The most obvious advantage of drone photography is a birds’ eye view of a site that a user would not otherwise have access to. Ground perspective does not allow for as accurate and precise measurements as an aerial view does.
The use of drones is becoming more affordable and keeping track of real-time progress reports for commercial industries is a huge benefit of aerial imaging.
Understanding camera settings such as ISO, shutter speed, aperture, focus and metering, along with the best gimbal stabilization, are all important factors to obtaining crisp sharp professional aerial photos.
In this article, we explain in simple language, what each camera setting is and the best recommended settings for aerial photography. The below camera knowledge is great to have, for both aerial and land based photography. Throughout this article, you will find some terrific aerial photography videos as well.
Use a high-end camera while taking aerial shots with a drone to ensure that you always get the best results. A drone camera with several settings is also required.
A good gimbal stabilisation system, knowledge of camera settings like ISO, shutter speed, aperture, focus, and metering, are all essential for getting clear, sharp, professional aerial images.
Building your skill set by experimenting with your drone’s various camera settings is a great idea.
Optical Zoom
These days, almost all digital cameras come equipped with a zoom lens. Without changing your proximity to or distance from the subject, the zoom lens enables you to adjust how much of the subject is captured in the photograph. A digital camera’s zoom range is described in terms of its 35 mm equivalent. This is because the majority of users are accustomed to using 35 mm film lenses. When the original scene appears crowded or has numerous distractions, using the zoom is ideal.
Shutter Speed
The shutter of the camera governs how long light is permitted to reach the CCD (in simple terms, the CCD is where the digital image pixels are created). Multiples of a second are used to represent shutter speeds. A highly inventive setting for reducing movement in a photo is the shutter speed setting. Since depth of field is unimportant for aerial photography, switch your camera to shutter priority.
Choose a shutter speed between 1/500th and 1/1000th of a second (1/750th of a second on a full-frame camera freezes the majority of blur with lenses up to 100 mm in length). Slower shutter speeds (1/30) enable subject movement to be captured in the image as a blur whereas faster shutter speeds (1/500) tend to freeze subject movement.
Focus Methods
All digital cameras have an automated focusing (AF) system connected to them. From one manufacturer to the next, there are differences. The two fundamental AF settings are Single and Continuous, often known as One-shot and Servo.
The majority of current cameras are capable of quick and accurate auto-focusing. Because focus follows subjects continuously, continuous AF mode is ideal for aerial photography and moving targets like children playing.
The single AF mode performs admirably on the ground or when hovering since auto-focus locks onto its subject when you give the shutter release button a light press and stays set while you keep the light press, until you fully press the button to snap your picture.
White Balance
White balance refers to how your camera’s lens interprets the hue of the light in a scene. Your images’ hues will vary depending on the white balance option, from natural to shades of blue, yellow, orange, and brown. At first, you can experiment with automatic settings.
But learning how to appropriately set your camera’s white balance settings manually or utilising different custom settings like overcast, shady, tungsten, and kelvin, among others, will greatly enhance your images.
Stabilization/Vibration
A high-quality gimbal for image stabilisation comes nearly as standard when you buy a drone from a reputable manufacturer. The top brands include Yuneec, Autel, Walkera, and DJI.
The gimbal maintains the drone’s stability by checking and adjusting hundreds of times per second to keep the drone steady and ideal for aerial photography and cinematography. Vibration is lessened with dampers.
ISO Settings
In general, ISO regulates how sensitive to light your camera’s sensor is. Your shots from the air and on the ground get much better once you understand ISO. You will be fully aware of what to do in various lighting situations.
I. Low ISO Setting (100-200)
• Lighting on outdoor subjects.
• Using a tripod for static indoor or outdoor subjects.
• Use when maximum image quality is required.
II. Medium ISO Setting (250-400)
• Dull weather conditions
• Capturing motion in very well environments.
• Candid photographs taken while holding a camera.
III. High ISO Settings (500-800)
• Low-light situations.
• Night photography and music festivals.
• Capturing quick motion in dim or interior settings.
Aperture
One of the three foundations of photography is aperture. The other two are shutter speed and ISO. It is without a doubt the topic that receives the most attention, as aperture has the ability to either add depth to a photo by blurring the background or to bring everything into sharp focus on its own.
The aperture of a camera is managed by an iris that may be adjusted within the lens. To regulate the amount of light entering the CCD, this iris can be opened and closed.
F-numbers are used to represent the iris hole’s size when writing in fractions. F/11, f/5.6, and f/2.8 are some examples. The size of the iris hole decreases with increasing f-number.
