause scan lines.
Simply put, the refresh rate is how fast the LED screen redraws its image, while shutter speed is how long your camera “looks” at the screen. If those two don’t line up, you can end up with flickering or dark scan lines in your photo or video. I’ve found phone cameras especially susceptible to this problem.
Keep in mind, however, that refresh rates on LED tend to be higher the more ambient light there is. This makes it easier to avoid scan lines under the right lighting conditions. So, a high-quality display shot at the right time of day will usually yield better results than trying to manually match the frame rate on camera. You also don’t want to drastically alter your framerate for video since it affects the watchability of your recording.
For static images, a slower speed like 1/60 can help eliminate the appearance of scan lines, while they’re much harder to avoid with video, especially with a rolling shutter. Many of my poor-quality images are because of mismatched refresh rates. Most of the rest, like the moiré effect, I can fix by taking a step back, zooming in a little, or changing my angle just a hair. For more on the technical side of this topic, check out Picture This: Capturing Your Digital Display on Camera.
Leveling Up
When I started my photography journey, the base model lens that came with my camera (18–55 mm) sufficed for most of my needs. However, sometimes I encounter situations where I only get the entire screen in frame at less-than-ideal angles. For the longest time, I could only get shots of the Media Wall from the furthest corner of The District because any closer shots would cut off part of the screen.
Getting a wide-angle (12–22 mm) lens was really exciting for me because I was finally able to get closer to the Media Wall and the centerpiece screen in the AT&T lobby to capture angles previously unavailable to me with my all-purpose starter lens. However, while changing my lens allowed me to take closer shots of the Media Wall with the full context of the display, I did lose a little of the sense of scale (more practice required!).
Hovering around 50 mm focal length with people in the image is the best way to convey the display’s scale, while the wider lenses are better for capturing the full context of the screen without having to back too far away.
So, to recap: do a little advanced prep before heading out to site, make sure you time your photoshoot for “magic hour,” and see how the screen looks on camera to make sure you aren’t picking up distortions due to improper camera settings.
Regardless of the lens you use or the time of day you’re able to get to the site, however, don’t neglect your shot list. You do have one of those, right?
Stay tuned for part 2 of The Perfect Shot where I’ll get into a little more of the nitty gritty about LED photography.