High Altitude and Aerial Photography — An Overview
The field of photography has evolved with the development of game-changing technology that has been used in several other disciplines — from colour animation to military tracking and explosive technology.
The modern era changed our perception of things and places through videography and photography being done from heights. Viewing our world from above and the top is a unique experience. It has been possible through aerial and high altitude photography.
What is High Altitude Photography?
It resulted from the National High Altitude Photography (NHAP) program in the USA which was an interagency project to acquire cloud-free aerial photographs at an altitude of 40,000 feet above mean terrain elevation.
What is Aerial Photography?
Aerial photography is a technique of photographing the surface or structures of the Earth’s atmosphere or hydrosphere with cameras mounted on aircraft, rockets or Earth-orbiting satellites and other spacecraft.
Kinds of High Altitude Photography
1. Mountain Photoshoot
Usually, nature lovers prefer a mountain as a destination for photography because of its calmness and serene beauty. Mountains have ample splendid scenes to capture and display the raw beauty of nature. But there are certain things to be taken care of like some disturbances in wind, insects etc.
• Be cautious about the direction of the wind flow
• Always carry insect repellents and first aid kit
• Set the camera in manual mode as the automatic mode is not that reliable in such situations. Switching on the manual mode, allow the settings to be changed according to our will, depending on the venue.
• A wide-angle DSLR camera can do well, since it captures an object from a longer distance, and gives a wider view.
2. High Altitude Balloon Photoshoot
A gas balloon is another great way to take high-altitude photos to get perfect views
· Carry a high altitude balloon kit for such photoshoots.
· Try to keep the high altitude balloon camera equipment fit.
· It might get difficult to adjust the focus, so planing the picture can save time and issues.
An Overview of Drone Photography
Drone photography is the process of capturing still images and videos by an Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), commonly known as Drone.
Often it enables a first-person view that is a bit difficult to achieve.
Drone photography is mostly used in extreme sports. Professional sports photographers usually prefer drone.
Over the last few years, Drone Technology has prospered and developed throughout the world. It has multiple uses, which include
Ø Military uses: Drones have a number of applications in military and defence such as bomb detection, surveillance, air strikes etc.
Ø Filming and Journalism: Many filmmakers use drone cameras in the shooting to capture scenic beauty. Also, drone cameras can reach places where reporters find difficulty. Thus, aerial footage or live broadcast is gaining popularity.
Ø Aerial photography: Drones are extremely popular in the world of aerial photography such as to shoot wedding photography or videography or sports photography like surfing.
Ø Delivery: Drones can also be used to deliver food, goods etc at the doorstep. It can save time and reduces human labour. Google, Amazon, FedEx and many other big brands are working on its resources to facilitate drone delivery services.
Ø Emergency Rescue: Drone technology can be used in rescue operations depending upon the scope or severity of the disaster.
Ø Archaeological Surveys: Professional drone photography can acquire important footage and essential details about archaeological sites.
Ø Weather forecasting: With the help of drone cameras weather conditions can be predicted. For e.g. sending drones into tornadoes, hurricanes etc to capture essential footage.
Ø Agriculture: Large scale farmers are quite benefited with regular agriculture aerial imagery. The aerial images of agricultural land provide in-depth analysis of crop performance and improvement.
The creative potential of aerial photography and drone photography enables to capture the aesthetic value of the pictures and videos. Cameramen and photographers can shoot easily without actually moving from their spot.
Learn more about high altitude photography on a live expert session hosted by STORY’anz on Sunday, 27th September. First few seats are free. Register now and book your free spot!
