Aerial and Drone – ExpertPhotography

8 Best Drones for Kids in 2024 (For Every Budget and Level)

Trevor Marshall — Wed, 03 May 2023 09:26:30 +0000

The best drones for kids provide endless hours of fun. And don’t worry, the parents will enjoy them as well. The beauty of some of the drones we’ve chosen is how inexpensive they are. If it doesn’t interest your child after a while, it’s not a huge financial loss.

But if it appeals to them, then the possibilities for upgrades are almost endless. The sky is the limit, so to speak. We’ve looked at a range of drones from very cheap to moderately expensive. If you want to look at only camera drones, then check out our review of the best camera drones for photography.

Our top pick of drones for kids favors the cheap first foray into the field. The Potensic A20 is cheap, easy to use, and fun to fly.

Our Top 3 Choices for The Best Drones For Kids

Potensic A20 Mini Drone

Holyton HT02 Mini Drone: Kids’ RC Quadcopter

Syma X20 Mini Drone: Gold, LED, 2.4Ghz, Headless Mode

What Is the Best Drone For Kids?

We’ve put together this summary of our recommendations. Some are very cheap and give a brief introduction to flying. Others are more sophisticated for more fun.

Our Top Pick

Potensic A20 Mini Drone

One-button takeoff and landing
Altitude hold for easy control
Low battery and range alarms
Durable and safe design

Best Budget Flight Time

Holyton HT02 Mini Drone: Kids’ RC Quadcopter

User-friendly features for beginners
24-minute flight time with three batteries
Compact and easy-to-carry design
Safety guards and emergency stop

Best for Night Flying

Syma X20 Mini Drone: Gold, LED, 2.4Ghz, Headless Mode

Easy-to-fly mini drone
Colorful LED lights for night flying
6-axis gyro for stable flight
Headless mode and altitude hold

Best for Tricks

Mini RC Drone for Kids

Exciting tricks like 3D flips, Auto Rotation, and Circle Fly
Auto hover and one-button takeoff and landing
Impressive 21-minute flight with three rechargeable batteries
Headless mode and low-battery alarm

Best Protected Camera Drone

Potensic A20 Mini Drone

720p HD camera with real-time FPV transmission
Multiple modes for endless fun and excitement
Beginner-friendly controls with 21-minute flight time
Safe and durable design, perfect for kids

Best Camera Resolution

Holy Stone HS260 Drone

Captures stunning 1080p video
Beginner-friendly altitude control
Gesture-activated photo and video
Instant sharing via Wi-Fi

Best for Image Stability

Ryze Tech Tello: Mini Drone Quadcopter UAV for Kids

Easy flying with intuitive phone controls
High-quality photos and HD720 videos
Impressive flight time and stable transmission
Programmable with the Scratch app

Best Large Drone

Holy Stone HS110D FPV Drone 1080P HD Cam

Up to 20 minutes of flying time
LEDs for easy visibility
1080p camera
Onboard SD card storage

Choosing the Best Drones for Kids

Let’s look at our choices in more detail. We’ll consider ease of flying, battery life, and other features.

1. Potensic A20 Mini Drone

Brand	Brand Potensic
Max Flight Time	Max Flight Time 15 minutes
Control	Control Joystick
Camera	Camera No
Key Features	Key Features Three batteries and shielded rotors
Best For	Best For Anyone looking for their first taste of flying

The Potensic A20 is a great starting drone for kids. It’s bright green and small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. It comes with three batteries, each offering about five to six minutes of flight time. Shielded rotors and a simple control pad make this simple and safe to fly.

It has a one-button launch, recover mode, and headless mode. It’s not as frightening as it sounds. It means you don’t need to know which way the drone is pointing. It will respond to the control levers as you use them relative to where you are. All the best drones for kids have this very helpful feature.

Flying a drone often results in it ending up in a tree (I speak from experience). The Potensic A20’s bright green color and hefty construction will help you locate it. A low-power alarm lets you know it’s time to land, and a barometer-controlled altitude hold makes it easy to stabilize the drone.

2. Holyton HT02 Mini Drone: Kids' RC Quadcopter

Brand	Brand Holyton
Max Flight Time	Max Flight Time 24 minutes
Control	Control Joystick
Camera	Camera No
Key Features	Key Features Three batteries and two chargers for extended flight time
Best For	Best For Beginners looking for a slightly different design

One neat feature of the Holyton HT02 is that it comes with two USB chargers. This means that while you’re flying, you can charge the other two batteries at the same time. Each one should give you about eight minutes of flight time. So although you won’t get completely uninterrupted flying, it will reduce downtime.

The Holyton HT02 is tiny at 1.85” (47mm). It’s so small it can even fit inside the controller. This protects it well and makes it easy to transport. It has headless mode, one-touch takeoff and landing, and an emergency stop.

The rotor protection is different from the rotor protection found on other drones. Instead of a guard on each rotor, there are two hoops, almost like a rollover cage. But this may not offer as much protection from anything that can fit between the hoops.

Choosing between the Holyton HT02 and the Potensic A20 might simply come down to which you think looks better. The specs and price are both very similar.

3. Syma X20 Mini Drone: Gold, LED, 2.4Ghz, Headless Mode

Brand	Brand Syma
Max Flight Time	Max Flight Time 5 minutes
Control	Control Joystick
Camera	Camera No
Key Features	Key Features 6-axis gyroscope for stability
Best For	Best For Indoor flying

The palm-sized Syma X20 is a mini drone that’s small enough to easily fly indoors. It also has a 6-axis gyroscope allowing for greater stability. The Syma has a very convenient return-to-base function. And it has the usual altitude hold, headless mode, and one-button takeoff and landing. These are handy features during our early days of flying when control isn’t second nature.

This third drone on this list has a different shape than the first two. The Syma X20 has quadrant-shaped detachable rotor guards. These work as bumpers rather than guards. If you fly up into an object like a tree, there is no protection for the blades and they will get caught. But if you bump into a wall, it will simply bounce right off.

The limited flight time of about five minutes and a fixed battery might count against the Syma. You’ll have to wait about 50 minutes before flying again.

4. Holy Stone HS210 Mini RC Drone for Kids

Brand	Brand Holy Stone
Max Flight Time	Max Flight Time 21 minutes
Control	Control Joystick
Camera	Camera No
Key Features	Key Features Completely shrouded blades, low battery warning
Best For	Best For Anyone wanting a longer flying time

The Holy Stone HS210 is ideal if you’re worried about accidents. Safety features include completely shrouded blades that help protect the rotors from damage. On drones, each pair of blades rotates in a different direction to maintain control and stability. The Holy Stone’s rotor blades are color-coded, which makes it easy to put the right blade on the right rotor.

You can toss the Holy Stone HS210 into the air and it will fly. Flight time is seven minutes per battery, and you get three of them. As expected, it has altitude hold, headless mode, one-button takeoff and landing, and emergency stop. The transmitter will beep continuously if the battery is low, ensuring you know when to fly your drone home.

When you do hit an object, the motors cut off to prevent burning out. The Holy Stone HS210 is a good all-rounder from a well-respected manufacturer. It should be on your list if you’re looking for a budget drone for your kids.

5. Potensic A20W Kids Drone

Brand	Brand Potensic
Max Flight Time	Max Flight Time 21 minutes
Control	Control Joystick and phone
Camera	Camera 720p
Key Features	Key Features Gravity sensing control, flight path control
Best For	Best For Anyone looking for their first camera drone

Like the Holy Stone, the Potensic A20W looks like its cheaper sibling reviewed earlier with its fully shrouded propeller guards. But this has a console-style controller with a mount for your phone. Equipped with a 720p camera, the drone will capture pictures and video in HD and live stream it to your phone.

It has the usual controls, but the Potensic A20W introduces gravity sensing. This means it will respond to the movement of your phone without the use of the controller. Flight Path mode allows you to draw the route you want it to take on the screen.

Three batteries allow up to 21 minutes of flight time. And it comes with one USB charging cable.

The A20W is the same price as the Holy Stone HS340, and it’s a tough choice to make. You might find the extra protection of the propeller guards important. Or you might like the gravity control. Either way, the Potensic A20W is a strong contender.

6. Holy Stone HS260 Drone: 1080P HD Cam, 30 Mins Flight

Brand	Brand Holy Stone
Max Flight Time	Max Flight Time 30 minutes
Control	Control Joystick and phone
Camera	Camera 1080p
Key Features	Key Features Adjustable camera, folding rotors, and voice control
Best For	Best For Anyone looking for better quality images

As we move through the range of best drones, new features appear. And the Holy Stone HS260 gets two new additions to the spec sheet—a 1080p HD camera and foldable arms. The camera can be adjusted remotely from front-facing to 90º down. This opens up loads of new possibilities for photos and video.

The foldable arms make it easier to pack in your bag or backpack. And all the usual capabilities are there, with the addition of “optical flow positioning.” This means the drone uses optical information as well as gyroscopes to sense its position. This leads to improved stability in altitude hold mode.

You control this drone with a dual-joystick remote control, which you can also mount your phone to. Your phone allows you to use voice control and gesture control. You can also draw your desired route on the screen.

It comes with two batteries and each provides about 15 minutes of flight time. The batteries charge via the supplied USB cable.

The folding function and moveable 1080p HD camera make the Holy Stone HS260 very tempting as the best drone for kids.

7. Ryze Tech Tello: Mini Drone Quadcopter UAV for Kids

Brand	Brand Ryze
Max Flight Time	Max Flight Time 13 minutes
Control	Control Phone
Camera	Camera 720p
Key Features	Key Features Electronic image stabilization and vision positioning system
Best For	Best For Anyone looking for stabilized outdoor footage

So far, the drones we’ve looked at have been mainly aimed at having fun. With the Ryze Tech Tello, we add the possibility of some educational benefit to that fun element.

Ryze is owned by the serious drone manufacturer DJI. And the Tello uses components from the DJI range. The camera is only 720p but it comes with electronic image stabilization. This combines with the “vision positioning system” to provide stable hovering. This means it produces stable videos.

There is no separate controller, but you can connect a Bluetooth controller for additional flexibility. Flight time is about 13 minutes. And although the battery is swappable, there is no separate charger. This is not as practical as some of the competition.

As for educational benefits, your kids can download the Tello Edu app, which allows them to use Scratch to program the drone. Given the increasing emphasis on STEM subjects in schools, this could be a real incentive for choosing the Ryze Tech Tello.

The Ryze Tech Tello is a step up in price. But it has various features that make it a serious contender as the best drone for kids.

8. Holy Stone HS110D

Brand	Brand Holy Stone
Max Flight Time	Max Flight Time 20 minutes
Control	Control Joystick and phone
Camera	Camera 1020p
Key Features	Key Features Large drone with positioning LEDs, removable SD card memory
Best For	Best For Flying outdoors when conditions permit

The Holy Stone HS110D is the biggest we’ve seen so far. It is a nearly 13” (322mm) square, with a one-piece X-shaped body.