A fast lens is one that has a maximum aperture of f/1.2 or f/1.4 because it allows more light to pass through than, say, a lens with a maximum aperture of f/4.0. Large aperture lenses are therefore more appropriate for low light photography.
Since almost all modern lenses can offer at least f/16 as the minimum aperture, which is often more than enough for daily shooting needs, the minimum aperture is not that significant.
What Industries Can Benefit from Drone Photography?
Architecture
Drones are used to give unique perspectives of buildings and built structures. They are able to fly lower than conventional airplanes and are drastically cheaper to operate. This makes them the perfect tool to capture incredible shots of both residential and commercial architecture.
They also benefit architectural photography because they can fly above objects that might block the view of the project. Drones can get great images in crowded urban environments because than can go where humans often can’t.
Real Estate Industry
The real estate industry is one of the most popular industries for aerial photography. Drone photography allows real estate agents to take photos and videos of properties from all angles, including from a bird’s eye view. This can be used to show potential buyers a property from all angles, and help them make a decision about whether or not to purchase it.
Event Planning
Another sector that frequently makes use of drone photography is event planning. This type of event photography can be used to capture photos or videos of weddings, concerts, festivals, and more. Drone photography allows event planners to get a unique perspective on their events and make sure that everything goes smoothly.
Construction
The construction industry is another sector that can benefit from drone technology. This can be used to inspect property or infrastructure, identify damage or issues that need to be addressed, and document the progress of construction projects/construction sites.
Drone photography in construction has become a vital resource. Many large firms utilize the raw data provided by drones to accomplish tasks on the construction site.
Infrastructure
Infrastructure is also often inspected with drone photography. This can help businesses assess damage or issues with their infrastructure, and make sure that it is in good condition. Drone pilots inspect bridges, roads, railways, and more.
Utilities
Drones are also used by utility companies to inspect power lines, wind turbines, and other infrastructure. This helps them identify damage or issues that need to be repaired. It also helps them keep track of their infrastructure and make sure that it is in good condition.
Perhaps one of the most important developments is that inspectors no longer have to risk dangerous heights to inspect towers. Drones hovering can take detailed aerial photos that can identify issues.
Film Industry
The film industry is another area where drone photography is often used. This can be used to capture aerial shots for movies, TV shows, and commercials.
Drone photography gives filmmakers a unique perspective that can make their projects more visually interesting. Aerial action shots by skilled drone operators have become commonplace in blockbuster movies.
On the lower end, aerial videos have become accessible to all sorts of businesses.
Agriculture
Drones are becoming increasingly popular in the agricultural industry. Farmers can use drones to survey their crops, identify pests and diseases, and even apply pesticides and herbicides. Drones can also be used to monitor livestock, helping farmers quickly identify sick or injured animals.
In addition, drones can be used to help with crop mapping and yield analysis. By collecting data on plant growth and health, drones can help farmers to optimize their crop production. As the cost of drones continues to decrease, it is likely that more and more farmers will adopt this technology.
Mapping
Drones are increasingly being used for mapping applications. Mapping with drones offers many advantages over traditional mapping methods, such as being able to cover large areas quickly and easily, getting up-close and accurate data, and being able to access difficult-to-reach areas.
In addition, drones can be equipped with a variety of sensors and cameras to collect different types of data, such as high-resolution photos, thermal images, and LiDAR data. This data can then be processed and used to create detailed maps of the area.
Environmental Monitoring
Drones are becoming increasingly popular for a variety of purposes, including environmental monitoring. Their small size and flexibility make them ideal for accessing hard-to-reach places, and their ability to carry various types of sensors makes them well suited for collecting data about the environment.
Drones can be used to monitor air quality, track wildlife, map vegetation, and much more. In many cases, drones can provide data that would be difficult or impossible to collect using traditional methods. As the technology continues to develop, it is likely that drones will play an increasingly important role in environmental monitoring and research.
Search and Rescue
Search and rescue is another important use for drone photography. This can be used to find missing people or animals, and help them get to safety.
Natural disasters can cause a great deal of chaos. Aerial photos can often give a better perspective compared to ground-level photography.
Oil and Gas Industry
The oil and gas industry also uses drone photography for a variety of purposes. Low altitude video footage can be used to inspect pipelines, identify leaks, and monitor the progress of drilling projects.
Digital Marketing
Digital marketing is one of the most popular applications for drone photography. This can be used to create aerial videos and photos for social media, websites, and other digital platforms.
Aerial photos and videos offer a unique perspective that can help businesses to stand out from their competitors.
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Sources:
https://www.robertlowdon.com/what-industries-can-benefit-from-drone-photography/
