Eye In The Sky

Getting started with aerial photography.

- John Reid

Many drone pilots will begin the process of moving from just flying drones to flying drones with some purpose, and for photographers like us, there is really only one way to go. We want anything that can lift a camera into the sky for that bird’s-eye view. So let’s talk about what you will want to look for in a drone to document your adventures from the air.

WHAT IS YOUR PURPOSE?

The first thing you have to decide is exactly what you want to document from the air. Are you looking to have a drone follow you around and document your many adventures? Or are you looking to take some award-winning photos or videos from the air that have a professional feel to them? Maybe you want to make a living by creating aerial videos for commercial projects and advertising.

Because making a living from aerial videography will require the pilot to receive an FAA Part 107 waiver, we will leave that alone for now and talk more about how to create some outstanding images/photos for your own personal use.

THE DRONE

Let’s begin by looking at what you will need for aerial photography (still images) as the equipment can be a little different from the camera you need for video. Many multirotors that are designed for video will also work quite well for photography, but there are a few differences of which you should be aware. The drone will not need to have a gimbal system on it to take great photos; the camera can be mounted directly to the rig because the fast shutter speed will eliminate any vibration from the drone. That being said, it is hard to find a ready-to-fly drone that does not have a camera gimbal and that only shoots photos (all of them shoot both video and still images). So plan on getting one with a gimbal, and you will still be able to make good use of this feature.