The 1080p HD camera on this drone has a wide 120° viewing angle, providing possibilities for stunning vistas. It records in 1080p to an SD card (not included) on the drone or 720p to your phone.

The controller has status indicators for the selected speed and flight mode. One feature likely to appeal to kids is the four LEDs on the drone itself. On the points of the X shape, under each propeller, they indicate the drone’s status. Usefully, the front lights are white, so you can instantly spot which way the drone is facing. All four flash red if the battery is low, telling you to return to base.

Perhaps because of those LEDs, the two batteries only provide about 10 minutes of flight time each. Propeller protection is in the form of quadrant bumpers. In other ways, the specs match its sibling with app controls. But it doesn’t have voice control.

For the same money, choosing between these two might be difficult. The HS110D looks like it might be more resilient to newbie clumsiness.

Buyer’s Guide

What Are the Legal Requirements for Using a Drone?

There’s no easy way for us to give you accurate information here. It depends entirely on where you live. In the US, drone regulations are overseen by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In the European Union, there are EU-wide regulations governed by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The relevant authority in the UK is the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

It’s your responsibility to make sure your drone activity is in compliance with local regulations. Remember that local facilities such as airports or military bases will have specific regulations.

What About Safety?

Common sense is the watchword. Some of these drones are so tiny, they can be safely flown indoors. But you still might want to move your delicate porcelain figurines out of harm’s way.

Always provide the necessary supervision. And ensure that neighbors or other nearby folks aren’t annoyed or endangered by the drone.

Important Features to Look For When Buying Drones for Kids

Features to look out for are automatic hover, protection for rotor blades (and anything they might hit), and weight. You will also find that some drones have a controller like a console game. Others are controlled by a smartphone app. Do you want a camera on your drone? And if so, how important is the picture quality?

There’s a tenfold price difference between the cheapest and the most expensive drone in this review. The good news is that the cheaper end really is cheap. Especially when you consider the technology packed into these things.

All these drones fly by remote control, operated by the pilot. And all of them use rechargeable batteries. Flight time is usually pretty short, and this is something you want to check. Some of the drones reviewed here are tiny—less than 2” (50mm) across. So double-check the size before you order. If you expect something the size of a dinner plate and it’s smaller than a saucer, you might be disappointed.

Also, be aware that any of these drones will be difficult to fly outdoors in any kind of wind. They are so light that even a breeze can carry them away. And it’s possible that the breeze will blow the drone out of the range of the controllers.

What About a Camera Drone?

The cheapest drones for kids don’t have cameras. It seems that if you pay under $50, a camera is just too much to ask for. However, even the most basic camera drones for kids come with 720p HD cameras. It’s not that long ago when this would have impressed you on a mobile phone costing 10 or 20 times as much.

Conclusion: The Best Drone For Kids

The good news is that even the cheapest drones for kids will give them loads of fun. And the most expensive drones will provide them with some serious recording capabilities. If you want a simple yet capable drone for your kids, the Potensic A20 is a great place to start.

If your budget is a little bigger, consider the Holy Stone HS260. With its 1080p HD camera, folding body, and 2 x 15-minute flight time, it is an excellent choice in a tough field.

Our Top 3 Choices for The Best Drones For Kids

Potensic A20 Mini Drone

Holyton HT02 Mini Drone: Kids’ RC Quadcopter

Syma X20 Mini Drone: Gold, LED, 2.4Ghz, Headless Mode

5 Best GoPro Cameras in 2024 (& How to Choose Yours!)

Trevor Marshall — Mon, 13 Mar 2023 09:00:07 +0000

Almost any action camera might be known informally as a “GoPro.” But in this review, we’ll guide you through the very best of the official GoPro camera range. We’ve narrowed it down to the best five, so you’ll quickly find what you’re looking for.

Our top pick is their latest flagship action camera, the GoPro HERO12 Black. It has the company’s fastest ever processor and gives you 5.3K video, up to 8x slow motion, and excellent horizon leveling.

Our Top 3 Choices for The Best Gopro Camera

GoPro Hero12 Black

GoPro Hero11 Black

GoPro HERO10 Black Action Camera

What Is the Best GoPro Camera?

The best GoPro cameras allow you to capture all the high-octane action. Whether mountain biking, kayaking, or snowboarding, the best GoPro cameras are right there with you.

A GoPro camera has to be rugged and reliable. It has to be able to cope with the thrills and spills of an adrenaline-fuelled life. Unlike the early GoPro cameras, all of these models are waterproof without an external housing.

They all work well with the GoPro app. And you will need the app to get the most out of them. But the main thing is that they capture high-quality videos and images. You’ll be pleased to know all the GoPro cameras featured here do exactly that.

Before we explore them all in more detail, here is a summary of all the models in this review.

Our Top Pick

GoPro Hero12 Black

Vivid and vibrant 5.3K video footage
Built-in HDR video and photo modes
Best ever HyperSmooth stabilization
Hindsight function so you never miss anything
24.7 MP stills from video footage

Best Value GoPro

GoPro HERO10 Black Action Camera

Fast GP2 processor
Up to 45 degrees of horizon leveling
Hyperlapse video
HD livestreaming
8x slow motion

Best GoPro Available

GoPro Hero11 Black

Revolutionary new image sensor
8:7 format for flexible editing choices
Horizon lock
Emmy award-winning HyperSmooth stabilization
Up to 8x slow motion at 2.7K

Most Compact Go Pro

GoPro Hero11 Black Mini

One-button simplicity
Dual-position mounting fingers
HyperLapse video
8x slow motion
Horizon lock

Best 360 GoPro

GoPro Max

Easy 360-degree shooting
Waterproof to 16 feet (5 m)
Six mics for immersive 360 audio
HERO mode for conventional GoPro recording
Horizon Leveling

Choosing the Best GoPro Camera

If you want a traditional action camera, then GoPro has three models. They offer varying levels of features. They also have a 360-degree camera and a compact model. Let’s have a look at them in detail now.

1. GoPro HERO12 Black

Brand	Brand GoPro
Max Video Resolution	Max Video Resolution 5.3K
Max Still Resolution	Max Still Resolution 27 MP
Waterproof Depth	Waterproof Depth 33 feet (10 m)
Front Screen	Front Screen Yes
Slow Motion	Slow Motion 8x
Image Stabilization	Image Stabilization HyperSmooth 6.0
Key Features	Key Features Horizon leveling, livestreaming, HDR video and stills, Hindsight capture, interval photos
Best For	Best For Anyone looking for the latest. most advanced GoPro camera

GoPro releases a new camera pretty much every year. And while some new releases seemed arbitrary, that’s definitely not the case with this model.

The latest GoPro Hero 12 Black is their best camera to date. We’re seeing significant improvements over the previous models. And it has new features that set even higher standards for action cameras.

The video resolution remains 5.3K with a 60 fps frame rate. It’s the same as the last few models, but the video quality is fantastic. It’s backed by the HyperSmooth 6.0 video stabilization, which is the best version yet, giving you super-smooth action footage.

HDR video recording is another big improvement. This enhances detail and gives you clearer footage in difficult lighting conditions.

8x slow-motion video is excellent for capturing fast action. And the new Hindsight feature captures footage before you even press the button, ensuring you never miss a beat.

A 27 MP stills resolution gives you gorgeous photographs. And it also has built-in features for capturing star trails and time-lapse photography. You can also pull 24 MP stills from video footage using the GoPro app.

As you might expect, the GoPro Hero 12 Black is fully waterproof down to 33 feet / 10 meters. And that’s without any additional casing or protection. You can go kayaking, surfing, or snorkelling with the GoPro camera just as it is. It’s a thrill-seeker’s dream.

2. GoPro Hero11 Black

Brand	Brand GoPro
Max Video Resolution	Max Video Resolution 5.3K
Max Still Resolution	Max Still Resolution 27.1 MP
Waterproof Depth	Waterproof Depth 33 feet (10 m)
Front Screen	Front Screen Color
Slow Motion	Slow Motion 8x
Image Stabilization	Image Stabilization HyperSmooth 5.0
Key Features	Key Features Horizon lock, new night modes for star trails, light painting, and light trails
Best For	Best For Anyone looking for the top-of-the-line GoPro

The GoPro HERO11 Black introduced some well-regarded improvements over the older HERO10.

Although it kept the same processor as the HERO10, it has a new sensor. This boosts the MP count to 27 MP. This isn’t a huge jump, but the major difference actually comes from the new aspect ratio.

As well as the 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratio of the HERO10, you now get an 8:7 ratio. This all-but-square format gives you more freedom. You can choose landscape or portrait orientation after you shoot. It’s a way of cropping without sacrificing resolution.

Other improvements are horizon leveling for a full 360 degrees. This is spectacularly demonstrated on the GoPro website. A GoPro is attached to a plane executing a 360-degree roll. The perfectly-level horizon showcases the full movement of the plane.

Unwanted movement is dealt with by the HERO11 even better than before. HyperSmooth is upgraded with AutoBoost. Ordinarily, in-body IS relies on taking a slightly cropped image from the sensor to smooth out any unsteadiness. Unless you have a fancy sensor-shift system. These are usually only found on some expensive mirrorless cameras.

HyperSmooth 5.0 is more sophisticated. It will apply the usual cropping to smooth out camera shake. But when your movement is more stable, it uses more (or all) of the sensor. It sounds like it might be distracting. But in practice, it is unnoticeable.

Both 5.3K and 4K video are served up at 120 Mbs rather than the 100 Mbs of the HERO10. Slo-mo at up to 8x is available in 2.7K and 1080p. And 1080p is your maximum livestream speed.

There are some really impressive night modes. They allow you to capture stunning night sky time-lapse videos. There are also presets for light trail videos or light painting. The simple preset modes make it easy to execute.

The GoPro HERO11 Black has built on the improvements of its predecessor and refined them even further. It is an impressive package and still a great option for adventurous content creators.

3. GoPro HERO10 Black

Brand	Brand GoPro
Max Video Resolution	Max Video Resolution 5.3K
Max Still Resolution	Max Still Resolution 23 MP
Waterproof Depth	Waterproof Depth 33 feet (10 m)
Front Screen	Front Screen Yes
Slow Motion	Slow Motion 8x
Image Stabilization	Image Stabilization HyperSmooth 4.0
Key Features	Key Features Horizon leveling, livestreaming, timelapse, and hyperlapse
Best For	Best For Anyone looking for a fast processor at a decent price

One of the main improvements to the GoPro HERO10 Black is a new processing chip. GoPro claims speeds twice as fast as the GP1 chip found in their previous cameras.

The change from 20 MP photos to 23 MP seems like a regular progression of technology. And the video stills are only 19 MP, which is less than the main stills sensor on the HERO9. But that is still a pretty good pixel count. And it adds a lot of flexibility to your filming choices.

