Shooting aerial photography may seem easy, but when you get right down to it, it can be pretty difficult to pull off. One of the biggest things that people underestimate when they shoot their aerial photos is the fact that drones have a notoriously short battery life.
Of course, most professional aerial photographers counter this by purchasing multiple batteries, so that they can extend the length of one shoot. However, if you don’t know what you’re doing, then having plenty of batteries on hand only serves to give you more time to waste.
In order to maximize your aerial photography shoots, you should always plan your shots ahead of time. Here are some tips to help you with that.
Choose a location
Of course, if you’re going to be planning your aerial shots, one of the very first things that you have to take into consideration is the location of your shoot. You can go with locations that you’ve shot at before, or you can take a look at places that you’ve always been interested in shooting at.
Whether you’re going to be shooting over land or water, make sure that you take into consideration the local drone laws that are in place. In America, drone laws state that you can’t fly your drone near crowded areas or near an airport, so make sure that you look up your local regulations and keep them in mind when choosing a location.
Use online tools
Some of the best tools that you can use to find a location to shoot your aerial photography can be accessed without having to make a payment or anything of the sort.
Google Maps and Google Earth can give you a real-time look into what the locations that you’re taking into consideration look like, and you can plan some excellent shots by checking the aerial views and angles of this.
Take the weather into consideration
Your drone is a rather delicate piece of technology, especially in relation to the weather, so make sure that you check the day’s forecast when planning out your shots. Of course, there are some weather conditions that can make for an interesting shot.
However, if you find that it’s going to be raining, snowing, or especially cold that day, it’s highly recommended that you avoid shooting your aerial photography on that day.
This is because the cold or wet weather can wreak havoc on your drone’s mechanisms, and even damage it. Don’t risk your drone for a few shots that you can take on another day.