10 drone photography tips for amazing travel photos
Drones have changed the way we go about travel photography. They offer next-level views and a new perspective, resulting in amazing drone pictures. It’s hard to believe that only a short time ago, the aerial photography drones could produce were only captured by photographers during flights. Now, this kind of photography is very accessible, and beginners, experts, and enthusiasts are getting creative with drone photography.
To help you along with your drone photography journey, we’ve partnered with Ted’s Cameras to gather some tips to create interesting travel content when you’re on the road.
- Research local drone laws
Wherever you are, make sure you’re allowed to fly your drone and research the rules around drone flying. Getting yourself into trouble abroad is never ideal so avoid the stress and look into local laws, first.
- Practice drone safety
Familiarise yourself with your drone before you take it for a serious flight to prevent losing it, damaging it, or something else. Take your drone for a few test flights in a familiar area and perform a flight check before you fly. Check that all parts of the drone are intact and functioning correctly and your batteries are charged and ready to snap some amazing drone pictures.
- Don’t ignore composition
Your vantage point need not be your only trump card. Just as you would with any type of photography, consider composition. Features like coastlines, roads, and rows of trees function as leading lines you can work with.
- Explore your drone’s flight patterns and reach
Capture various shots of your location, from different angles. Before drone photography, this was quite difficult to achieve. Improve your cinematic work with strategic flight paths and be amazed by all the incredible shots you’ve taken when you’re reviewing the day’s work.
- Shoot panoramas with your drone
Your drone can move with remarkable smoothness and accuracy, and this flight quality can be used to produce stunning panoramic images of your travel destination from up high. Thanks to their ability to hover and move at a consistent pace, drones are actually more suitable to produce panoramas than most cameras, and they don’t require any additional equipment.
- Choose the right drone
An ideal drone nails the balance between having great features and remaining lightweight. You want your drone to be sturdy enough to stay steady in winds, but light enough for on-the-go adventures. For excellent drone photography, DJI Mavic Mini Drones strike that balance.
- Tweak your drone camera settings
Get the best aerial drone photography snaps by making a few small adjustments to the camera settings. These settings will change in various situations, but here are some tips to help you find the best combination for your images:
- ISO. This setting adjusts how sensitive your camera is to light. A high ISO is necessary for dark conditions, but this setting results in more digital ‘noise’. Always start at the lowest ISO setting for the best quality image, and raise the ISO if need be.
- Shutter speed. If you find your images are blurry despite the stabilisation of your drone camera gimbal, make sure you are using a fast enough shutter speed. 1/60th of a second is a good starting point.
- Aperture. This setting controls how much light is let in and it adjusts the depth of field. While this setting is often image-dependent, a moderate aperture of f4 or f5.6 is good in most circumstances.
- RAW. Capturing images RAW results in higher quality images, and provides more freedom when editing.
- Don’t just stick to popular tourist spots
Less frequented locations give you the opportunity to let your drone really soar and explore, taking in the land below from interesting and intricate angles. While busy spots may be the easiest to access, bustling tourist locations can often be the trickiest to photograph.
- Fly your drone in the best light
Photographers rely on lighting to do a good portion of the work. And this is also true when it comes to drone photography. Golden hour bathes the earth in a soft, dreamy light, producing artistic aerial images. Plan some of your drone photoshoots for early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Another lighting condition to look out for is soft light, so cloudy conditions allow the perfect lighting to capture enough detail without harsh shadows and contrast.
- Look for patterns
It can be tricky to find photographic compositions in the traditional sense when you’re using a bird’s eye view. One way around this is to look for patterns and symmetrical shapes in the earth, buildings, and landmarks below. Aesthetically-pleasing patterns and lines, as mentioned earlier, can really help guide the shot, resulting in stunning drone imagery.
With all this in mind, you probably have lots of drone photo ideas taking shape.
Equip yourself for your next adventure, finding everything you need to capture amazing drone pictures at Ted’s Cameras.