The max video resolution of 5.3K is another small improvement. But it captures that 5.3K at up to 60 fps rather than just 30. The HERO10 includes HyperSmooth 4.0. This is the award-winning implementation of their image stabilization technology.

Horizon leveling in-camera is improved. It can compensate for up to 45 degrees of tilt. And low-light performance is best on the HERO10.

Once you have captured your images, you need to transfer them to your camera. One welcome improvement is connectivity. You can now connect the GoPro camera by cable to your phone to download your digital content. Wi-Fi has always been available, but the cable adds reliability.

One result of the upgraded chip is an across-the-board improvement in functions. The front display isn’t necessarily an upgrade. But the way the camera is able to use it is improved. Previously, the slow frame rate could make videos jerky and difficult to follow. Now they are smooth and much easier to use.

Similarly, the touchscreen is more responsive. With the GoPro HERO10 Black, GoPro has been able to improve performance across a range of factors. Low light noise reduction has been improved. And limitless horizon correction is another benefit.

4. GoPro HERO11 Black Mini

Brand	Brand GoPro
Max Video Resolution	Max Video Resolution 5.3K
Max Still Resolution	Max Still Resolution 24.7 MP (from video stills)
Waterproof Depth	Waterproof Depth 33 feet (10 m)
Front Screen	Front Screen No
Slow Motion	Slow Motion 8x
Image Stabilization	Image Stabilization HyperSmooth 5.0
Key Features	Key Features Compact size, dual mounting fingers
Best For	Best For POV filming where size is at a premium

The GoPro HERO11 Black Mini is a new departure for the company. GoPro models have generally evolved over the years. They have added a screen here, made it color there, and reduced the need for external housings.

The 360 Max was one departure. The HERO11 Black Mini is a whole new one. It takes most of the capability of the full-size HERO11 and packs it into a smaller body.

There’s no screen front or back. And there’s no separate sensor for stills. But most of the other features of the bigger version are there. Presumably, as a response to some of the competing brands, this model prioritizes size.

It has two sets of fixing fingers, allowing more mounting options. And it is lighter and less obtrusive when mounted to a helmet or chest.

Controls beyond the simplest functions are executed via the app. This is probably true a lot of the time on the bigger models.

The GoPro HERO11 Black Mini is definitely worth considering if you need a smaller and lighter camera body.

5. GoPro Max

Brand	Brand GoPro
Max Video Resolution	Max Video Resolution 1440p (HERO mode)
Max Still Resolution	Max Still Resolution 18 MP
Waterproof Depth	Waterproof Depth 16 feet (5 m)
Front Screen	Front Screen No
Slow Motion	Slow Motion 2x (HERO mode only)
Image Stabilization	Image Stabilization Max HyperSmooth
Key Features	Key Features 360-degree stills and video, HERO mode for normal GoPro use
Best For	Best For Capturing awesome go-anywhere 360 footage

It’s been possible for a while to blend the images together from two GoPro cameras. This produces a 360-degree video or photo. But with the GoPro MAX, GoPro has its own dedicated 360 camera.

It’s also an outlier in looks, with more of a square shape than the usual rectangle. Other than that, it looks like a GoPro camera, but there’s a lens on both sides.

The MAX has a touchscreen on the rear of the camera. In fact, this is the way to tell this is the rear side, as it also has a lens. It is the 360-degree capability that sets the MAX apart, so let’s start there.

The GoPro execution of 360-degree video is impressive. It looks as though a closely following drone is filming the subject. And all of this in 6K. The sound quality should match the footage, as it’s recorded via three stereo pairs of microphones.

The 360-degree video shares this audio with conventional GoPro camera capabilities. Action cam footage, which by its very nature, is subject to lots of camera shake. The HyperSmooth image stabilization (IS) system is ideally suited to combating this.

There is a MAX version of TimeWarp. This is a time-lapse video recording from a moving camera viewpoint. The resulting 360-degree videos are very eye-catching.

You can also use the GoPro Max as a conventional GoPro HERO camera. It is called “HERO mode.” With it, you can take a standard time-lapse (not available in 360-degree mode). It also allows 2x slow-motion and has face and smile detection.

You don’t get a front-facing screen with the GoPro MAX. Instead, you can simply choose to use the other lens while in HERO mode. When shooting 360-degree footage, you choose which lens you want to monitor via the touchscreen.

Still photography gives you 5.5 MP in GoPro HERO MAX mode or a 6.2 MP “PowerPano” panoramic photo. There’s no automatic HDR, but horizon leveling works in HERO mode. The MAX also has max superview, wide, linear, and narrow digital lenses.

Does the GoPro Max make the other HERO cameras obsolete? Not really. Waterproofing, for instance, is only down to 16 feet (5 m). And there’s no OEM waterproof case to take it deeper.

Some users report disappointing battery life with the GoPro MAX, but it is doing some pretty heavy lifting. You can supplement the 1600 mAh battery with a second battery that comes with a dual charger.

Choosing the Best GoPro Camera for You

How Waterproof Are GoPros?

A waterproof, tough body is common to all these GoPros. Gone are the days when you had to attach a clumsy external housing. The 33 foot (10 m) rating on the best is more than enough for most people. If you need to go deeper, there are external housings for the HERO9, 10, and 11. For the last two, this increases the operating depth to 196 feet (60 m).

What Are the Mounting Options for the GoPro?

You no longer need the external housing to easily mount your GoPro. And the fold-out “fingers” work the same as traditional GoPro housings. And there are numerous mounting options for these.

Think of almost any object and someone somewhere has developed a GoPro mount for it. From guitars to gyrocopters, from dogs to drones, you’ll find a mount or harness. The HERO11 Mini has the best mounting options with two sets of fingers.

What Is the Image Stabilization Like on the GoPro?

The models in this review track the evolution of image stabilization in the GoPro. From the very impressive HyperSmooth 3.0 to version 5.0. The 3.0 irons out the bumps and vibration of extreme challenges such as mountain biking. But the 5.0 version includes variable applications of image crop to maximize IS and minimize cropping.

GoPro has also developed its horizon leveling feature. The HERO11 will lock the horizon level, no matter what you do with the camera. This is a striking feature when you see it in use.

What Else Should You Look For?

You can buy all these GoPro cameras at a discount with a GoPro subscription. You don’t need the subscription, but it offers some handy features. When you plug your GoPro camera in to charge, it will automatically back up your media. It will also automatically create a highlight reel for instant sharing on social media.

If you want to use your new GoPro camera for live streaming, this is made simple with the subscription. Create your streaming link, then share it with as many or as few people as you want.

What is the Best GoPro Alternative?

While the name GoPro has become synonymous with action cameras, they are not the only name in the game. Other excellent actions cameras are available.

Our top recommendation is the DJI Action 2. It’s innovative modular design gives you a unique experience, and it’s not just a gimmick. It makes it easy to record footage of yourself in action.

The 4K video footage is fantastic. You can record 8x slow-mo footage, and there’s image stabilization to improve playback of those action-packed moments.

The Insta360 GO 3 is a great 360-degree camera. And the Akaso EK7000 is another brilliant GoPro alternative at an affordable price.

See all the best GoPro alternatives in our full article.

Conclusion: The GoPro camera

A GoPro camera is an excellent choice for anyone looking to capture their adventures in stunning detail. Whether you want epic videos or stunning stills, the best GoPro cameras deliver.

Of the many models available right now, the GoPro HERO 12 Black stands out as the best option. It’s has built on the accomplishments of the HERO 11, giving users a better experience and better results.

The older models still hold up against competitors, but the Hero 12 is definitely at the front of the pack.

Our Top 3 Choices for The Best Gopro Camera

GoPro Hero12 Black

GoPro Hero11 Black

GoPro HERO10 Black Action Camera

11 Best Drones Under $200 in 2024

Trevor Marshall — Wed, 21 Dec 2022 14:17:14 +0000

The best drones under $200 offer some incredible specifications for tons of fun. We’ve selected the best drones at a variety of price points. But they are all less than $200!

Our top pick provides good value, high specifications, onboard memory storage, and VR mode.

Our Top 3 Choices for The Best Drones Under $200

Holy Stone HS175D RC 4K Camera Drone

Holy Stone HS210 Mini Drone

Zuhafa Foldable Drone with 1080P HD Camera

Drones Under $200: What Is the Best Option?

We’ll look at the features of each of our choices in detail. But first, here is a summary table of everything we recommend.

Our Top Pick

Holy Stone HS175D RC 4K Camera Drone

Sturdy and durable material
Foldable and portable design
Multiple flight modes
Long-lasting battery life
Easy to operate

Best Budget Indoor Drone

Holy Stone HS210 Mini Drone

Fully-shrouded rotors for safety
150' range
Headless mode
Programmed acrobatics
Includes three batteries for extended flight time

Best Value for HD Video

Zuhafa Foldable Drone with 1080P HD Camera

1080p HD camera
Long-range Wi-Fi FPV
Fly up to 16 mins
4-axis gyro stabilization
2 speed modes

Best Budget Folding Drone

SYMA X600W Drone

Long-range flying up to 200m
6-axis gyro technology for easy handling
1080p HD camera with Wi-Fi for real-time transmission
One-button takeoff and landing and flip mode
Durable construction with protective frame

Best for Multiple Skill Levels

DEERC 2K HD FPV Drone

1080p camera for clear, sharp images
20 mins flight time for extended use
Altitude-hold feature for stability
Auto takeoff and landing for easy flying
3D flip mode for more entertaining flights

Best Value Adjustable Camera

Holy Stone HS440 Drone

Quadcopter with two powerful motors
100-meter range
720p HD camera for stunning footage
Compact and lightweight design
Easy and safe to operate

Best Value GPS Drone

Contixo F22 Drone

Long 500-meter range
1080p HD camera
20 minutes flight time
Angle and high-speed mode
6-axis gyro stabilization

Best for Action Selfies

Holy Stone HS110G 1080P Drone

1080p HD camera for stunning aerial images
Follow-me mode for easy flight control
Altitude hold for a stable hover
Voice and app control for added convenience
Headless mode for easier orientation

Best for Beginners

Potensic A20 Mini Drone

Remote control and smartphone control
360-degree flips and rolls
Altitude-hold mode
2 speed modes
Headless mode

Longest Range Operation

Airoka SG907 MAX 4K Drone

4K HD camera
18-min flight time
Powerful GPS system
Intelligent flight modes
Foldable design

Best for Build Quality

Potensic T25 GPS 1080P Drone

GPS-enabled for accurate hovering and stable flight
1080p HD camera with adjustable angle
Follow-me mode for hands-free flying
Long flight time up to 15 minutes
Easy to fly with one-key takeoff/landing

Now let’s look at the drones in more detail. Starting with our top pick.

