Aerial photography can be as challenging as it gets for the professional photographer. Many decisions are necessary to get stunning results, everything from type of aircraft to subject material and time of day. Teamwork is also required because the photographer and pilot need to communicate well in order that the photographer to obtain the desired pictures. This post covers aerial photography platforms together with a small amount of photography technical information. Part 2 will give you the technical and artistic side of aerial photography.

While aerial photography has been accomplished with everything from hot air balloons to space shuttles for most of us we’re a little limited in the options we have available. I have used helicopters, fixed wing aircraft as well as ultralights for my personal work and I’ll deal with these in a little more depth in my personal order of preference.

Helicopters:

Aerial photography from helicopters is probably the easiest platform to work from under a good number of circumstances. When used especially for photography most pilots will permit the removing of a door leaving a large workable shooting area available. This can be very advantages since you can literally pan the cameras to keep the subject within the frame while continually travelling in a straight forward direction. Helicopters also have very impressive turning characteristics so you will find that there is far less lost time when you circle back to shoot from a different altitude or perspective.

There are a few downsides to taking pictures from helicopters however. Firstly is the huge cost, easily $500 each hour or so for a Robinson R22 to $1,500 or more for a large jet. It is extremely impressive the amount you are able to shoot in several hours but the bank card may take a big hit once you land. Do you really need a jet helicopter for the majority of uses? I have utilized both the smaller Robinson’s and large jet helicopters and have had great results with both. Some will debate that the larger helicopters are a little safer however I will leave that up to the experts. Jet helicopters tend to be considerably faster so if you are travelling significant distances they can provide an advantage. Secondly, vibrations are an issue based on several factors. My experience has been that a skilled pilot can often hit a “sweet spot” where the helicopter settles into a relatively smooth forward motion. This generally isn’t while you hover, forward motion plays a part.

Helicopter photography from a technical point of view may be both a challenge and an exhilarating experience. If you cannot remove the doors wear dark clothing and make certain you have a lens shade installed. Most of the windows are Plexiglas and tend to have scratches which means you will probably want to shoot relatively wide open to restrict the depth of field. Window tint may additionally be a problem although this can usually be cleaned up in Photoshop or some other editor. I recommend shooting RAW for this reason. Whatever you do, don’t place any part of your body or camera against the sides of the helicopter as the vibrations will transfer over to the camera and result in unsharp photos. Life is easier without doors but be aware of the turbulence in the event you lean out a little too far. The buffeting could be very strong. All gear as well as other equipment needs to be safely and securely fastened to your body or a harness, you don’t want to think about what could happen if you drop a lens or camera out of the door! I go as far as taping the lens hood to the lens as a basic safety precaution as I’m sure the tail rotors would make quick work of a lost lens hood, perhaps with bad consequences. If possible work with a few different cameras so you can keep switching lenses and memory cards down to a minimum.

I try to keep my shutter speeds around 1/1000 or faster if possible although have had reasonable success close to 1/500. If this means boosting the ISO as the light fades I do this in preference to having somewhat blurred photos. This should permit an aperture around f5.6 in most conditions although as the light fades you may be looking at f2.8 or so, a very good reason to own fast lenses.

Ultralight:

When i first did aerial photography using an ultralight in Costa Rica a few years back. I must disclose I really didn’t know what to expect because all my prior aerial photography had been performed from helicopters up to that time. I was expecting a significant amount of vibration and bad wind buffeting but was in for a great shock. Ultralights are definitely a fantastic aerial photography platform under the right circumstances which is when you tend to fly them anyway. They do get tossed around slightly but generally the vibrations aren’t as bad as helicopters. While they aren’t as maneuverable as helicopters they are superior to fixed wing aircraft. Possibly the only downsides are, they are relatively slow and you have to feel at ease in them because they are extremely bare bones and seat of the pants!

Fixed wing aircraft:

Likely the bulk of aerial photography is conducted using fixed wing aircraft. While not as maneuverable as helicopters they’re nonetheless very competent shooting platforms within the right conditions. Try to obtain an airplane having a high wing such as the Cessna 172 Skyhawk to obtain the best view. The low winged aircraft seriously limit the view below! Even with high wings the wing strut will probably be in the way, it’s just not generally positioned in a great position for photography. I am sure some people fly with the doors off but in general you will be flying either shooting through a small opening window or through the glass. In either case, positioning of the aircraft is extremely critical to set up the photograph so a good pilot preferably with practical experience working with photographers is a must. What is the greatest benefit of a fixed wing platform? Price! Likely 1/4 or less of what the helicopter will cost.

Getting organized:

Flying in circles looking for photographs may very well be very thrilling and entertaining until you land and find out how much money you invested without having really accomplishing anything. Do your groundwork in advance and get a good concept about what you would like to photograph and how you’ll accomplish it. What side of the aircraft will you be shooting from? What elevation or different altitudes are required? When will the light be the best? Often you will discover that a single flight will not produce all of the necessary pictures as a result of some of these decisions and a second or third flight may be necessary.

After you have done your research it’s time to find your plane. What is your price range is likely the biggest decision here as well as which kind of aircraft are available? Hire an excellent pilot, preferably one that has expertise working with photographers! Pilots do vary and some are better than others in terms of understanding the requirements of aerial photography. Review a flight plan and stay with it. The most important component of the shoot is the pilot calls the shots and has the final say in what will be done. They know the rules, safety concerns and the bottom line; they are responsible for you, the aircraft as well as the individuals on the ground!

Happy shooting!

Kevin Oke is a professional aerial photographer living on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.