How are stills shot theses days?

[Gillian]

Given everything is shot in HD these days, are the stills that make up the photosets shot separately or are they individual frames taken from the video footage, which I assume nowadays would be decent quality?

In the old days you could hear the (very offputting) clatter of the SLR cameras but because that's largely disappeared, I wasn't sure if it was the use of the video footage or perhaps just cameras with quieter shutters !!

If the video footage is used, it makes my pet peeve of portrait aspect ratio stills even more puzzling as presumably they will have been cropped from a widescreen source.

[Amalia]

Not that I am an expert but I am pretty sure that stills are mostly still taken as stills with a DSLR to make sure the quality is good. The clatter of modern cameras are less noisy that it used to be in the old days.

[Ben in LA]

Not that I am an expert but I am pretty sure that stills are mostly still taken as stills with a DSLR to make sure the quality is good. The clatter of modern cameras are less noisy that it used to be in the old days.

Exactly. Most of the photographers I know (Blackula, Buddy Wood, Bob, Frank) use Canon cameras; I think the 5D Mark III. Of course strobes and such are used as well.

[DeadGirl-Productions]

Photos are shot first. A break is taken, makeup is touched up, then video is shot.

[Ecstatic]

LIke DeadGirl-Productsions says, I typically shoot stills first with strobes, then video with hot lights. Strobes are far more comfortable for all since they are literally not hot, also more environmental since they consume far less power than hot lights. I also find the highest quality lighting for stills comes from strobes. HD video does not equal high res stills from a pro camera and lens, although some photographers use this approach. I see a "bright" (pardon the pun) future for LED lighting, as you'd have the comfort and low power usage of strobes coupled with continuous light of hot lights and the ability to control color temperature. Pricing is falling all the time.