1. Holy Stone HS175D Drone

Brand	Brand Holy Stone
Control	Control 5 GHz remote controller and phone app
Flight Time	Flight Time 46 minutes (2 batteries at 23 minutes each)
Range	Range 1640 feet (500 m)
Camera Resolution (video)	Camera Resolution (video) 4K
Features	Features Brushless motors, 4K video, headless and follow-me modes, VR mode
Best For	Best For 4K video at a low price

The Holy Stone HS175D is a drone that’s packed with features. That 4K video comes from a camera that can be remotely adjusted up or down by up to 90 degrees. An optical flow lens aids altitude stability. This helps the drone know how far away the ground is.

Return-to-home has three modes. The first allows you to summon it back to you. The second initiates a return when battery levels are low. The third is automatic if the drone loses connection with the transmitter. This means that if your drone goes beyond transmission range, it won’t just keep going forever. Instead, it will head for home. You can resume your flight as soon as the drone establishes connection again.

2. Holy Stone HS210 Mini Drone

Brand	Brand Holy Stone
Control	Control Remote controller
Flight Time	Flight Time 21 minutes (3 batteries at 7 minutes each)
Range	Range 165 feet (50 m)
Camera Resolution (video)	Camera Resolution (video) n/a
Features	Features Headless mode, throw to launch, altitude hold, low battery alarm
Best For	Best For Indoor acrobatics

You’ll become familiar with the Holy Stone brand as this review of the best drones under $200 continues. There’s not much to choose between this Holy Stone HS210 Mini and the Potensic A20. Both are aimed at the younger consumer. You can see this with the easy controls and the bright colors. They both have fully shrouded rotors. This helps protect fingers and furnishings.

This is another drone you won’t get to fly outdoors very much. It weighs less than an ounce (0.77 oz/21.8 g). So the slightest breeze will make it impossible to control.

However, there’s plenty of fun to be had indoors with its programmed 3D flips. Three different speed modes also help the newbie pilot. And with three batteries and two chargers, there won’t be too much downtime.

3. Zuhafa Wi-Fi FPV Drone with 1080P HD Camera

Brand	Brand Zuhafa
Control	Control Remote controller or via phone app
Flight Time	Flight Time 40 minutes
Range	Range 330 feet (100 m)
Camera Resolution (video)	Camera Resolution (video) 1080p
Features	Features Headless mode, 3D flips, foldable, altitude hold
Best For	Best For HD video on a budget

This Zuhafa drone is the first of the camera drones under $200 in this review. It is remarkable that you can get a 1080p video camera in a drone for this money. There’s no removable onboard storage for the footage. But it is transmitted back to your phone. That phone can simply slot into place on the remote controller. Here it receives the live first-person view (FPV) video from the drone.

Or you can use the phone as a controller. It lacks route mapping. But at this price, that’s not surprising. But you can get up into the air for 40 minutes of flight time and take video. The folding design makes it easy to transport and it includes a carrying case. All at an absurdly reasonable price.

Three selectable speeds mean that it’s also a good first drone. There are plastic bumpers to protect the propellors. But they’re not fully shrouded, so they will be more vulnerable to damage. Especially if you fly up into something. Given its price, this is a contender for the best camera drone on a tight budget.

4. SYMA X600W Drone

Brand	Brand SYMA
Control	Control 2.4 GHz remote controller and phone app
Flight Time	Flight Time 24 minutes (2 batteries at 12 minutes each)
Range	Range 100 feet (30 m)
Camera Resolution (video)	Camera Resolution (video) 1080p
Features	Features FPV live to your phone, 3D flips, altitude hold, headless mode, flight path mode
Best For	Best For A budget folding camera drone

This Syma X600 W is another foldable drone. It has similar features to the Zuhafa. You can operate it using only the remote control. Or you can connect your phone and get full FPV from the onboard camera.

There are two speeds and headless mode. The flight path mode is the big improvement over the camera drones we’ve seen so far. With this, you draw a route on your phone’s screen, which the drone then follows. This is great if you want to be in the video. It means you’re not gazing at the phone while on video.

The drone has a stable hover facility. This leads to better video footage. You don’t need to make fine adjustments to achieve a stable hover for your aerial photos.

One-key takeoff and landing complete the picture for the Syma X600W. It’s a capable drone that packs a lot of features into a drone that is comfortably under $100.

5. DEERC D10 Drone

Brand	Brand DEERC
Control	Control 5 GHz remote controller and phone app
Flight Time	Flight Time 24 minutes
Range	Range 330 feet (100 m)
Camera Resolution (video)	Camera Resolution (video) 1080p
Features	Features Flight path mode, gesture and voice control, 5 GHz controller
Best For	Best For Beginners and intermediate pilots

The DEERC D10 introduces voice and gesture control to the feature list. Gesture control means, for instance, that if you make a “V” shape with your arms, the drone will start recording. Voice control is self-explanatory.

The D10 also has a flight path mode and one-key takeoff and landing. The three speeds make it suitable for the nervous beginner and the more confident pilot. The drone folds away for easy transport. Although it comes with a standalone remote controller, it can also be operated by phone. This is a flexible arrangement. It’s perfect if you like the joystick controls, but want the first-person view on the phone.

The last of the sub-$100 camera drones, the D10 has plenty to be happy about. Camera quality, ease of use, and useful control features make this a good contender for best camera drone.

6. Holy Stone HS440 Drone

Brand	Brand Holy Stone
Control	Control 2.4 GHz remote controller and phone app
Flight Time	Flight Time 40 minutes (2 batteries at 20 minutes each)
Range	Range 330 feet (100 m)
Camera Resolution (video)	Camera Resolution (video) 1080p on TF card, 720p on phone
Features	Features Gravity control, headless mode, adjustable camera
Best For	Best For In-flight camera adjustment on a budget

The Holy Stone HS440 brings a couple of really useful extra features to the user. Gravity control allows you to control the drone by tilting your phone. Some people find this more intuitive and easy to fly. It still has a standalone remote controller and more conventional controls. But this is a useful addition.

The in-flight control of the camera angle is quite surprising for a camera drone at this price. For the remote, you can rotate the vertical direction of the camera by up to 90 degrees. This is a significant feature that adds a great deal of flexibility.

Added to this is the now-expected voice and gesture control and flightpath control. You can also store images and video on the removable TF memory card. It has a great set of features for a drone at this price. Coming from one of the leading manufacturers, this is an attractive choice for the best camera drone.

7. Contixo F22 FPV Drone

Brand	Brand Contixo
Control	Control 2.4 GHz remote controller and phone app
Flight Time	Flight Time 40 minutes (2 batteries at 20 minutes each)
Range	Range 1800 feet (550 m)
Camera Resolution (video)	Camera Resolution (video) 1080p
Features	Features Headless mode, automatic return home, GPS, follow me
Best For	Best For An introduction to GPS waypoints

The Contixo F22 enjoys many of the same features as the Holy Stone HS440. It has a remotely adjustable camera, 1080p recording, and the other features we have come to expect from drones at this price.

But it also adds GPS functionality. When setting out a flight path on the app, you’re not limited to drawing on the drone’s field of view. You can download a map of the local area to the app and draw the flight plan on this. Follow-me mode is another practical use of GPS. This keeps the drone within a set distance of your phone’s GPS location.

Although it is easy to fly, these extra features mean that there is some setup involved. You will need to calibrate the compass and download maps. But this is a great value drone with long-range capabilities. And you don’t need to worry about it disappearing over the horizon. You can use the one-button automatic return-to-home feature.

8. Holy Stone HS110G Drone

Brand	Brand Holy Stone
Control	Control 2.4 GHz remote controller and phone app
Flight Time	Flight Time 26 minutes (2 batteries at 13 minutes each)
Range	Range 980 feet (300 m)
Camera Resolution (video)	Camera Resolution (video) 1080p
Features	Features GPS, beginner mode, follow-me mode, memory card storage
Best For	Best For Action addicts who want a record of their exploits

The Holy Stone HS110G has two different follow-me modes. You can set it to follow you as you move—say, if you’re running or riding a trail. Or you can set the drone to stay in one place and have the camera follow you. This would be a good setting if you were in a skatepark. You can keep the drone in the middle of the park. Then have its camera follow you as you grind and ollie your way around it.

You can use the GPS feature to set the route on a map that you want the drone to follow. The GPS also allows the drone to come home accurately, which it will do as its battery gets low. The HS110G offers a great set of features in an easy-to-fly drone. Beginner mode provides easier flying and then full capabilities once you are confident. This means you don’t need to upgrade to a better drone if the bug bites you.

9. Potensic Upgraded A20 Mini Drone

Brand	Brand Potensic
Control	Control 2.4 GHz remote controller
Flight Time	Flight Time 18 minutes (3 batteries at 6 minutes each)
Range	Range 330 feet (100 m)
Camera Resolution (video)	Camera Resolution (video) n/a
Features	Features Headless mode, altitude hold, low power alarm
Best For	Best For Beginners

The Potensic upgraded A20 mini drone is a great place to start flying. It is especially useful for kids learning to fly. There are three flight speeds as well. So the learner can take it really easy to start with. This is a small drone, so using it outdoors is only possible in completely windless conditions.

The four rotors are completely shrouded, so the furniture and plants should be safe. It also means that the rotors will suffer damage less often.

At this price, the flying time is pretty impressive. The battery life for each battery is quite stingy. But the Potensic comes with three batteries as standard. The limited range shouldn’t be an issue as it will mainly be an indoor drone. The Potensic A20 is a budget drone that will cost you less than a family trip to the movies. It’s an affordable drone and a great way to dip your feet in the waters of drone flying.

10. AIROKA Beast SG907 Drone

Brand	Brand AIROKA
Control	Control 5 GHz remote controller and phone app
Flight Time	Flight Time 25 minutes
Range	Range 4000 feet (1200 m)
Camera Resolution (video)	Camera Resolution (video) 4K
Features	Features Two cameras, adjustable camera, GPS, brushless motors, 3-axis gimbal
Best For	Best For Dual-camera performance on a budget

You might not have heard of Airoka, but they have packed this Beast SG907 camera drone full of features. There is genuine 4K video from the front-mounted camera. You can adjust this camera from the remote to 110, 90, and 60 degrees. There is also a downward-facing camera for additional coverage.

It does all of this with the same feature list we have come to expect. The GPS allows you to engage in follow-me mode and return home. This is helpful as the maximum range is roughly 3/4 mile (1200 m). With a range like that, it’s possible you won’t be able to see the drone.

The main front camera has 3-axis gimbal stabilization. The downward-facing camera has 720p video resolution. The drone can be controlled by the remote on its own. But the FPV and route planning requires your mobile phone.

The flying time is disappointing given that there is only one battery. But there are a lot of other positives about the Beast SG907 MAX.

11. Potensic T25 GPS Drone

Brand	Brand Potensic
Control	Control 2.4 GHz remote controller and phone app
Flight Time	Flight Time 40 minutes (2 batteries at 20 minutes each)
Range	Range 980 feet (300 m)
Camera Resolution (video)	Camera Resolution (video) 4K
Features	Features GPS, return-to-home, adjustable camera, follow-me mode, aluminum body
Best For	Best For Offering progression to the beginner pilot

The Potensic T25’s aluminum body makes this drone seem of higher quality than all-plastic drones. The feature set certainly doesn’t exceed that of some slightly cheaper drones. But Potensic is a well-known brand with a reputation for good customer relations. Like most drones under $200 in this review, voice control and gesture control are all possible.

