Drones, and how they’re transforming photography
Always on the lookout for novel, unusual perspectives from which to shoot, photographers have discovered drones. And found that these airborne crafts can take their photography to a whole other level. Rachel Worsley gets the low-down.
Rise of the machines
From air strikes, to drug smuggling, to delivering products to your doorstep, drones are becoming a ubiquitous tool in everyday life. They’ve even been used to capture footage for the news. But professional photographers like American Corey Rich are starting to appreciate the benefits in a photographic setting. “It’s that neverending search on how to make the most compelling content and having the camera in such a unique position,” he says.
Traditionally, aerial photography was restricted to photographers shooting from onboard a helicopter: an exercise that is often costly, time-consuming and cumbersome. But the drones of today are customisable to photography needs and are relatively light in weight and compact in size. Photographers are now able to shoot landscapes, wildlife, surfing and even extreme sports at the Winter Olympics in ways unimaginable just a few years ago. The footage and stills being shot these days from the vantage point of a drone is nothing short of spectacular. There’s no denying that not only are drones here to stay, but that they are revolutionising and transforming photography in wonderful ways.
Getting off the ground
Early drones were not photographer-friendly and required know-how of actually building one. It wasn’t until the first Phantom DJI quadcopter came out in 2008 that photographers like American Randy Scott Slavin first started taking an interest. “The Phantom was the first aerial photography tool that didn’t require technical knowledge. It was all built and prepared for attaching your camera and flying it,” he says.
Inspired by the flying possibilities of the Phantom DJI, Slavin flew it every day in the summer he received it until he was confident of piloting it himself during a shoot. After gaining a permit from his council in New York City, he started sending his drone skyward to capture surreal-looking footage of the cityscape below. The resulting footage was tailored into a video story of New York City from the sky.
But Slavin says that the drone is only part of the story. He says in order to shoot great photos and videos, you need some other essentials in your kit. “I have a GoPro Hero Black 3, a back-up GoPro, a timer [to track flying time] and a screen to monitor footage,” he says. While his setup cost around US$3,000, a more expensive, more complicated drone might require someone with more specialised skills to operate and pilot – something which Slavin is not currently considering.
Australian Stuart Gibson is best known for his captivating and powerful surf imagery, but two years ago he decided to give drones a try. Like Slavin, he favours the Phantom DJI. However, as far as he’s concerned, what makes a great drone comes down to the gimbal. “[A gimbal] keeps your camera level at all times. No matter what the drone does, the camera will always hold its position and keeps level. Slavin agrees. “When the camera is up in the air there are so many factors at play that can affect footage – rotors, winds, drone movement. If you want good, stable footage, you have to use the gimbal and stabilisation software like [MAGIX] Video Pro.”
Just as other forms of photographic equipment have evolved over time, drones have also evolved in response to the needs of photographers. The first DJI Phantom did not have its own gimbal, but since 2012, these now come included. Previously, photographers had to install one themselves. Over time, gimbals have also evolved in providing greater stability for footage, and recently, a three-axis digital stabilised camera gimbal from Freefly [the MO-VI ] allows for even smoother footage.
Craig Parry, from Byron Bay, has been shooting with drones for about four years. “I have a hexacopter which is a combination of a few brands. The carbon frame comes from DJI for instance, and the engine and electronics were bought elsewhere.” With help from a friend, Parry was able to customise his own drone to suit his shooting needs. The larger size and power of the hexacopter was appealing to Parry as the drone was able to carry the high-end cameras that he uses including the Canon 1D C, Canon 5D Mark III or RED cameras. He says photographers should be open to the idea of modifying the drone to maximise their ability to shoot great video and stills. “For me, I found there was too much flex in its arms, which didn’t give me good visible footage at times,” he says.
Parry also recommends installing a live feed system that allows you to see what the camera sees, as well as a GPS system that will help you track your drone. “It will also help plot coordinate points, which is quite useful if you don’t want your drone to get lost somewhere out there!”
Drones have moved from the domain of personal work into large-scale commercial projects, but some tweaking of gear is required. Los Angelesbased company Drone Dudes, like Parry, were keen to adapt their kit to suit their specific requirements. Andrew Petersen, lead photographer and producer for Drone Dudes says “It starts out as a basic kit, but then you add more things, and it’s all about improving what you have. I was one of the first guys flying a RED Epic. Coming from a filmmaking background, I knew it would be a revolution for the professional film market.”
Petersen explains that quadcopters and hexacopters were out of the question for the commercial projects they were working on. “We use a modified Freefly Sinister Star 8, which is essentially an octocopter. It’s primarily used for commercial and cinematic shoots as it can carry heavier loads and heavier cameras like the RED Epic camera.”
However, the size of the drone means that it’s more than just a oneperson job. Flying drones is a team effort. “While I pilot the drone, someone on the team takes pictures and a third person monitors the flight and battery reserves since some only allow for flights of 7-8 minutes, depending on the altitude.” says Petersen. It’s a similar situation for Corey Rich, who uses RC (remote-controlled) helicopters from video company Dedicam. In some of his long-form videography, such as the Trango Tower shoot in Pakistan, he has relied on the use of hexacopters which he coordinates with fellow pilots with remote-flying experience. “It’s like a free-fly system heavy lifter…a heavy lifter drone that can carry a DSLR,” he says.
