Drone aerial photography is a topic that has gotten several people interested, with most not knowing how to get started. We’ll be discussing a few tips to get started even as a newbie.

Getting started

Choosing a drone

The most important decision you would make with regards to getting started with your drone aerial photography is going to be selecting your drone. If you are a beginner pilot, it’s always recommended you start with a small, cheap drone because it’s almost certain you would crash your drone several times during the test flight.

Once you have got the hang of the drone operation controls you can then opt for the more expensive models such as the DJI Phantom series or even the 3D robotics Iris drones.

Follow stipulated rules

Asides’ selecting a drone, your first point of call before sending a drone into the atmosphere is to check out what the law says about flying drones in your country or state. For instance in Brisbane, CASA insists that drones should not fly more than 120m above ground level. They also maintain that Drones should not be flown over populated areas like in stadiums, beaches or parks. Also that drones should be at least 30m away from other individuals, not their operators.

Cameras

Since your motive for becoming a drone pilot is to capture captivating drone aerial photography, it’s only normal that you would need a camera. If your drone doesn’t come with a camera, no problems, you can always buy an external camera and attach it to it. One of the most popular types of cameras is GoPro action cameras. The GoPro Hero 3, for instance, is one of the highly recommended cameras due to its superior photography prowess. Weighing only 73 grams, this action camera can record videos at a high 45Mbps at resolutions of 2704x1524pixels. It also is Wi-Fi enabled which is handy for downloading footage. It’s also compatible with many OEM and several third-party accessories.

If you are not so big on GoPro, you can always choose your desired camera just make sure it meets the requirements for aerial photography (fast, sharp lenses with large apertures) and most importantly that your drone doesn’t experience vibrations. Vibrations are what you don’t need when it comes to aerial photography as they can ruin the footage. You can experience vibration from various sources including the drone itself, the drone engine and even air turbulence.