The T25 is well-specced. It has a return-to-home mode for emergencies, by choice, or when the battery is running low. There are three speeds, so anyone from beginner to the more confident flyer can use this. The range is not as extensive as some other drones in this review. Only you can decide how important this is to you. But it does seem on the small side.

What to Look for When Buying a Drone

If you’ve not yet had the pleasure of flying a drone, then hopefully this article will encourage you. Are you looking for a fun toy or looking for the best camera drone you can afford? Here are some things you should pay attention to when looking for the best drone under $200.

(Depositphotos.com)

What Are the Legal Requirements for Flying a Drone?

There’s no short answer to that. You will need to check local laws and restrictions. The Federal Aviation Administration in the US has a weight limit of 0.55 lbs (250g) for unlicensed, unrestricted drone use. Even then, there might be local restrictions because of airports or other sensitive areas. So you will need to check locally.

Privacy laws might have a bearing on drone use too. And there’s no denying that drones can be annoying to others who might object to the noise. Or they might feel they are being watched. These are all things to consider when flying.

What Features Should I Look For in a Drone?

This review of the best drones under $200 covers quite a range. At the cheaper end are pretty simple toys. At the more expensive end, you will find capable camera drones.

Drone Features to Look For

Method of Control

Some drones have a designated controller that controls the flight. Others rely on your mobile phone.

First-Person View (FPV)

First-person view is when you can see what the drone is seeing in real time. This is a helpful and fun feature.

Headless Mode

This isn’t as scary as it sounds. If you don’t know which way the drone is facing, this allows you to move it forwards or backward in relation to where you are. Let’s say that after rotating the drone left, you want to fly it back to you. With headless mode, towards you is always backward. This is especially helpful on drones without a camera.

One-Button Launch and Recovery

This helpful feature simplifies launching and recovering your drone when you first begin. The push of a button will send your drone into the air. Then you can begin your flight. When you’re done with your flight, just hit the same button. This makes the drone return to the space you launched it from.

Battery Life and Flight Time

Remember, what the manufacturers tell you is the maximum. Longer flight time usually costs money. Some drones come with multiple batteries. This extends the flying time. It might also be worth checking recharge time, and how easy and cheap it is to buy extra batteries.

Communication

Some drones fly with on 2.4 GHz radio signal for a longer range. And some fly on Wi-Fi for simplicity. Some of the best drones offer 5 GHz communication, which provides a much longer range.

Different Flight Modes

You might just want to fly the drone around. But you might want it to do flips, fly around you, or follow a set route. A follow-me mode can be great for social media shots. A GPS drone will offer a range of features, such as waypoint flying and return-to-home. Waypoint flying allows you to mark points on your phone for the drone to follow. In some cases, these points will be on the FPV picture from the drone.

On drones equipped with GPS, this might be on a downloaded map. In theory, you can tell your drone to fly down your street and then turn right. But be sure to check privacy laws in your location.

Return-to-home is useful. If you lose sight of your drone, getting it back to you can be a problem. Return-to-home allows a one-button summons to bring your expensive toy back to you. Many drones will come back automatically if their power is running low. Or if they lose contact with the pilot, they will return to the starting GPS location.

Camera Features to Look For

Camera quality

4K video is common on drones now. But you’ll want to pay attention to where the video is recorded to. Some record to a removable memory card, but some record to your phone.

Some manufacturers claim 4K, but it only applies to still shots. But in this review, all of the drones I’ve listed as having 4K have genuine 4K video.

Stabilization

Some drones have one or multi-axis stabilization. Other drones use a gimbal to stabilize the video.

A stable flight makes the difference between great video and unusable junk. Some of the more expensive drones allow you to change the camera angle while flying. This is a great feature. But it can also lead to annoying video results, so use it wisely.

Conclusion

Out of this fairly extensive list, my choice would be the Holy Stone HS175D. It has a comprehensive range of features and is not even at the top of the $200 price range. GPS, and all the features it enables, is a big selling point. Memory card recording and a total of 46 minutes of flight time are also big positives. Anyone looking for the best drones under $200 won’t go wrong with this.

Our Top 3 Choices for The Best Drones Under $200

Holy Stone HS175D RC 4K Camera Drone

Holy Stone HS210 Mini Drone

Zuhafa Foldable Drone with 1080P HD Camera

How to Take Drone Photos: A Complete Guide

ExpertPhotography — Tue, 06 Jul 2021 21:40:53 +0000

Drone photography has been the fastest-growing photography trend in recent years.
Using drones can give you a new perspective to photograph landscapes, cityscapes, real estate, and weddings. This bird-eye view look will add an extra touch to your photos and style.
In this complete guide, we’ve got everything you need to know about drones in this comprehensive guide.

What is Drone Photography?

UAVs (uncrewed aircraft) or drones have had significant advances in technology, creating devices for every budget.
Other than having commercial, agricultural and military uses, most of us use our drones as a hobby or for fun. They allow us to photograph and video from an entirely new perspective.
There are drones where a GoPro camera can be attached. And there are others where they include a camera capable of taking pictures in 5472×3648 resolution.
When using these drones, you will benefit from practice and flight exercises before you begin. Even then, when you feel you are ready, you need to know the rules and regulations. You will need to follow these legal issues before you start. You may even need to take a flight test to become registered.

Safety Measures

Checklist to Prepare for Drone Photography

A checklist is essential for all drone photographers. This ensures that you get the most out of your flight without encountering problems. Being aware of battery life ensures you will get beautiful drone shots.
Most drones can be easily avoided if the operator takes the time to check all of the machines’ components.
This checklist is downloadable and printable and should be used before every flight.

The Most Important Drone Safety Measures

Drones are not just for professional photographers and hobbyists. You can even use drones to carry items to hard to reach areas.
There are many dos and don’ts that you need to get familiar with. You also have to research which areas are safe to fly your drone.
Obey the guidelines and rules set by the local authority. Other tips on how to fly safely can be found in our article here.

The Most Useful Apps for Drone Photography

There is no better app to use for your drone photography research than Google Earth. This gives you a hint of what an area will look like from above.
This is an excellent way to scout the surrounding areas. B4UFly is a way to see if an area is prohibited from drone activity. It will show you the 5-mile radius of every airport.
Drone manufacturers also make drone apps. DJI has such an application (DJI Fly), which offers you a wide camera view and several flight tutorials.
This allows a second operator to fly the machine if need be. It also allows you to plot a course for it to follow.

Gear for Drone Photography

The Best Camera Drones

When searching for a drone for your photography, it helps to know the style that you want. It is also good to know if you are going to photograph or film. Higher-end drone models can take pictures in 48MP and shoot 4k video at 120fps.
To make sure you bring the most out of your drone photography, you must choose a great image quality model.
Please read our article here on the best 11 drones you can buy.

ND Filters for Drone Photography

Long exposures from drones at night-time are very easy. A quick press of a button will allow the machine to capture a sharp image using its stabilization mechanisms.
During the day, you will face a problem. Even by lowering your ISO and increasing your shutter speed, your image will be overexposed.
This is where the ND (Neutral Density) filter comes in. It blocks the amount of light hitting the sensor, allowing you to photograph for a longer time.
This helps to create a motion blur due to the longer shutter speed. To learn more about the uses of ND filters, check out our article!

Best Memory Cards for All Photography Budgets – CF | SD | MicroSD

Your photographs are only as good as your memory card. It takes a lot of time, effort and energy to get your drone in the air. The last thing you want is to miss that crucial panoramic shot halfway through a series due to a bad buffer rate. Therefore, you need a card that will allow you to have a fast writing speed. It is also better if the card is micro SD, as it is the size that is compatible with most drones.
Your memory card is in charge of rendering and storing your images, so choose wisely.

The Best Drone Accessories

Every drone and its operator can benefit from accessories. A lanyard is a great way to keep your controller close to you, even when you don’t need it. It lets your hands do something else.
Helipads are a great way to keep your drone as clean as humanly possible.
For more great accessories to make your drone experience better, check our article here.

How to Use Your Drone For Photography

View from Above: Drone Photography Basics

Good photography is about showing people views of the world they would not otherwise see. From cultures to conflict to landscapes, photography showa the world in compelling ways.
Camera drones are available, allowing us to photograph landscapes, weddings, cityscapes, and architecture from unseen heights.
For all of the basics, please read our article here.

Flying Exercises for Successful Drone Photography

A pilot has to complete hundreds of hours in a flight simulator before getting behind an actual wheel. Flying exercises are to be used to build up the pilot’s confidence. This is why they are also needed for drone photography.
They allow you to see what it feels like to fly the drone at a low altitude. This will help you avoid a bad landing damaging your device.
Knowing how to use your drone effectively will minimise the number of accidents and flyaways. It also ensures stunning images from your drone photography.

Shooting Drone Photography

Best Tips for Starting a Drone Photography Business

Drone photography is increasingly popular due to the unique point of view it offers. So it would make sense for you to decide that you want to get into the drone photography business.
To make sure everything runs smoothly, there are a couple of things you need to pay attention to. These include researching the laws, finding the best drone, and having a pre-photoshoot checklist prepared.
Please read our article to find out more about how to start a drone photography business!

Creating HDR Images Using a Drone

HDR or High Dynamic Range photography is the action of fusing different exposure values. This allows your final image to show details in the shadows and highlights.
If you ever wanted to photograph that perfect sunset, you will find the sky’s brightness darkens the landscape. The sky looks great, but the landscape is missing that dynamic range. This photographing method or scenario means all parts of the scene receive the attention they need.
Read more here on how to create stunning HDR images from your drone.

How to Create a Time-Lapse Using a Drone

A time-lapse is the method of taking multiple images of a scene or subject and turning it into a video or gif. These images are a great way to show movement in an otherwise still image. Drones are also suitable for creating time-lapses, but there are a few things you need to pay attention to.
You have to take the weather into account when planning the shoot. You also need to make sure that you use the proper manual settings and filters.
Read here for the best information on creating time-lapses with your drone photography.

Drone Wedding Photography

As every wedding photographer has their own style, it is not easy to develop something new that gives you a fresh look at this special day. With drones, you can show the setting, the venue, and the surrounding landscape in a way like never before.
Imagine the happy couple stepping out of the church, peppered with confetti from 100 people. Now imagine photographing it from above. It can seriously boost up your commission rates.

Real Estate Marketing Drone Photography

Real estate marketing is an area that can benefit from drone photography. This allows you to show the building and its entire property from above. Interesting angles can be used as a selling point. This is also a great way to show the surroundings.
If you feel adventurous, you can even use a hover or small drone to fly around the house.
This gives you a brilliant first-person perspective, allowing potential guests to move around the space.

