The rise of affordable, high-quality drone technology has forever transformed photography. These unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are providing new perspectives and creative possibilities that were extremely difficult or even impossible to achieve before. Here’s how drones are reshaping the world of photography:
Unique Aerial Vantage Points
Drones have opened an entirely new range of camera angles and viewpoints for photographers and videographers to explore. They allow you to capture stunning overhead shots and perspectives that would typically require an airplane, helicopter, or expensive lift equipment.
Whether you want to shoot landscapes from hundreds of feet up, get a bird’s-eye view of events, or achieve cinematic sweeping aerial shots, drones put these dynamic angles within easy reach.
Accessing Hard-to-Reach Areas
Besides giving you a cosmic top-down view, drones also excel at accessing tight spaces and hard-to-reach areas that would be extremely challenging for human photographers and videographers.
Getting comprehensive aerial coverage of construction sites, remote natural areas, commercial properties, forensics scenes or other restricted zones is now possible by simply flying a drone into these areas while controlling it safely from a distance.
New Creative Angles and Shots
The unique maneuverability of camera drones unleashes all sorts of creative opportunities for photographers and cinematographers. Sweeping cinematic shots, overhead orbits, and dynamic angle transitions are all made possible.
You can capture visually striking perspectives of subjects, events, and locations that would have been extremely difficult or even impossible to get using traditional photography methods and equipment.
Commercial & Professional Applications
While aerial photography was previously limited to those with aircraft and highly specialized equipment, the affordability of quality camera drones has opened up countless professional applications:
Real Estate and Tourism
Realtors and tourism companies can provide potential buyers and visitors with breathtaking overhead views and video tours of properties, resorts, and local attractions.
Inspection and Monitoring
Utility and insurance companies can use drones to safely and efficiently inspect assets like power lines, cell towers, roofs, and other infrastructure for maintenance and monitoring.
Filmmaking and Live Events
In the film and live event industries, drones provide new angles for creative cinematography while allowing crews to get difficult shots without expensive rigs or aircraft.
Construction and Engineering
On construction and engineering project sites, drones allow for low-cost aerial monitoring of progress, surveying of the area, and detection of issues before they become larger and more costly problems.
Commercial Drone Certification
To legally operate drones for any kind of commercial or professional work in the United States, you need a commercial drone certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). According to the experts at ProTrain, this requires passing tests on regulations, operating requirements, weather, loading and other important safety protocols.
Drone Photography Tips
Get Certified
If you plan on using your drone skills commercially or professionally, make sure you have the proper certification and licensing.
Invest in Quality Gear
While consumer camera drones can take decent photos and video, professional drone photography often requires gimbals, high-resolution cameras and accessories for advanced stabilization and control.
Learn Photography Fundamentals
Mastering photography basics like lighting, composition and exposure will allow you to best leverage the unique capabilities drones provide. Drone-specific skills, like aerial mapping and videography, are also very valuable.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Operating camera drones and capturing smooth, stable aerial footage takes a lot of practice to become truly skilled. Start simple, fly often, and build experience over time in various environments before taking on complex shoots.
Conclusion
Drones have disrupted photography by making aerial imagery much more accessible, affordable, and creatively empowering than ever before. With helpful tips and training, both hobbyists and professionals can push their artistic boundaries using this game-changing aerial technology.
