Mesmerizing macro film shot entirely on DJI Pocket 2 captures closeups of the surreal: Digital Photography Review

‘Origin’, a macro film shot by Vadim Sherbakov on a DJI Pocket 2 handheld gimbal, serves as inspiration for creating something unconventional during cold winter months, and continued lockdowns, in some parts of the world. The idea for this experimental video was born while Sherbakov was stuck at home. Restricted from traveling to some of the places where he shoots his magnificent short films, he decided to use a combination of inks, soaps, alcohols, and other household chemicals for creating fluid, liquid art.

‘For us, this project represents the possibility to showcase that this camera is very versatile and could be used in many situations including some creative shots like those. We hope to inspire creatives to think outside of the box in using the Pocket 2 and create stunning experiments,’ Sherbakov explains.

It took 3 weeks of experimentation before shooting commenced. The DJI Pocket 2 was used with and without a macro lens attached. Over a period of 1.5 weeks, over 7 hours of footage (690 GB worth of short clips) was shot. It took another 1.5 weeks to post-process the 1.6% of clips that made it into the final video. DaVinci Resolve 17 (comparable to Adobe Premiere Pro) was used to enhance some colors and reduce noise.

There were some challenges with filming. Because Sherbakov had to get within close proximity to the subject, the camera had to be maneuvered to avoid filming syringes and other tools used to inject the liquids into a bowl of water. However, he credits the Pocket 2’s maneuverable gimbal, that can move left to right, the ability to zoom in and out, and shoot 4K D-Log footage for bringing his vision to life.

It goes to show that even if you aren’t able to travel to exotic places, you can still use the tools you have on hand to create something extraordinary. Full details on this and other projects can be found on Vadim’s website.