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In 1858 the French photographer Nadar patented a balloon lift photographic technique that started something that is widely used today: Aerial photography.

Aerial photographic assignments are both enjoyable and rewarding. A successful aerial shoot requires careful planning. You don’t want to be 50 miles away and 3000’ above ground at $1000.00 per hour and not have the right equipment or land bearings. If possible I always go to the site on the ground to get my bearings. Even though you may know your city like the back of your hand, once in the air your whole perspective changes. A one storey industrial building looks like any other
One-storey buildings in most industrial parks.

Equipment, Shutter Speeds and Lens Aperture:
Having the right equipment is essential. Although any good camera system will take good photographs, it is important to shoot at shutter speeds of 500th of a second and faster to reduce the effects of airflow and engine vibration. In most cases the ground subjects are shot at infinity. You may want to use some tape attached to the lens to make sure your camera stays at infinity. Also having a back up camera would be beneficial. Aircraft rental is anywhere from $ 400.00 to $1000.00 per hour and you do not want to scrub the whole flight due to a camera malfunction. Shoot as high res as your camera will produce, you will need the fine detail. Take as many Compact flash cards as you can beg or borrow, you will tend to over shoot once you get up in the air.

 

Aircraft: Helicopter or fixed wing aircraft is the first question you should be thinking about when contacted by your client. Cost is usually the determining factor in this decision but not always. Helicopters generally run 3 to 4 times the cost of fixed wing. But depending on your shooting location your client may have to cough up the cash for a helicopter.  Helicopter pilots doing aerial photography generally get more respect from air traffic controllers than fixed wing pilots, especially when you get near major flight paths. Helicopter pilots can some times drop below the 1000’ ceiling limit for a few closer shots. When shooting from a helicopter I always have the door off. The plexi-glass door is always scratched. When using a fixed wing I leave the door on and let the slipstream from the plane hold the side window up.

Altitude: Altitude is a major factor in aerial photography. Anywhere from the minimum of 1000’ from the closest ground subject to about 5000’ is acceptable and depends on what you are shooting. The higher you go up, the more ground haze you will encounter and this will appear to soften your images.

Safety:  Before getting into the aircraft, try to brief the pilot as fully as possible as to your photographic assignment. Study maps of your shoot area and some landmarks that can be easily identified from the air. This will make both your jobs easier and will save you flight time and costs over all. Make sure you and your equipment are safely secured and strapped in. During the flight you want to be as efficient as possible. Before you take off make sure you can properly and comfortably get in a good shooting position, you may have to change positions with the pilot or move to the back seat to get the best angle. On your way to the first location make sure all your equipment is secure, organized and with in easy reach. At the cost of aircraft rental today, you do not want to be searching for the right equipment.

Pilots: Aerial assignments require proficient piloting skills. Flying low to the ground and at minimum air speed is a job for a professional. Depend on a skilled commercial pilot who will concentrate on your safety and getting you the best shot possible. Establish a set of hand signals with which you can help direct your pilot while in the air, even with head sets sometimes hand signals are more efficient.
 
The Weather: About a week before your planned take off tentatively try and book your pilot and aircraft. This may not be possible due to their company policy but if it is great day for shooting, it will also be a great day for all those student pilots to take the day off and do some flying. That means you will probably be bumped and not get your assignment done. Three or four days before check your local weather channel network on the Internet for the conditions. Don’t forget that for every 300 meters /1000 feet of altitude, the temperature will drop by almost 2 degrees.

Restrictions: Check to make sure what will be the best altitude and are there any flight restrictions in that area.

Lighting: Determine what shooting direction will be best for your client’s assignment. Select the time of day that will best match your shooting direction.

Exposure: I generally do an incident light meter reading from the ground but if lighting conditions change after takeoff, I keep a close eye on my histogram and slight over expose by about one stop. Much of what you will be shooting will be dark, trees; pavement, dark buildings and I like to have a little more detail in the shadows.

 

Vibration: Keep your camera from touching any part of the aircraft. If your upper body or camera is in contact with any part of the aircraft, it will pick up engine vibrations and even a fast shutter speed could yield un-sharp images.