BASICS OF DRONE PHOTOGRAPHY
2019-09-16
Drones are already widely used in making promotional materials, videos capturing celebrations and various outdoor events. The dynamic development of technology also causes the evolution of photography and filming, and this makes the drone is now a standard in the atelier of the photographer and cameraman, providing services to the public.
Drone and the law
Before buying a drone, it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with the laws regarding its use. They are not the same everywhere, they differ from country to country. It is important to know this if you are going on a trip abroad with your drone to film, for example, the peculiarities of nature.
The strictness of regulations concerning drones is directly proportional to the size of the device. The general rule is to keep an appropriate distance from built-up areas and human concentrations and to keep a constant visual control over the drone - it cannot disappear from our field of vision. These are elements of basic safety; you cannot allow the drone to collide with a man, who in the face of several hundred kilograms machine would have no chance, or with the aircraft piloted by a man. It is also necessary to bear in mind the curiosity of bystanders who, observing a drone taking pictures, do not realize that getting too close to it may be dangerous.
Current regulations regarding drone use are widely available online.
Before it takes off
A drone will do its job if the weather conditions are favorable. It is not advisable to launch it during strong wind, fog or rain, as neither you will get any effect nor the machine will function properly in such conditions. Before you take to the air, you need to fully charge the drone; usually it has enough power for 25 minutes. You should also check the capacity of the memory card of the camera and the camera and their readiness for work, i.e. setting the contrast, brightness, etc. depending on whether the sky is cloudy or whether the photos will be taken in full sunlight.
It is also necessary to determine the objects to be photographed and filmed and the place of takeoff and landing. It must - according to regulations - be far away from human settlements and have a flat surface. When the drone is flying, it must not be out of sight even for a second, so that it can be brought back down to earth at any time.
The order of filming or photographing objects is determined from the farthest to the closest, and as the charge level decreases, we bring the drone lower and closer to the landing site.
What a drone beginner should know
Modern drones are equipped with the latest technologies, such as RealSense. You can purchase a drone alone or with accessories like an extra battery, backpack, thermal camera, shields, etc. A variety of drone accessories are available from Yuneec, whose devices can also be purchased in Poland.
However, regardless of the type of drone purchased, it is worth to use the following information:
RAW format. This is the best format for photos from a drone. It allows you to process the photos without any loss of quality;
Proportions. In photography the most common is the 3:2 aspect ratio, although depending on the parameters of the drone you can also choose 4:3 or 16:9. It's best to take the photo in different aspect ratios and decide which one will go for further processing later
Bracketing. This is an excellent technique that involves taking a series of photos that differ in parameters. It is useful when we do not know what parameters to choose and we can not count on the automatic definition by the camera. Some drones have a built-in bracketing option
Modes of taking pictures. There are two to choose from - auto and manual. It is recommended to always take pictures in manual mode, which will allow you to choose the optimal exposure parameters, such as time and ISO. Different drones have different ranges of values (e.g. from 100). Keep in mind that with a high ISO value it will be easier to expose the photo with a faster shutter speed, but you will increase the amount of noise. This is especially important for night shots
Filters. Neutral filters are commonly used, especially for video. However, you can use a variety of filters, such as polarizer, which allows you to eliminate reflections and get a nice blue sky or a lake or river
Postproduction. The final effect of the drone depends on it. Software is necessary; the most commonly used are Photoshop and Lightroom. In the web you can find a lot of tutorials; of course it's worth to study them, but the help of experienced drone operators who process the raw material is invaluable. Remember that the most we can learn in practice.
Author: Katarzyna Zgorzelska, in consultation with TEB Edukacja
Drone and the law
Before buying a drone, it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with the laws regarding its use. They are not the same everywhere, they differ from country to country. It is important to know this if you are going on a trip abroad with your drone to film, for example, the peculiarities of nature.
The strictness of regulations concerning drones is directly proportional to the size of the device. The general rule is to keep an appropriate distance from built-up areas and human concentrations and to keep a constant visual control over the drone - it cannot disappear from our field of vision. These are elements of basic safety; you cannot allow the drone to collide with a man, who in the face of several hundred kilograms machine would have no chance, or with the aircraft piloted by a man. It is also necessary to bear in mind the curiosity of bystanders who, observing a drone taking pictures, do not realize that getting too close to it may be dangerous.
Current regulations regarding drone use are widely available online.
Before it takes off
A drone will do its job if the weather conditions are favorable. It is not advisable to launch it during strong wind, fog or rain, as neither you will get any effect nor the machine will function properly in such conditions. Before you take to the air, you need to fully charge the drone; usually it has enough power for 25 minutes. You should also check the capacity of the memory card of the camera and the camera and their readiness for work, i.e. setting the contrast, brightness, etc. depending on whether the sky is cloudy or whether the photos will be taken in full sunlight.
It is also necessary to determine the objects to be photographed and filmed and the place of takeoff and landing. It must - according to regulations - be far away from human settlements and have a flat surface. When the drone is flying, it must not be out of sight even for a second, so that it can be brought back down to earth at any time.
The order of filming or photographing objects is determined from the farthest to the closest, and as the charge level decreases, we bring the drone lower and closer to the landing site.
What a drone beginner should know
Modern drones are equipped with the latest technologies, such as RealSense. You can purchase a drone alone or with accessories like an extra battery, backpack, thermal camera, shields, etc. A variety of drone accessories are available from Yuneec, whose devices can also be purchased in Poland.
However, regardless of the type of drone purchased, it is worth to use the following information:
RAW format. This is the best format for photos from a drone. It allows you to process the photos without any loss of quality;
Proportions. In photography the most common is the 3:2 aspect ratio, although depending on the parameters of the drone you can also choose 4:3 or 16:9. It's best to take the photo in different aspect ratios and decide which one will go for further processing later
Bracketing. This is an excellent technique that involves taking a series of photos that differ in parameters. It is useful when we do not know what parameters to choose and we can not count on the automatic definition by the camera. Some drones have a built-in bracketing option
Modes of taking pictures. There are two to choose from - auto and manual. It is recommended to always take pictures in manual mode, which will allow you to choose the optimal exposure parameters, such as time and ISO. Different drones have different ranges of values (e.g. from 100). Keep in mind that with a high ISO value it will be easier to expose the photo with a faster shutter speed, but you will increase the amount of noise. This is especially important for night shots
Filters. Neutral filters are commonly used, especially for video. However, you can use a variety of filters, such as polarizer, which allows you to eliminate reflections and get a nice blue sky or a lake or river
Postproduction. The final effect of the drone depends on it. Software is necessary; the most commonly used are Photoshop and Lightroom. In the web you can find a lot of tutorials; of course it's worth to study them, but the help of experienced drone operators who process the raw material is invaluable. Remember that the most we can learn in practice.
Author: Katarzyna Zgorzelska, in consultation with TEB Edukacja
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September 2019