Besides any godly usage, drones fit perfectly for the purpose of photography. Isn’t a drone view more fascinating? and you must be already nodding your head to a yes!
This flying piece of technology can not only provide an eagle’s eye view but can also add a new dimension to photography. Drones were banned for commercial use in India in 2014, but the situation changed slightly in 2016. Commercial use of drones is now legal with a permit from the relevant authority. There is no ban on the sale of drones, but permission and some legal work is required before flying them in the sky.
The DGCA (Director General of Civil Aviation) announced in December 2018 that aerial photography would be lawful in India when drones are flown. Different guidelines for drone flight height and no-drone zones have been established.
Drone photography gives photography enthusiasts the chance to take pictures from great vantage points and from a variety of angles for more professional use. With the help of a drone, daring photographers can incorporate aerial photography and reach new heights in their photographic services, both literally and figuratively. These photographers may provide their clients a wider range of possibilities for covering the events.
Hereby, enlisting the do’s and dont’s ~
- Civilians can only fly drones to a height of 400 meters during the day and within a visual line of sight.
- Drone flights are prohibited near Vijay Chowk in Delhi, as well as near airports and the international border. It is also prohibited in important military installations, strategic locations, and the State Secretariat Complex in state capitals, which are designated as non-drone zones.
- Only one remote pilot can operate only one drone at a time.
- In India, foreigners are not permitted to operate remotely piloted aircraft.
- The drone can only fly within the line of sight of the person operating it.
- Drones can be used for commercial purposes such as aerial surveys of real estate projects, personal purposes such as event photography, and educational purposes such as training within colleges.
- Aerial photography for recreational purposes is not required to have a Unique Identification Number (UIN). However, even for indoor operations, it is necessary to notify local police before engaging in such activities.
- It is not permitted to fly a drone from a mobile platform such as a moving vehicle, ship, or aircraft.
To achieve stunning, high-quality aerial photography, below are few-drone photography tips that can help you master the art gradually: –
1. Check the UAV forecast beforehand
For the safety of the drone, its pilot, the building, and other people in the area where the drone flying will take place, it is critical to have explicit knowledge and information about local wind speeds, chances of rain, cloud cover, visibility, and so on. Checking the weather forecast before going out to shoot in a specific area can help you plan the shoot better.
2. Shoot in R A W format
It is always recommended in the drone photography business to take photos in digital RAW format because it allows for greater versatility in image post-processing. RAW formats provide uncompressed and lossless image data from the sensor that can be easily edited later as needed. This format preserves a higher level of brightness, details, and resolution, allowing for later exposure and color adjustments. Furthermore, the photographs retain their natural appearance. Most high-end drones include an onboard camera that supports RAW image format.
3. Lower ISO is better
Because drone cameras typically have smaller sensors, high ISO settings are ineffective. As long as drone photography is done during the day, the low ISO setting is not an issue. Keep an aperture open or use a slower shutter speed when shooting with the drone in windy or shady areas to allow lighter in for sharp images.
4. Compose images with the help of a third grid overlay
Because you cannot manually set the camera for a specific scene or object when photographing with a drone, you must use a thirds grid overlay to properly compose the image. This technique allows you to correctly set up the frame for the images from the ground. A thirds grid is typically an accompanying app in the drone camera that assists users in accurately framing their photos. This prevents unnecessary cropping in post-processing and improves image composition.
5. Make use of the auto exposure bracketing feature
Certain drones have features that allow them to capture very realistic photos with a high dynamic range in a single shot. Using this feature, the same photograph can be captured multiple times at different exposures and settings, resulting in more forces to work with later. It is possible to combine the photographs or images with the best exposure level into one to create the best shot. This is especially useful when the user wants to save time while capturing properly exposed shots for high-quality HRD images.
6. Taking high-resolution images in the panoramic view
Some drones include a Panorama mode that allows you to capture larger images with more pixels, resulting in better shot details. This feature allows you to capture an entire scene that would otherwise be impossible to capture with a single Wide-Angle shot due to the legal height limitations for uncrewed aerial vehicles. This feature allows the drone to capture high-resolution images from above the ground after sunrise and before sunset. Photographers can learn how shadows can completely alter a scene based on altitude.
7. Use camera lens filters
As there are various types of filters available, camera lens filters assist in achieving better results in photographs. Before purchasing any filter, make a list of the photos you usually take with your drone, the time of day you shoot, and the environment in which you shoot. This type of segregation can aid in the precise selection of filters.
8. Choosing the right aspect ratio
Choosing the right aspect ratio is beneficial because it provides more options for post-processing, improving the focus on a specific subject or scene. Because drone cameras have a much wider format of 16:9 and 4:3 in comparison to digital cameras’ 3:2 aspect ratio, it helps in increasing or decreasing the space between focal points and the sides frame.
9. Taking a selfie with a drone
As drones are increasingly being used to capture memorable photos, some of them include a gesture mode that allows the pilot to control the aircraft with a hand or gesture. Taking aerial selfies with this feature could be fun because the user can instruct the drone to place them in the centre of the frame while taking the photos.
10. Keep spare batteries handy
Always keep extra batteries if you want to keep your shooting carried on until you capture the desired photographs in a shoot.
The temptation to fly the drone allows for great pictures, but they are frequently taken low to the ground as well. This enables the camera to capture the contours of the landscape at close range. The depth, size, and shape of features on the earth’s surface can be seen from here, which cannot be seen from a high vantage point. Closer to the ground allows for more precise shooting, capturing more details.