11 Tips for Awesome Landscape Drone Photography

Starting with your aerial photography will give you a sense of euphoria. And an idea that you can capture anything, at any height, and it will be fantastic. This will happen until that dreadful alarm sounds off, telling you that your drone has run out of battery, and you panic, trying to get it to land safely.
The biggest tip we can give you is to keep your drone close to the ground. Especially at the start, until you get to grips with the controls and unforgiving winds. You will have better control over the machine, and you will not need to panic if something does go wrong.
This is just one tip out of 11. So read here for the other 10, making sure you do not miss that crucial piece of advice.

7 Tips for Creating Abstract Aerial Landscape Photography

Landscape photography is the most popular area to capture with a drone. A simple top-down perspective is enough to show photographed scenes in a new light. An aerial viewpoint is new for us.
Sometimes, the landscape could use an abstract touch. This is where our tips come in.

Composition Tips For Drone Photography

The Best Reasons to Try Bird’s Eye View

Shooting from a bird’s eye view gives your photos a whole new perspective. You can get some awe-inspiring images if you mindfully utilise this technique.
However, you need to make sure that you choose the right location and composition to bring the most out of your bird’s eye view photos.
For this reason, we collected 8 ideas on how to use this point of view to boost your images.

How to Use The Rule of Thirds

The Rule of Thirds is a constant compositional tool throughout all fields of photography. The concept is that the subject should not be placed directly in the center of the image. By having the subject in one of the four intersections, the viewer’s eyes have to move to find it.
This gains interest and forces the viewer to look at the other parts of the image, not just the middle.
In landscape and horizon photography, one- or two-thirds should contain the sky. The other area houses the land. This is way more interesting than 50/50.

12 Creative Composition Ideas

Framing the images correctly shows that you are composing your images mindfully and intentionally. This will give the viewer the feeling that you are a better photographer than just taking snapshots.
Patterns can be a great way to show a landscape or a scene you are photographing.
Other rules, such as including people, are a great way to show a sense of scale. This way, we can show off the size of the subject we are photographing.
Read our article to learn more about creative composition!

How to Use Triangles to Improve Your Composition

Triangles are complete, powerful patterns that are found everywhere. Utilising this shape in your drone photography is a strong compositional tool. They can be obvious shapes in your photography.
Or they can be a way to group three subjects or points of interest in an image.
You might need to change your perspective to see them.

How to Use Dynamic Tension

Dynamic tension is a great way to show energy and movement in an image. This idea is linked to geometric forms, but it utilises them differently than the use of triangles. Instead of following the lines and paths of the shape together, these shapes lead outwards. They break up the conventional rules by creating interest through tension.
Read more about this dynamic tension here, and apply it to your drone photography today.

Processing Your Drone Photography

How to Use Lightroom

Lightroom is one of the most popular photo editing programmes out there. Due to its intuitive interface and easy-to-use sliders are the simplest yet most effective software that beginners can start editing their drone photos with.
We have collected every article we have on Lightroom. Our guide will give you a headstart when editing your drone photographs from organization to special effects and exporting.

How to Edit Photos in Photoshop

Getting started with editing is a tricky area of photography. There are so many filters, tools and adjustments you can use that it becomes hard to navigate between your options.
Even if you are new to photography, you have heard of Photoshop. This programme is the perfect tool for altering, correcting and manipulating your images.
In drone photography, you will also feel the need to start editing your images. Before you jump into Photoshop, read our collection of tips to create an efficient workflow!

How to Edit Black and White Photography

Editing your drone photography can be done using a multitude of different applications, programs and post-processing software. You can use these programs to add an array of different styles from many other tools.
Converting your images to black and white can be a great way to show dramatic scenes. But you have to be careful not to overuse and overedit such images.
There are several ways of editing black and white photography. Check out our post if you want to know more!

Best Free HDR Software Options

HDR processing is something that can be done in Adobe Photoshop, Photomatix Pro and Aurora HDR.
Many software options are free and allow you to convert your images into HDR.
You need an odd number of images that have different exposure values. A correct (or as close as possible) exposure is your base, and the others need to show an array of over and underexposed images.
HDR image programmes stack these images together and pull detail from the shadows and highlights. Check out our article to learn about the best free HDR programmes.

Best Photo Stitching Software

Creating panoramic images might be one reason why you bought your drone in the first place.
Many editing programmes will help you create spectacular panorama images. Many of them are intuitive to use when stitching images together.
In our article, we mention free as well as paid software.

Conclusion

Drone photography is a niche that has brought a new perspective to the existing genres. From weddings to landscapes, there are several ways that you can utilise camera drones. However, as it is a particular niche, there are many technicalities and rules that you need to be aware of.
A quality drone shot has a definite wow factor. Learn more with our Wow Factor Photography course!

25 Influential Aerial Photographers to Follow in 2024

Tamara Kedves — Sat, 06 Mar 2021 18:33:12 +0000

Aerial photographers use drones, a high vantage point or even aircrafts to capture scenes from above.

Aerial photography provides an opportunity to see a scene from an unusual perspective. You may also see details you may not have known existed!

Whether you shoot from above or use a drone, this niche will definitely challenge your technical photography skills.

We’ve collected 25 of the most influential aerial photographers from across Instagram. You’ll see why they’re worth following!

What is Aerial Photography?

Aerial photography is a technique that shows a bird’s eye view of the world. It was originally used for mapping and military purposes. Since the war, it has grown into a popular photography niche.

The secret behind aerial photography’s popularity is that it shows us a completely new angle. This unusual perspective allows us to reconsider what we normally see while creating interesting and unique images.

Aerial photographs, contrary to the common belief, aren’t limited to landscape photography. You can take bird’s eye images for wedding, event, travel, or architecture photography.

Read our list of the most influential aerial photographers if you want to get inspired!

Influential Aerial Photographers You Should Follow

Jordan Hammond

Jordan Hammond is one of the most popular aerial photographers on Instagram. He travels the world and takes images from a bird’s eye view capturing gorgeous landscapes and travel photos.

He is currently located in Bali but has taken photographs all over the world. You can find photos from Myanmar to the Netherlands or the US in his portfolio.

Jordan offers training for photographers in the form of online masterclasses.

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von JORD | TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY (@jordhammond)

Albert Dros

Albert Dros is a landscape photographer with more than ten years of experience. Silky smooth clouds, fog and mist feature prominently in his aerial photography.

His design background helped him develop his own post-processing workflow to add a special touch to his images. He offers an editing course to those interested in his secrets.

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Albert Dros (@albertdrosphotography)

Karl ‘Shakur’ N.

Karl ‘Shakur’ N is an adventure photographer from the US who specialises in travel, lifestyle, and aerial photography. His images have been showcased on various platforms, such as the Daily Mail, Gizmodo, and Buzzfeed.

He also holds workshops where he covers not only the technical but also the marketing side of photography.

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Karl ‘Shakur’ N. (@karl_shakur)

Peter Yan

Peter Yan is a travel photographer from Australia, focusing on aerial photography. He left behind a successful career at Apple to pursue his passion for photography full-time.

An explorer at heart, Peters work has been exhibited in dozens of galleries worldwide. His online gallery features work from over 20 different countries.

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Peter Yan (@yantastic)

Stian Klo

Stian Klo is a professional photographer who focuses on photographing winter landscapes.

He photographs in icy places such as Greenland, Faroe Islands, Iceland, and his homeland of Norway.

His work highlights the beauty of nature with a minimal colour palette. His clean images of lines contrasting against pure white snow or deep blue glaciers will stay engraved into your memory!

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Stian Klo (@stianmklo)

Sebastien Nagy

Sebastien Nagy is a full-time photographer from Brussels. He began photographing from rooftops in search of unique perspectives. This led him to drone photography, which he has now mastered.

His stunning aerial photography led him to be awarded the aerial photographer of the year in 2020.

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von SEBASTIEN NAGY (@sebastien.nagy)

Alex Noriega

Alex travels around America and captures the gorgeous landscapes and nature. He aspires to create a sense of mystery with his photos while utilising various compositional techniques.

Many of his photos are based on patterns. Certain elements repeat themselves, adding a dynamic feeling to the images.

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Alex Noriega (@noriegaphotography)

Tomás Westenenk Orrego

Tomás Westenek Orrego is an architecture and conceptual photographer from Chile. He is also a professional architect.

Tom shoots with a digital camera, film camera and even his cellphone to create stunning shots of the urban landscape.

He focuses on showing repetitive shapes and patterns throughout his portfolio, including his stunning drone photography. Interestingly, Tomás is colour blind, which you’d never guess from viewing these amazing shots!

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A post shared by Tomás Westenenk Orrego (@t_w_o)

Michael Schirnhofer

Michael is an Austria-based photographer. He is mostly focused on landscapes, many of which are taken with a drone.

Michael also sells Lightroom presets to help his followers add a unique style to their photos similar to his.

He is also a co-founder of CM Visuals, helping customers become successful on social media with creative content and visuals.

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Michael Schirnhofer | Austria (@intohimoni)

Bachir Moukarzel

Bachir is a multi-award winning aerial photographer from Lebanon, currently based in Dubai.

He is constantly working on new projects, whether it is collaborating with companies or showing his city from a new angle. His photos are colourful and exciting, showing many world-famous cities from above.

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Bachir Moukarzel | Dubai (@bachir_photo_phactory)

Jay Daley

Jay is an Australian landscape and travel photographer who got into aerial photography to show his adventures from a new perspective.

He travels around the world and visits locations like China or the Arctic, where he takes spectacular night and drone photographs.

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Jay Daley (@jay_a_daley)

Ben Moore

Ben Moore is an English commercial and architecture photographer. His mindfully composed aerial images capture symmetry and balance in urban areas.

Ben has worked on creative projects with various brands, such as Adidas, Nikon, and Samsung.

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von 🌍 London | Ben Moore (@bemorephotos)

Dennis Polkläser

Dennis Polkläser is a German photographer and educator. His focus is mainly on dramatic Scandinavian landscape photography.

He often works in extreme weather conditions to capture his extraordinary aerial photos. Ben also works as a photo guide for Iceland photo tours.

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Dennis Polkläser (@dennispolklaeserphotography)

Fabien Barrau

Fabien Barrau is excellent in many niches like still life, commercial, and conceptual photography. He takes an interdisciplinary approach, as he combines images from different genres together.

He often uses aerial photos for his composites, resulting in witty portraits or post-apocalyptic scenes.

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Fabien Barrau (@fabienbarrau)

Rakesh Pulapa

Rakesh is a travel and aerial photographer whose mission is to ‘explore the unexplored’. His work allows us to marvel at the wonders of our planet.

Rakesh loves exploring new places and catching moments from people’s life there.

He uses aerial photos to capture landscapes and take shots of his subjects engaged in various activities.

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Rakesh Kiran Pulapa (@rakesh.pulapa)

Peter Rajkai

Peter Rajkai is a Hungarian artist who is best known for his travel, architecture, and portrait photography.

