Aerial Photography Tips

Eric and Josh share some basic tips for capturing great aerial photography with your multi-rotor! Using the Blade 350 QX3 AP combo quadcopter we were able to capture some great video using some of these tips!

With over 30 years of R/C flying experience, Eric has over 3 years experience flying professional aerial photography and video and he wanted to share some basic tips that can really help those who are wanting to get into it!

We had a chance to try out the new Blade 350 QX3 AP combo from Horizon Hobby and try out some of these tips Eric shared with us. 

Josh and Eric both agree that the Nano QX FPV is a great start to getting into fpv flying and a great mutlirotor to learn to fly on. Becoming a good aerial photographer all starts with becoming a good pilot first.

The Blade 350 QX3 is a great all in one platform for capturing great aerial video and photos. The C-Go2 GB300 HD Camera with 3-Axis Brushless Gimbal is what really makes this mutlirotor a great option for aerial photography. 

Having a gimbal on your multirotor will really increase the quality of your aerial video, where it might not be a priority if you're just capturing aerial photos. We were really impressed with how well it performed with our extreme testing as well as the smooth video it captures during our recordings. 

There's so much to talk about when covering photography in general. Some basic things to think about is the time of day you are shooting. Small cameras like the GoPro and the GB300 HD on the Blade, shooting in that 'golden hour' of the day when the sun is low in the sky, really produces some nice video.

Tracking shots with nearby trees and other objects in the foreground will allow your aerial shots to show the movement in the air.

Using the sun and the allowing it to flare into your camera lens can also add a dynamic look to your video.

As with anything, practice makes perfect. The better you are at maneuvering your multi-rotor, the better you will be at capturing the shots you want.

Although the Blade 350 QX3 has an option to monitor the camera's live feed, the wifi delay doesn't allow it to be a stand alone FPV screen. You will need to fly line-of-sight with this multi-rotor, only referencing the screen for composition and framing.

Flying your multi-rotor in weather that is calm will really help give you the control you need while flying.

Playing with the horizon and looking for angles that will give your shots dimension, you can create some 

Watch videos and think about the shots that you like and what moves they are making and try to shoot some similiar!

Obviously, scenic areas are going to offer much more 'interesting' video, but how you move the camera in the sky and how you maneuver around objects and trees can allow you to capture images that are very creative.

Eric likes to fly with objects moving past the screen, when he shoots aerial video. It shows off the movement and adds more depth to a shot.

Positioning the camera to catch the light of the sun is another easy trick you can try.

Backlighting with the sun can help make basic images look much more engaging and interesting. But, as with photography, it might not be the best option for the look that you're going for. Experiment, practice, test, have fun!

The better you become at flying and the more comfortable you are with your aerial machine, the better you will be at capturing the images you want.

Being at the right place at the right time, you can capture some great images, which is why it's so important to have a reliable flying platform and to be familiar with it as well as being prepared to crash and replace parts while you're on location.

We captured some stunning shots in the same locations we flew the DJI Inspire 1, and we were very impressed with how well the Blade 350 QX3 captured the scenic lake front images.

Learn more about the Blade 350 QX3 AP here: www.horizonhobby.com

Blade 350 QX3 AP Flight Mode Tutorial: 

Check out the related articles below to read some of Eric's articles mentioned in this episode. Be sure to share your experiences and thoughts on these aerial photography tips, we'd love to hear about them!

Thanks again for all of your support!