An hours flight over an area of natural beauty, though not cheap, can be a good
investment resulting in striking images from an unusual angle.
Get the most out of aerial photography with aerial photography tips
Aerial photography brings a fresh perspective to landscape. It has its own unique
range of subjects and styles of picture, particularly if you shoot vertically downwards
to create unusual, abstract images. Patterns that are invisible on the ground can
be the most striking part of an aerial photograph.
The single most important factor that separates
ordinary from good aerial photographs is the lighting. Direct sunlight is almost
always better than an overcast day; the contrast is higher and, being brighter,
allows higher shutter speeds. A high sun in the middle of the day, however tends
to give flat lighting. This is even more apparent if you are shooting vertically
downwards rather than obliquely. More reliably attractive is a low sun in the early
morning and late afternoon: this casts longer shadows and gives a stronger and better
defined image.
One of aerial photography’s special problems is haze, because of the thickness of
the atmosphere through which you have to shoot. The simplest solution is to fly
low — say, at about 300 metres (1,000 feet) above ground love — and use a wide-angle
lens. A good aerial photography tip is to use UV filter will also help to sharpen
contrast and cut through any atmospheric haze.
Shooting Angle
Normal-level flight allows only diagonal shooting at a shallow angle, which works
well enough for distant views. For close,
graphic shots, however a steeper shooting angle
is usually better and the most extreme — directly overhead can sometimes be the
most strong of all. There are three ways of doing this with a fixed-wing aircraft.
The pilot banks the aircraft, which puts it into a turn, so you may have only a
few seconds for shooting. Or the pilot can slip the aircraft sideways towards the
subject, reducing the throttle to dampen vibration. The third alternative is to
fly in a tight circle over the subject, this is the recommended by aerial photography
tips.
Lens Type
As on the ground, different focal lengths give different types of image. Wide angles
(28mm and less) are particularly good for overall views with less haze effect. The
standard focal length of around 50mm is obviously useful for most subjects, while
a moderate telephoto can be used to pick out smaller subjects like a flock of birds.
Keep the aperture wide open and set the highest shutter speed possible (at least
1/250 sec) to avoid camera shake. Aircraft vibration makes manual focusing difficult
to judge — autofocus is better — and also limits the length of telephoto lens.
Preparing for a flight
A top aerial photography tip is to save time and money by making all possible preparations
before you fly, and allow for the different shooting circumstances between types
of aircraft - fixed-wing, helicopters and balloons.
Flying time is expensive so time spent planning the flight, briefing the pilot and
preparing the aircraft and cameras always saves money and gives you more time for
shooting in flight; basically, do as much as you can before take-off.
i) Mark the flight plan on a map, anticipating exact locations as much as
possible.
ii) Check with the pilot and airfield personnel what the weather conditions
are likely to be. Generally, the best conditions for photography are a fairly low
sun, clear air and minimum cloud. Either early morning or late afternoon may be
best, depending on local weather.
iii) Prepare a list of subjects that you are interested in, and show it to
the pilot, who can probably make suggestions. Consider wide-angle views of the whole
area, closer shots of special features such as waterfalls or lakes.
iv) Brief the pilot on the type of shots you want, and how you would like
him to position the aircraft for them.
v) Lay out camera equipment so that it is secure but accessible.
vi) Open windows, hatches or doors as necessary for an unrestricted view.
Never shoot through glass or plastic. However clean and unscratched the window,
if will reduce sharpness and increase flare. If you cannot avoid doing this, keep
the camera as close to the plastic as possible, and use a piece of dark cloth, or
your hands, to eliminate reflections. Don’t shoot when sunlight strikes the window,
as this will cause flare and show up scratches. Adjust your seat and shooting position
while still on the ground.
In-flight precautions:
i) Avoid vibration by not resting your arm or the camera on the aircraft
body, by using a higher shutter speed (preferably 1/50 sec or faster), and by throttling
back on the engine when shooting.
ii) Do not lean out of the aircraft — the airflow may tear the camera from
your hands, quite apart from the other, more obvious, dangers.
iii) Reduce the effects of haze by using an ultraviolet or polarizing filter,
and by flying low with a wide-angle lens rather than high with a standard or long-focus
lens.
iv) Although the focus can be set at infinity with a wide-angle or standard
lens, take more care with a long focus lens, particularly as aircraft vibration
can make focusing difficult.
Here at Aerial Photography Tips we hope you’ve enjoyed this article on aerial photography.
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