Advice from the masters

Just some of the standout tips from Masters of Drone Photography

Morning is the best time for me as the low sunlight picks up the textures of the landscape. You might also get lucky with mist, and there are fewer people around on the streets, so it’s much safer flying a drone. Amos Chapple

First of all I check the batteries of the remote- controller and the drone, to make sure I have sufficient power for my flight. I also inspect the rotors and the temperature of the drone, and then look over my planned flightpath to ensure it’s clear of any high buildings or helicopter routes. I always undertake low-altitude manoeuvres to check the behaviour of the drone before I go higher. Bachir Moukarzel

I like to compose my shots by eye, but do rely heavily on the thirds grid to compose my images. I try to do my own things with regard to photography, but the Rule of Thirds cannot be ignored in most situations. David Hopley

I’ve seen quite a few drone flyers getting overenthusiastic in the early days, flying flat out or too far away, and it often ends in a crash. You should have a keen understanding of the weather conditions and you’ll find it much easier to fly safely if you position yourself as close as you can to the drone – this gives you a much better understanding of the surroundings. Fergus Kennedy

In the air, even a tiny bit of wind can affect the overall sharpness of an image, especially when I’m using lower shutter speeds. I generally use Tripod mode as well, which improves drone stability by applying more torque and power in certain directions. And I always shoot in raw mode. Francesco Cattuto

As with conventional photography, the golden and blue hours provide the best light for creating the most emotional impact in an image – and as a drone photographer you’re also trying to capture emotion. When you’re shooting over water you have to remember that the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection, so move your drone around to make sure you’re not getting any nasty reflections. Stacy Garlington

I try not to fit the whole world into my image – I like to focus on small things instead of shooting an incredibly large scene where your eyes wander all over the image. I lead the viewer’s eyes straight to the subject I want to show them. Tobias Hägg