People Drone Photography :
Twenty tips for creating better looking drone footage Shooting with a drone gives you an entirely new perspective and opens up plenty of new possibilities. Whether you use it for photography or video using a drone requires some skill and planning if you want to make the best out of it. Stewart Carroll from Drone Film Guide shares a fantastic set of tips that will help you make your drone footage look more professional. These tips will not only help you get great shots but also teach you how to make the best out of your drone. 1. Fly backwards If you fly forwards the propellers can get into the shot especially if youre flying fast. If you fly and shoot backwards the propellers wont get into your shot even at high speeds. 2. Reverse footage in post-production Flying backwards instead of forwards has other advantages too. Its much easier to navigate the drone if you start from the endpoint and fly backwards. The same goes for flying up instead of flying down. So shoot the video in reverse and edit the footage in post. 3. Visualize your shot This tip leans to the previous one. If you want to start from the end point of the video you must have the end point in mind first. So its important to visualize before you start shooting check if you can fly smoothly and dont just fly aimlessly. 4. Film subjects Filming a subject can add more interest to your shots and contribute to storytelling. You can shoot people cars or any other subject depending on your story. Just like in the previous tip dont just fly without an aim. 5. Fly low Just because you can fly high with your drone it doesnt mean you should do it all the time. Sometimes shooting as low as the head level of your subjects can give a much better result. 6. Use the time between the shots wisely Battery life precious so make the most out of it. For example when you shoot something in front of you and now you want to fly back and shoot behind you use the time between these two shots. Change the angle of the camera and film all the way back. You may be surprised by these unplanned shots youll get. 7. Keep your shots short When you visualize and plan your shots make sure to keep them short. This will make them more engaging and dynamic and drone shots that are too long can be boring. 8. Wait for the light If you rely on the natural light you already know that it often requires patience. So if you have the luxury to wait for the sunlight on a cloudy day Stewarts suggests you wait for it and make the most out of it. 9. Be able to see your screen Of course you should always be able to see your screen but you should see it really well. If its too small or you have some glare from the sun you can miss some details in the shot that can ruin the footage and you wont notice it until after youve already shot everything. So get yourself a screen thats large enough adding a screen protector is also a good idea and stand in the shadow to avoid the glare from the sun. 10. Fly with a partner Stewart suggests you always take someone to help you fly. By this he means someone to look around see what could go wrong and where the drone has the risk of crashing. 11. Use the biggest memory card possible Choose the biggest you can afford or the biggest one your drone can take and just leave it record. Stewart suggests doing this because of all those times you think youve pressed record only to realize you actually missed the perfect shot. 12. Backup mid-shoot Take a laptop and backup the footage during the shoot. This way you avoid the risk of losing it if anything happens to the drone. 13. Dont overexpose your shots Be careful not to blow out the highlights because you cant recover it in post. 14. Avoid people This doesnt only refer to shooting above large crowds which you shouldnt be doing anyway. It means avoiding people who want to chat about your drone while youre trying to keep in in the air and get the shots without crashing. So make sure to choose the proper location and avoid the contact with strangers. After all if you bring a partner with you they can handle the chatty strangers for you. 15. Keep it simple Its easy to get excited over all the intelligent flight modes and cool moves you can make with your drone. But keep in mind that some of the best storytelling shots are actually pretty simple. So think of the context and dont use fancy moves just because you can. 16. Clever composition Just like with any other kind of shots be smart about the composition. If you want to remove the unwanted elements from your shot recompose them so they fit the story youre trying to tell. 17. Where to stand? This can be a tricky one because you have to be able to see your drone but you cant be seen in the shot. So stand in the way of the drone but hide in the shadows or behind the walls. Check out Stewarts examples. 18. Dont ignore battery warnings Take battery warnings seriously especially when its cold.Keep in mind that low temperatures speed up the battery drainage. This goes for the drone battery but also for the smartphone youre using as a screen. 19.Treattheweather with respect Keep in mind that its a lot windier in the air than it is on the ground. If the strong wind interferes with your shots get the drone down to the ground. 20. Wait to update firmware Dont be the first guy to update the firmware. Wait for the reviews and read forums so you get the sense of the latest update before you get it yourself. [20 Drone Tips To Fly Like A Pro Filmmaker! via FStoppers] #photography