STACK #204 Oct 2021

LIFE TECH FEATURE

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DRONES

A drone can offer a unique perspective to the human eye, and endless compositional possibilities – no wonder aerial drone photography is such a booming community. Whether you are a casual flier looking for a few photography tips or a total beginner, we have you covered.

Understanding Your Drone Safety A drone is a highly sophisticated piece of technology, and it’s important that new pilots know how to use one correctly, and what to do if obstacles like losing signal or critical battery failure occur – read the manuals, and understand your drone. Given rules around privacy and public safety, there are several regulations in Australia around flying your drone. Head to the CASA website or see the KnowYour Drone infographic on the next page for The forecast will play a big part in the pieces you create – you’ll need to take the weather report into consideration before taking flight. It’s recommended to avoid rain and snow unless you’re using a weatherproof drone; windy days could create blur in your images as well as drain your battery more quickly, while super sunny days can result in lots of shadow play in your work. As always, taking flight during Golden Hour will give the most appealing results. Practice Safe Flights As they say, practice makes perfect. Before filming or taking epic shots from the sky, it’s important to know how your drone works, how to fly in different conditions, how gimbal control functions, and your drone's different flight modes. Photo basics There are some basics to know to help you get the most out of your photos. Since you are shooting from a drone, keep the shutter speed high: this will stop blur leaking into your image. Even if you are stationary, a little bit of wind could affect your whole finished product. more details. Weather

The easiest way to achieve best results is through Shutter Priority mode. Another easy basic to miss is ensuring you are shooting in a RAW file mode – this will give you more control over your images when editing later, and less restrictions than if using JPEG. Play with Angles Typically, photographers always shoot at a height of seven feet or less from the ground. Drones now allow you a whole new perspective to photograph. While it is tempting to fly as high as possible to take your pictures, it’s worth experimenting with as many angles – of your drone and gimbal – as possible. Get Creative Once you have finished flying and snapping your images, it’s time to edit and finalise them. Whether you are using Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop or editing off an app, this is where you can let your personality come out in your pictures.

Photo Credit: Australia’s leading aerial photographer Merr Watson. You can access Merr’s free ebook on drone photography at merrwatson.com

52 OCTOBER 2021

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