The addition of cameras to drones may have forever changed the way many industries work. They can be used to check areas that were previously impossible to see, such as pipelines when checking security, they can be used to keep control of police situations such as riots and protests, and they are even used in movies. Be on the lookout the next time you watch a movie, normally the video will start in the air like a plane and then move giving the viewer a wonderful aerial shot that will be remembered.
Most of the drones that are available today come with a built-in camera and a high-quality one. If you have an old quadcopter and are looking to hook up a camera of your own, then a ‘GoPro’ camera is a good option; however, you should consider the vibrations of the drone, as this will affect the quality of the photos you take. as well as the videos you record. Integrated cameras consistently deliver much more reliable quality. Before shooting your first video, you may also want to invest in a transmitter that will allow you to increase connectivity range when flying as well as stream live video from your drone.
You may look at some photos that have been taken with a drone and compare them to yours and wonder how come yours look so good and yours barely ranks as a photo. Here are some tips to remember when taking photos or videos from your drone!
First off, your camera is likely to get buffeted by the wind while it’s in the air, so make sure you use a shorter lens to counteract this. If you combine a short lens with a fast shutter speed, you’re likely to see dramatic improvements in your photography right away. A good rule of thumb to get the best quality is around 1/1000th of a second at 200mm and 1/500th of a second at 100mm. These combinations will allow you to take sharp, crisp photos no matter the conditions.
Another great tip when taking pictures from your drone is to set your camera to high contrast if haze becomes an issue (which it often does). If the problem is really bad at the point where you get black and white video, you might want to shoot with a red filter as well. Normally using any kind of filters like ‘UV’ and ‘Haze’ tends to worsen the quality of the image when it’s in the air, but the red filter will help add colour.
Of course, it’s important to have fun when trying to photograph with your drone, but you also need to be sensible at all times. Do not go out on your first day without having ever flown a drone before because this can be quite dangerous. Also, think about where you are flying your drone; avoid flying near an airport where you could be causing serious problems. It all comes down to trust and this will come with practice. The more you practice, the more you will learn and therefore the better your photos will be!