Introduction
Aerial photography can be dated back to the early 1900s, but over the last few years, getting into aerial photography has become much easier because of the improvements in technology. Drones, light aircrafts as well as balloons have enabled both practitioners and amateurs to obtain views that may otherwise not be practically obtainable from the aeriel perspective. Aerial photography is not just a simple process of capturing photos from the sky, it involves some skills and consideration of becoming adept in one or more methods that can enable you come up with extraordinary or exquisite photos. In this article, I will discuss different types aerial photography with the aim of helping you take your ability to the next level.
1. Choosing the right platform
First of all, to fly into the sky and make stunning aerial shots, you have to select a proper platform for you. There are three basic categories of platform: the drone, the lighter-than-air vehicle, and the balloon. All the two have their own strengths and weaknesses, and thus choosing the right one depends on the kind of aerial photography one wants to take and the cost incurred.
For many photographers, drones are preferable and more available than any other alternatives since they are cheap and easy to transport. Available in several sizes, shapes, and their capabilities, they allow newbie and experts to select one that is right for them. Light aircraft on the other hand provide a steadier platform and can cover sizeable acres for mapping but are costly and require little more training than the ultralight aircraft. Balloons are mainly used for art and can bring novelty to the shot and outlook, but such devices are considered to be rather difficult to work with and are most often used by professionals.
2. Planning and scouting
Aerial photography needs proper planning and researching so that you be in the right shoot when you flying or hovering. Scouting the location is to select the potential areas of shooting the scene and to know the environment to establish various viewpoints. Weather also plays a very important role; it is essential to make sure that the weather conditions would be appropriate for flying a drone, since bad weather affects the quality of the shots very much. You also have to factor in some other elements like light, time of day or season, all of which have impact on the tone and mood of images in question.
3. Composition and framing
However, it does not stop after selecting your platform and the place; you must also pay attention to the way your finished product appears. Aerial photography can give a totally different view that might add a new dimension and appeal to your images, but it is very different from shooting on the ground. There are few helpful guidelines for composition such as the rule of third, leading lines, framing and even perspective distortion. Try out different position and perspectives to see which mode of articulation suits the portrayal of vision or the narration of your story best through your pictures.
4. Capture techniques
Drone photography is in a way very flexible when it comes to taking shots that are artistic and innovative. Some popular techniques include:
- Vertical and horizontal shots: Aerial photographs cannot render perspective and thus some are taken with a vertical camera position while others are taken with a horizontal camera position These are the most common types of aerial photographs and can be used to capture landscapes, cityscape and architecture. They are simple and efficient to delivering the contents of the subjects.
- Panning: This particular method entails panning the camera in a certain direction when the picture is being snapped. It can be employed for adding a path or motions in ones images making them more lively and interesting to look at.
- High-speed continuous shooting: Aerial photography can cover people, birds, cars, and many other ‘moving’ objects due to the fast movement of the aircraft. With high-speed continuous shooting, it is possible to capture these moments and achieve impressive shooting.
- Long exposures: It can also be used to ‘shoot the sky’ or to take rather surreal images of the landscapes by taking photos at night with the use of exposure times. This technique tends to produce clear and well focused image hence requires a proper plan and a comfortable environment in which it could be implemented.
5. Post-processing
Aerial photography sometimes means that problems will occur during the photography and could necessitate intensive computer editing. Some helpful tips include tweaking white balance, color correction, brightness and darken; cropping and rotation; erasing or adding artefacts to the production. It is always wise to back up the original copies and work on the copies and get a second edition to avoid losing valuable information.
Conclusion
Such field like aerial photography can be spectacular and still is one of the most popular and developing fields for the present days. With practice in the techniques described in this article you should be able to advance your photography and create spectacular aerial photos. It does not matter if you decide to use drones, small airplanes, or helium balloons, safety comes first, be considerate to nature, and never forget local and national laws and regulation when it comes to aerial photography. This is because with practice and dedication anyone can come up with other form of incredible aerial images as those shown here.