He often uses drones as his main technique, to capture the geometric symmetry of cityscapes from above. Among his favourite subjects are staircases, abandoned buildings, and landmarks.

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Peter Rajkai (@peter.rajkai)

Arran Witheford

Arran is a photographer from England who specialises in commercial and travel photography. He takes almost exclusively aerial photos when it comes to landscapes.

His images show a wild side of the South-England scenery. He has a bright yet mysterious editing style.

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Arran (@arranwitheford)

Sebastian Müller

Sebastian Müller is the first photographer on this list who takes only aerial photographs. Whether it is landscape, abstract, or urban photography, he captures it from a bird’s eye view.

In cities, he often uses patterns as a way to create appealing compositions.

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Sebastian, Zurich 🇨🇭 (@sebastianmzh)

Tom Hegen

Tom is a multi-award-winning German photographer and designer. His work focuses on the impact that humans have on Earth.

He takes aerial photos of different locations that have been influenced by human presence, and he aims to bring awareness to contemporary environmental problems. His stunning photos remind us of contemporary abstract paintings.

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A post shared by Tom Hegen (@tomhegen.de)

Søren Thuesen

Søren Thueson works in design and photography as a freelancer, often having commissions with brands like Adidas or Opel.

His portfolio is a combination of architecture, travel, and street photography. He often utilises drones to push the boundaries of these niches. There is a strong focus on line in his aerial photos.

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Søren Thuesen ╳ Copenhagen (@s1000)

Julien Grondin

Julien is a French landscape photographer who enjoys playing with light to add atmosphere to his images. Stunning sunsets and sunrises form a notable part of his portfolio.

He has travelled the world to shoot the most breathtaking landscapes. His drone is a piece of equipment that he never travels without.

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Beboy (Julien 🇫🇷) (@beboy_photography)

Miles Morgan

Miles Morgan, unlike other artists on this list, is an airline pilot. Inspired by his photographer father, Miles takes photography as an opportunity to connect with nature and capture it at its most splendid.

Extreme weather conditions and an extraordinary way of capturing light make Miles’ portfolio really stand out.

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Miles Morgan (@milesmorganphotography)

Dimitar Karanikolov

Dimitar Karanikolov is an architect who tried himself in travel and urban photography. In the past years, he has been going on photo expeditions, where he captures authentic environments from a new perspective.

He was awarded the Aerial Photo Awards in 2020. His work has been featured in National Geographic, Lonely Planet, Fubiz and Designboom.

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Dimitar Karanikolov (@karanikolov)

Ryan Koopmans

Ryan is a photographer who focuses on surreal structures in the world. His interest in architecture led to him getting into urban photography, where he uses patterns and shapes to create visually dynamic images.

He is currently travelling around the world, working on photo and video projects.

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Ryan Koopmans (@ryan.koopmans)

Jeffrey Milstein

Jeffrey was a professional architect before he turned towards photography. He has been using his experience and insight to find a unique style of capturing architecture.

Nowadays, he takes aerial photos of urban landscapes. This aerial photographers’ work has been exhibited and published several times.

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Jeffrey Milstein (@jeffreymilstein)

Conclusion

Aerial photos appear in many niches of photography. You can utilise the new perspective in travel, urban, architecture, landscape, and even event photography. It is a tool that will help you create more dynamic compositions.

If you are interested in the field of aerial photography, definitely check out these amazing artists’ profiles!

Do you agree with our list? Drop us a comment with your favourite aerial photographers under this post!

We are always on the lookout for exciting new aerial photographers. If you are an aerial photographer, and you feel like you should be considered on this list, make sure to drop us an email at emma@expertphotography.com with your bio, website, and Instagram link!

How to Edit Black and White Photos in Lightroom

David Baxter — Tue, 14 Jul 2020 13:02:23 +0000

When it comes to black and white photography, the editing process can make or break the photo
Luckily, with Lightroom, you have a lot of control over how your photos look. In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to edit black and white photos in Lightroom for maximum impact.

Using Black and White Photos in Lightroom: Comparing Monochrome vs Black-and-White

You may sometimes hear black-and-white photography referred to as ‘monochrome’. Although the terms are often used interchangeably, there is a difference.
Monochrome means ‘one color‘, and it can be any single color in various lightness levels. Meanwhile, B&W photography always refers to shades of grey.

Left: A black-and-white image contains no color so each pixel is a shade of grey. Right: A monochrome image contains just one hue at different brightness levels

Capture the Scene With B&W in Mind

Black and white photography can be considered in two phases. Taking the photo and then post-processing it. This tutorial is about post-processing color images into black and white images.
But a few notes on photo capture and camera settings are worth discussing first.
Start taking a photo with the intention of creating B&W photography. You will think about your subjects in a different way. This will affect both your choice of subject and composition.
If you’ve not taken many black-and-white images before, it can be difficult to visualise a B&W scene at first. This visualisation is much easier if you set up your camera for monochrome.

Use the Monochrome Setting to Visualise Black and White Scenes

When you take any photo, your camera captures the scene in full color. Then it compresses the information into a JPEG. The way raw data is processed to make that JPEG image is determined by many user-defined settings.
This setting controls how colors are processed. One option you can select is Monochrome, as shown in this Canon Picture Style menu (called Picture Control in Nikon and Picture Profile in Sony cameras).

The Monochrome option can enable novice photographers to shoot in monochrome. This trains your eyes to visualise black and white scenes better.
If your camera is set to only shoot JPEG images, don’t use this option. Your camera will show you the monochrome photo on its screen. And store only a monochrome image on its memory card. This leads to losing all color data that the raw file keeps.
If you can set your camera to shoot RAW, do it. You can take advantage of the monochrome picture style without losing the original color.

Post-Processing for Black and White Images

We talk about ‘converting to black-and-white’. But remember that Adobe Lightroom is a non-destructive editor. You will see the effects of your editing on the color master photo. A true B&W photo won’t be created unless you export your work as a TIFF or JPEG file.
Until then, you can switch between seeing the color or black-and-white versions at any time. When you are in the develop module, simply hit the ‘V’ keyboard shortcut.
To show a black-and-white photo on-screen, Lightroom takes the red, green and blue values for each pixel and calculates a new single value. This is applied to all three to force the pixel to a shade of grey.
There is no single ‘right’ way to calculate this. There are many different conversion algorithms in use. B&W conversions can give different tonal values for the same color in different applications.
You don’t need to spend a huge amount of time perfecting a color image before diving into black-and-white.
You’ll discover that sometimes the settings you select in B&W look horrible in color. Learn to think in B&W while you edit, knowing that all the adjustments are non-destructive.

Basic Desaturation vs Black and White Mix

If you set the saturation slider on the Basic panel all the way to -100%, you’ll get a black and white conversion of sorts. The result will often lack contrast. And you might not even notice the subject anymore.

You can get a much better result if instead of setting the saturation slider to -100%, you click the ‘B&W’ button or hit the ‘V’ keyboard shortcut.

Lightroom will show you a black-and-white image that’s very similar to the one you’d get by simple desaturation alone. In other words, it may not look impressive at first. This is where tweaking the colors will come in.

Tweaking Color Contributions

To take control of the contribution of different colors to the final result, open the ‘HSL / Color / B & W’ panel in the Develop module and then click on the ‘B & W’ tab.
This will display a panel of sliders that control how bright the greyscale image renders each underlying color.
As you move a slider to the right, that color will contribute more to the brightness of any pixel featuring it. Sliding to the left will reduce its contribution.

Most colors in the original image won’t fall exactly on just one of these sliders. A much better way is to use the Targeted Adjustment Tool circled above. Using this tool, click and drag over a color whose influence you want to increase (by dragging up) or decrease (by dragging down). This will alter one or multiple sliders at once as you drag.
In this case, I clicked on the dog dragging up, followed by clicking on the grass and flowers down. This enhanced the contrast between the dog and the background.

For most B&W work, the aim is to produce an image that has a full range of tones, good contrast and fine details. Black-and-white photos often look best when the darkest pixels are truly black. And it often pays off to adjust the whites, the contrast, and clarity after tweaking the colors.

Applying Borders

You can enhance black-and-white photos with a strong black or white border. In Lightroom, the Effects panel doesn’t have a ‘border’ slider. At this point, you can continue your edit in Photoshop to add any kind of edge. But if you want to use Lightroom only, and you want a solid border, here’s how to do it.
First, make sure you finish all the other adjustments you want to make. Then select the photo in the filmstrip and switch to the Print module.
Open the Image Settings panel and tick the box marked ‘Stroke Border’. Slide the Width slider and click on the small swatch just above and to the right of this slider to select a border color.

Open the ‘Print Job’ panel and change the ‘Print to’ option from ‘Printer’ to ‘JPEG File’. Set the JPEG Quality slider to 100 and then click the ‘Print to File…’ button to select a destination for your image.

Lightroom will make the JPEG image and save it to your chosen destination. But it won’t automatically add it to your catalog. If you want to be able to find it again easily, don’t forget to re-import it.

Fastest Way of Editing B&W Images In Lightroom

You might have already heard of Lightroom Presets. They are basically a saved set of settings that you can apply to your images with one click.
In Lightroom, some black and white presets are automatically available. They are mainly for adding contrast, clarity, and changing different color luminosities. You can find them on the left sidebar under the Presets menu.

However, if you are aiming for a more unique look, you can create your own presets. It is also possible to install free or purchased presets from other photographers and apply them to your pictures.

Presets are great tools for making your workflow faster and more effective. They also add a universal look to your photos, while creating an atmosphere. So don’t be afraid to try various presets and save the ones that suit your style the most.

Conclusion

Editing in Lightroom might seem tricky at first. But with practice and an experimenting attitude, you can improve your skills in no time.
Don’t have Lightroom? Check out our guide on editing B&W in Photoshop, or our best alternatives to Lightroom.
For all you need to know about editing in Lightroom, try our Effortless Editing course!

Best Tips for Shooting Drone Time-Lapse Photography

Taya Ivanova — Thu, 30 Jan 2020 17:36:09 +0000

Time-lapses are made of hundreds (if not thousands) of pictures. You can use any camera to create stunning stop-motion videos of cities, parks, and other busy locations.

With the help of a few drone time-lapse techniques, you can take your time-lapses to the next level.

Smooth Time-Lapses

LRTimelapse

Looking for inspiration for your drone time-lapse photography? Check out our software, designed to help you create stunning time-lapse videos with ease.

Tips for Drone Time-Lapse Photography

How Shooting (Instead of Filming) Drone Time-Lapses Can Improve Your Photography

Most drones come with great recording features. Technically speaking, you don’t need to take pictures to make a great video. Many photographers prefer filming over taking hundreds of photos because:

the editing process is easy;
you don’t need to spend a lot of time outside to get the right footage; and
you’re completely safe from the glitches that come with time-lapse photography.

