The sky’s the limit with drones
THIS week for a change I’m going to take to the sky for one of the newer genres of photography, Drones!
One of the important things to remember about a drone being used to shoot video and stills is to treat it like a camera. This may sound very basic but people tend to forget basic principles of photography when they see the perspective the are gaining with the drone. I’ll get back to that point later in this piece.
When I got my first drone, I was quite scared. I paid quite a lot of money for the drone and the last thing I wanted to do was crash and destroy it on the first flight.
My suggestion here is to look at YouTube and look and see the various crash videos. It will open your eyes and make you think before starting your first flight.
YouTube offers a plethora of different people offering advice on how to fly and how not to fly. When I started I found the largest field available with very few trees!
Always ask permission from the owner to do this beforehand. Stay within the limits you feel comfortable with, I’ll give you some Irish Aviation Authority regulations later.
Most of the drones available have ‘ beginner mode’. This is really good and means you won’t go too far or too high.
Learn the basic controls and the terminology, get into a habit of taking off and landing in the same way all of the time.
This has saved me on many occasions. Remember when the drone is facing you the controls are reversed, forward is back and left is right and so on. This can be quite awkward at first but gets easier.
One of the first tasks I did was to learn how to fly in a straight line. This may sounds very simple but is quite difficult.
It also give you confidence in keeping the aircraft at the same height, keeping the subject of your picture in the correct area of the viewfinder you want etc. With the DJI App you can review your flying and see just how straight you really were!
After that I learned to fly circles both clockwise and anti-clockwise and then figure of eights. This allows you to gain a good level of control over the aircraft and build your experience and confidence. Before I even attempted to advertise that I could supply aerial images or video I wanted to feel in total control of the aircraft. I trained for over a year and then did my IAA ground school and my IAA flight test.
This experience is invaluable for anyone hoping to do aerial/ drone photography on a commercial basis and is usually requested when applying for insurance or public liability. It is not necessary for someone who is flying for a hobby.
One thing that is necessary, if your drone is over 1kg is to register it with the Irish Aviation Authority. This is NOT a license, you must do the ground school and flight test to get your pilots license and specific operating permissions.
One thing I would suggest is you learn the Irish Aviation Authority rules. They are for your safety and the people around you. Remember, drones are amazing machines BUT if you lose control or they lose a propeller they turn into a missile or flying brick that can do lots of damage both to property and of course, people. Have a look at YouTube again as there is no shortage of videos showing the damage that can occur.
So what are the rules? Here is a short list of basic rules that will keep you safe. All are available on the IAA website. Never operate your drone: where it will be a hazard to other aircraft
over an assembly of people e.g. concerts, parades, sporting events farther than 300 metres within 30 meters of any person, vessel, vehicle or structure not under your direct control
closer than 5km from any aerodrome
over 400ft ground level
over urban areas such as villages, towns and cities
in restricted areas such as military installations or prisons
outside your direct line of sight
One of my own rules is ‘ be courteous and respect peoples’ privacy’.
Now back to the enjoyment!!! What I really like about drone/ aerial photography is to view somewhere familiar but from a position/perspective which is not normally possible, such (120 mts) above as Carlingford viewed from Carlingford Lough. 120 metres above ground and from a position 300mts into the lough.
I’ve included some of my favourite images made recently.
With the added advantage of video, albeit without sound. (nothing worse than hearing 4 high pitched motors!) the drone offers new horizons for still photographers. To capture movement within our still images is the way I view video. Willie Doherty is the master of the slow moving video images. Have a look at some of his videos on YouTube.
With my background in news and ‘ telling stories’ with my images I now have the facility to produce visual narratives in video and stills. The old saying ‘a picture is worth/says a thousand words’ is now even more true in these uncertain times.
The drone can be used in all genres. This year alone I’ve used it for news, fine art films, documentary and commercial, to name but a few.
As I stated at the start of this piece, when you get to know the technicalities of flying the drone safely, please remember that it is just a flying camera! If you keep in mind the general rules of composition and techniques talked about in my previous tips pages such as focus, exposure etc., you will generate some amazing images.
A couple of extra points that I would always take into account when making images with the drone are: use as high a quality image as possible, make sure you’re SD card is formatted correctly before you fly so you have plenty of space for your images and video.
Remember video ‘eats’ memory! Your app will tell you at the start of flying just how much time you have left on your SD card.
Some tips if you are about to purchase a new drone are: Buy from a reputable dealer. This means you can ask loads of questions and get experienced answers. You have technical backup and spares available when you have a mishap.
If you have a spare €80-€100 buy a small mini drone that you can fly inside safely. This will teach you all of the basic skills of flying and possibly save you thousands of Euro.
So, ‘ till next week, enjoy your camera/drone and keep safe.