The View From Above

COLIN SMITH’S 10 DRONE PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS TO TAKE YOUR IMAGERY TO NEW HEIGHTS.

- Jack Neubart

COLIN SMITH MAY BE KNOWN to many readers for his instructional videos and workshops, with a focus not only on Photoshop but also Lightroom. Aside from still photography, he also shoots video. But he had never pursued drone photography until about four years ago.

One day, Adobe Creative Director Russell Brown approached him about conducting the video side of a drone photography workshop—the first one ever given. Brown would be covering the still side. Not one to let a challenge slip by so easily, Smith picked up the gauntlet, investing in a drone and action camera— the original DJI Phantom and a GoPro— and went from newbie to drone master in a matter of months. (He switched to DJI cameras when they were introduced in later-generation drones.)

Popularly known as drones, quadcopters, or UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), these flying eggbeaters have literally elevated the art of both video and still photography. But all too often what we see captured from on high are just mundane images. Smith’s eye for composition and design has given him a unique perspective, raising the use of drones in photography to new heights. To spice things up even further, he adds HDR (High Dynamic Range) imaging and panoramic stitching to the mix as further evidence of that vision.

We recently interviewed Smith about his experience with capturing aerial images with drones and he provided the following 10 tips to help you get started.

1. DON’T BE CHEAP