All photographers are in agreement about what the best camera is for shooting for high-end commercial work versus personal exploration, with a RED cameras, followed by Nikon and Canon DSLRS, cited. Anything smaller is just not up to the task for commerical applications. “GoPros are great for interesting angles. They’re light and easy to carry, but you wouldn’t necessarily want to use them for commercial work,” says Parry.
Petersen goes further, saying photographers should be aware of the different weight requirements of each drone to carry cameras. “Most of our commercial jobs involve RED Epics or RED Dragons, which require the bigger octocopters to carry their weight. Otherwise we use the Canon cameras on smaller drones.”
Switching to Flight Mode
Although drones are still predominantly used in personal work, they are increasingly being used in commercial applications. And the bulk of the work is predominantly video, according to Rich. “We’ve shot very little still photography using drones. We find that the primary use of drones has been shooting with video, and I think drones lend themselves to video because you can get 24 still frames per second of video compared to taking pictures. That said, we’ve pulled a lot of stills from our videos and they’ve run in magazines and the web. Conceptually, it’s the same thing; it’s about creating stunning visuals.”
In commercial projects, Rich says shooting video requires coordination of different talents. “I’ve never piloted the drone. I’ve always partnered with amazing guys with experience and passion to get the RC helicopter in the right position. My role is conceptual. It’s about what’s going to be the picture, what our story is, what’s most relevant, what’s going to be spectacular and how we should use our resources.”
Parry says drones have created many possibilities for wildlife photography. “It also helps to create different angles for my wave shots. And I found that in Hawaii with the surf, it was easy to fly around it. The drones can go between 5 feet or 300 feet into the air.” One of his pictures, Life and Death has been short listed for the National History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2014 and was also on display at the Head On Photography Festival this year in Sydney. Parry says the Canon 5D Mark III that took the photo was mounted on a Photo Higher gimbal attached to his hexacopter.
While the possibilities appear endless, Parry says it’s important photographers get the hang of flying the machine first before embarking on any commercial shoots. “It can take a while to learn how to fly the drone properly, so don’t rush into anything. Buy a DJI Phantom with a GoPro to start up with. It’s important to learn how to fly a smaller drone and take great pictures with it before moving on to the bigger drones.”
Petersen concurs. “It’s all about having a full understanding of your aircraft. You don’t want to fly in a busy park for instance if you’re not sure how to stabilise your drone. You also have to take into account the different flying conditions.” After all, who hasn’t seen the footage of a photographer accidentally crashing a drone into a groom’s head during a wedding location shoot.
Staying on the right side of safety
Drones have not exactly enjoyed a trouble-free existence from authorities. As recently as 2013, the Federal Aviation Administration in the United States fined a photographer for using drones without their permission to shoot promotional videos. The fine was thrown out in early 2014 as the FAA had “no authority over commercial drone use”. In Australia, a drone filming a triathlon hit and injured an athlete while she was competing in Western Australia in April 2014, with the event being investigated by the Civil Aviation and Safety Authority (CASA). At the time of reporting, CASA discovered the drone operator did not have an approved license to use drones for commercial purposes.
You typically won’t need any sort of license if you’re just shooting presonal work. For commercial shoots, you’ll need to apply online with CASA. “But if you don’t want to go through that rigmarole, you can hire someone who is accredited with CASA to fly your drone and you direct the photography/videography from the ground,” Parry says. For added safetly, and so that he can concentrate on what he’s shooting, Parry will typically rely on an accredited pilot to control the drone.
For Drone Dudes, safety is of absolute importance, according to Petersen. “We’ve taken all the proper safety procedures and promote to our clients that we take safety very seriously. We don’t fly close to neighbourhoods or property. It’s all done out on set in remote areas.”
Rich says the benefits of drone-assisted photography and videography outweigh the safety concerns, especially if you are covered with insurance. “You can definitely get hurt by a drone, but the consequence of a drone crashing into an athlete versus a real helicopter is two different worlds…everyone is going to die if it’s a helicopter crash, but with a drone people may probably get hurt.”
The sky is the limit
The arrival of drones in photography and videography has opened up endless possibilities. Now it’s up to photographers to discover exactly what these are. Many sign up with professional drone companies like Drone Dudes or Dedicam, connecting with pilot operators to shoot campaigns. Others are happy to strike it alone, like Parry, Gibson and Slavin. Many agree the growing popularity of drones means that photographers are further experimenting with video capture and novel ways of shooting stills.
Parry is optimistic about the future and believes that with time, the inclusion of a drone in a photographer’s kit will become the norm, and not just an anomaly. Rich says that is already the reality with many of his shoots. “If we can’t bring a drone on board, it’s usually because there’s not enough budget in the production, or we’re moving too fast between shoots and drones can be heavy to take around, or there may be legality issues.” For Slavin, it’s clear that photography is about to undergo a new revolution. “The human eye is very spoilt – we’ve seen every angle possible through Hollywood. Having a drone is simply another means of production; one that really gives the ‘wow’ factor.”
CONTACTS
Stuart Gibson: www.stugibson.net
Craig Parry: craigparryphotography.com
Andrew Petersen: www.dronedudes.com
Corey Rich: www.coreyrich.com
Randy Scott Slavin: www.randyscottslavin.com