Digital Data Collection

Methods of Digital Data Collection

As Digital Data Collectors, we collect data through videos and photos to present to people outside of the class. At each site study, we take photos and video evidence of our class as they do their jobs. For example, if the Zoologists catch a frog, it is our job to take a picture of it or interview them about the catch.

The tools we use are a still camera, a video camera, and tripods. The still camera, or an SLR (Single Lense Reflex), is used for taking pictures of plants, rocks, and animals, or just pictures of people doing their jobs. The video camera, or DSLR is used for taking time lapses, interviews, or again, just people doing their jobs. Our last piece of gear is the tripods. We use tripods for almost everything. They help to steady the camera and prevent a shaky video or lopsided picture. When we decide to do a time lapse, we take a video and speed up the time during the editing process.

As a Digital Data Collector, we are always working. Even when everybody is relaxed and done with their jobs, we are still working to collect photos and videos. We go through the process of taking all of the cameras out of the yellow box, which holds all of our DDC equipment, setting up our tripods and connecting the video cameras to each one, while the DDC in charge of the SLR (Single Lense Reflex camera starts taking photos right away). When we run into a problem with getting a good shot, for example, we are on a beach trying to get a shot of sandpipers; this is what we will do: We walk down to a site where we can see them clearly, set up our tripod, and take around a one minute video of them running up and down the shore, so we can clearly collect the data that we need to record.

Advice for Future Digital Data Collectors

Over the course of this theme, we have learned many things as Digital Data Collectors, one thing is to keep all of your equipment organized and kept in the big yellow box all the time. Organization is important because the cameras and the pictures and videos are

some of the most valuable equipment that we have. Another important part is keeping the cameras, chargers, and battery packs in the yellow box unless the cameras are charging. This is important because the yellow box is waterproof and it is one of the only ways to protect your equipment. You also need to make sure that the tripods are always standing up feet first and not with the head facing down, because this will get dirt and sand into the small cracks and make it turn slower. Another important piece of advice is to not be constantly taking pictures. Yes, you should be documenting often, but after Field Ecology it will take a long time to sort all of those when you get back. And the last piece of advice is to stay on task and be productive when you’re editing the final video.