Aerial Photography – Ideas to Help You Get Started
Aerial Photography
If flying is your thing, and you work in the photography business, combining the two may be both rewarding and profitable. When it comes to real-estate, business, or just individuals who want an aerial shot of their land – people are willing to pay big money for a good photograph.
The key to getting good at aerial photography is simply understanding the new dynamics that being in flight add to the task of taking a decent shot. Things like movement must be compensated for, and time of day is very important. Choosing the right equipment and settings is paramount to getting good with aerial photography.
Cameras for Aerial Photography
When it comes to taking photos from above the ground, the image sensor of your camera becomes more important than ever. The higher the megapixel rating of your camera, the more flexibility you will have when taking your photos.
Kodak’s new 50 megapixel sensor, for example, is capable of capturing the detail of a laptop computer from 1000 feet in the air. Not that you really need a 50 megapixel camera; but trying to take aerial photos with a 2 megapixel sensor, simply won’t work well.
Other things you will need in the camera include:
* Easy to set ISO settings – In most cases you are going to want faster shutter speeds. A camera that allows you to adjust the ISO settings and shutter speed will work better for aerial photos.
* Image Stabilizer – Most new DSLR cameras include image stabilizers. A good image stabilizer will be a great help in reducing motion blur. Unless you plan to fork out for a Kenyon Gyrostabilizer, the image stabilization in the camera is very important.
Lenses for Aerial Photography
The next thing you need to consider is lenses. For most aerial photographs, you won’t need more than a 100mm lens. In some cases though, you might. It really depends on how high you are flying, and what you plan to photograph.
If you were at 300 feet in a helicopter, you could photograph a 100 foot square section of land with a 100mm lens. That same photo from an airplane, at 1000 feet, would require a 225mm lens. Ensuring that you know how high you will be flying will make lens selection much simpler.
There are also other factors that can be helpful for above ground shots. Some of the new image stabilized lenses are an excellent choice for aerial photography. A quality zoom lens with image stabilization is a simple choice to ensure you have the right focal length, without affecting image quality.
Tips for Aerial Photography
Now that you have a camera, and a lens, lets talk about taking the shot. There are a few simple considerations to taking good photos from the sky.
1. Time of day – First let’s talk about timing. The best time of day for aerial shots is in the early morning, or later in the afternoon. The extended shadows given by sunlight at these times of day will help add definition to your photos. Mid-day shots will tend to look too flat.
2. Camera Settings – The easiest way to get rid of blur in your photos is with a fast shutter. Speeds of 1/500 – 1/750 of a second are required for a 100mm shot. Set your camera shutter priority, or time-value priority, and then use the dial control to set the speed.
3. Take many shots – One final consideration is the cost of flying itself. Unless you have your pilots license, you’ll most likely be renting a plane or helicopter. Have the pilot fly around so that you can get many shots from many different angles. Doing so will save you having to fork out the money for a second flight.
Aerial photography isn’t really complicated. Taking the time to learn it well though, will help you to grow your business to a whole new level!