However, time-lapse photography has many benefits of its own:

you can edit the time-lapse the same way you’d edit a normal photo;
photos are smaller than videos, so the editing process is likely to be quick;
taking photos won’t drain your battery as quickly as filming something; and
you’ll have individual frames that you can use as separate photos in your portfolio.

What Drone Should You Use for Time-Lapse Photography?

Most drones come with special hovering features, so you can use anything you like. According to many popular drone photographers, some of the best drones in the business are:

DJI Mavic Pro (or any drone in the Mavic series)
DJI Phantom 4 Pro
Parrot ANAFI.

Find a Safe and Picturesque Location to Have a Smooth Photoshoot

Two of the most important parts of a time-lapse are the smoothness of the movements and the location.

Your job is to find a stunning location that won’t look boring in a time-lapse video. The more diverse the movements, the better.

Think of waterfalls, bright cityscapes, and cars. If you want, try to tell a story through your time-lapse. Choose a subject that means something to you. This will make the shooting process more fun and add depth to your final results.

Make sure the location you choose is safe. You’ll have to shoot for at least half an hour to get great results. If there are too many tourists or obstacles, you might find it difficult to have a smooth photo shoot.

Visit the Location at Different Times of Day to Discover Your Favourite Lighting

Once you pick a location, you need to photograph it at the perfect time of day.

Clouds look brilliant in time-lapses. Sudden transitions from day to night can also create an interesting effect. You might want to shoot right before these transitions begin. This will keep your time-lapse diverse and interesting.

The blue hour and the golden hour are both great times of day for moody time-lapses. The light during these times is even. This can help you capture lots of details. No need to worry about underexposure or overexposure!

Take a few pictures of your location at different times of day. Then, compare the images and find your favourite lighting. This is one of the most efficient ways to make the most of a location and its lighting.

Shoot During the Right Weather Conditions to Avoid Glitchy Time-Lapses

Your drone needs to be still for your time-lapses to work properly. If it keeps moving and shifting, your results will end up looking glitchy.

You can avoid this by taking photos when it’s not windy. The more neutral the weather, the better. Plan your photoshoot a few days before you go out so that everything goes smoothly.

Also, make sure there aren’t any obstacles around that could accidentally hit your drone. Watch out for branches, kites, and other people’s drones.

Create Harmony in Your Time-Lapse by Using an ND Filter

Imagine you’re taking photos on a sunny day. Your landscape is visible, but the sky is completely overexposed. You can fix this in post, but it might take a lot of time. You can also lower your exposure, but that might make your landscape look too dark.

The easiest way to fix this is to use an ND filter for your drone. This is a popular filter in digital photography because it instantly enhances any landscape. The filter will neutralise every part of your image. It will darken the sky and any other blown highlights.

This will result in an image with details that work in harmony together.

Time-lapses made with an ND filter are more appealing to the eye. They’re also easy to edit because of their high dynamic range.

Drone ND filters are within the same price range as normal ND filters for digital cameras. They can be a great investment if you want to take drone photos (or create drone time-lapses) regularly.

Shoot in Manual Mode to Have Full Control over Your Time-Lapse

Most drones come with advanced features. You can choose to shoot automatically or manually.

In general, manual mode is much better than automatic mode because it gives you more control. Automatic mode is the easier option, but it might not give you the effect you need.

In manual mode, you can control tones, shutter speed, aperture, and much more. This is very important when you create your time-lapse. The less you need to edit later on, the easier it will be to create a smooth time-lapse.

Use a Slow Shutter Speed to Create a Dreamy Motion Effect

A fast shutter speed means that your camera will quickly take photos. The slower it is, the slower the camera will capture everything.

In general, slow shutter speeds are used to create abstract photos. They also come in handy in long exposure photography, where smooth movements are a priority. In other genres, like portrait photography, sharpness tends to be more important.

In time-lapse photography, a slow shutter speed should be your priority. The reason is that the movements you capture need to look smooth. This way, your final photos will be able to blend into one another seamlessly.

If you use a fast shutter speed, your final time-lapse might look like a quick slideshow.

Make Your Time Interval 2 Seconds or Less to Create Smooth Transitions

Another important factor to consider is time intervals. These determine how often your drone takes pictures while it’s hovering in the air.

Many drone photographers recommends selecting 2 seconds or less. This means that your drone will take a photo every two seconds. If you choose anything longer than that, the movements in your time-lapse might look unnatural.

Combined with a slow shutter speed, a 2-second interval will help you drone capture movements effortlessly.

(Extra tip: If you shoot in RAW mode, your drone might not let you choose 2-second intervals. Some drones allow 5-second (or longer) intervals in RAW mode.)

Shoot in JPEG to Speed up Your Editing Process Later On

One of the most popular pieces of advice given to photographers is to shoot in RAW mode. RAW photos contain more image data. This means they are larger and easier to edit, which is exactly what most photographers need.

However, this isn’t the case in drone time-lapse photography. RAW photos take longer to import. Unless you plan to use some time-lapse photos individually, you should shoot in JPEG mode.

JPEG compresses image data, but it can still preserve a lot of details in your photos. It’s also smaller in size and easier to edit in bulk. This means it’s perfect for time-lapses, which often consist of hundreds to thousands of photographs.

Get Extra Creative with Hyperlapses

You can think of hyperlapses as cooler versions of time-lapses. The process is almost the same, with one important difference. While you take photos every 2-5 seconds, your drone will be moving in a specific direction.

Hyperlapses have a cinematic feeling to them. They create a 3D illusion that’s perfect for immersive time-lapses.

To create one, you need to choose a time interval (again, this can be 2 seconds) and give your drone directions. There are many ways you can do this. Some photographers choose a straight line to create an even hyperlapse. Others create their own custom patterns for more creative time-lapses.

If you’re an absolute beginner, you can start with a straight line and then move on to more complicated flying patterns.

Choose a relatively slow flying speed for your drone. This will ensure that your final results don’t end up looking out of place. Once your drone starts flying, it will take photos every 2-5 seconds. You can edit your final photos exactly the same way you’d edit a normal drone time-lapse.

Here’s a great example of a hyper lapse.

Common Drone Time-Lapse Questions

How to Make a Time-Lapse Video

All you need is a camera and a tripod. Set up your camera and select how often you’d like to take pictures. Shoot for as long as you can. Import your photos into a video editing program and merge the pictures. And you’re done!

How to Make a Time-Lapse in Lightroom

You can create a time-lapse manually or automatically in Lightroom. The manual process takes a lot of time. A great alternative is downloading a professional Lightroom time-lapse plugin like LRTimelapse. The plugin will do all of the work for you, so you won’t even have to exit Lightroom!

Conclusion

Drones are great for filming stunning locations and taking unique pictures. They’re also perfect for time-lapse photography.

With the help of drone time-lapse photography, you can improve your filmmaking and photography skills at the same time.

Check out or tips on running a drone photography business, or shooting drone wedding or real estate photos next!

Smooth Time-Lapses

LRTimelapse

Looking for inspiration for your drone time-lapse photography? Check out our software, designed to help you create stunning time-lapse videos with ease.

How to Use a Drone ND Filter for Drone Photography

Taya Ivanova — Sat, 25 Jan 2020 11:50:37 +0000

If you’re a drone photographer, then you know that shooting in bright sunlight can be a challenge. The bright light can cause your images to be overexposed, and the resulting photos may not look very good. One way to help solve this problem is to use a drone ND filter. In this article, we’ll explain what an ND filter is and how to use it for drone photography.

The Difference Between Drone ND Filters and Polarising Filters

There’s a significant difference between neutral density filters and polarising filters. They’re not interchangeable, but you can use them together.
Both can improve the quality of your drone photos. They have unique features that exist for specific drone photo and videographers.

ND filters can help you achieve more motion blur in drone videos. They can neutralise everything in your drone photos. They’re not made to enhance colors or make skies look more dramatic. Generally, they help videographers create smoother movements in their videos.
Polarising filters darken skies, reduces glare, and make colors look more vibrant. They’re perfect for both drone photographers and videographers.

ND filters usually come in packs. Each ND filter has a different intensity. You can have more control over the lighting in your drone photos because of this.
You can stack ND filters and polarising filters. Stacking will make your drone a little heavier, though.
A better solution is to buy ND-PL filters. This lightweight filter will give you every polarising and neutral destiny filter quality.

Image by Josh Sorenson from Pexels

Invest in a Good Pack of ND Filters

Basic ND filters usually come in packs of four. They tend to cost less than $100.
The packs include a variety of neutral density filters. While they all do the same job, they have different intensity levels. The one you pick for your photoshoot will determine how bright or dark your drone photos look.
The ND filters are usually ND4, ND8, ND16, and ND32. The higher the number, the less light the filter lets in. This means that ND32 filters let in the least amount of light. They are for use in very bright locations.
Make sure that the filters you buy aren’t too cheap. Some companies seem to sell affordable and high-quality neutral density filters. These might ruin the quality of your drone photos.
Based on many drone photographers’ reviews, a few of the best websites for buying drone ND filters are Freewell, DJI, and Fstop Labs.

Image by Paul Theodor Oja from Pexels

Choose the Right Weather Conditions for the Best Aerial Photos

ND filters can also help you take great aerial photos in intense .
The best light for using ND filters is very bright sunlight. If it’s very sunny outside, you might need an ND64 filter.
Make sure you always have your pack of ND filters with you. Depending on where you live and what time of year it is, the weather will likely change during your photoshoot.
You might have to shoot using at least two different ND filters. This consistency will keep your photos looking professional and fresh.
If you’re shooting nighttime aerial photos, you won’t need an ND filter at all.

Image by Aleksejs Bergmanis from Pexels

Use Manual Mode to Control Every Setting in Your Drone

Manual mode is important in every kind of photography. If you shoot in automatic, the drone might choose camera settings that won’t make the most of your ND filter.
You’ll see a difference as soon as you put the ND filter on your drone lens. You can experiment with different shutter speed and ISO settings to find the best light. While there are a few shortcuts you can use, try to figure everything out on your own first.
Manual mode is a great way to introduce yourself to basic camera settings. Everything you learn will come in handy in DSLR photography. Consider this a general photography exercise.

Image by Dr Jelibon from Pexels

Use ND Filters to Create Beautiful Motion Blur in Your Drone Videos

Drone videographers use ND filters to create smooth movements in their videos. Without motion blur, videos look sharp and fixed. This is generally very unappealing to the eye. With motion blur, videos tend to look more professional.
Aim to use slow shutter speed. In bright conditions, slow shutter speed can make your footage look overexposed. You have to compensate for that by changing another camera setting. For example, you can lower your ISO.
But what if all your camera settings look decent? This situation is when ND filters come in. With an ND filter, you can compensate for slow shutter speed. You can get rid of overexposure and capture very smooth movements at the same time.
If you shoot aerial photography, you can try this method for shooting awesome long exposure photos.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B6UKfJEHtmw/

Common ND Filter Questions

What Is an ND4 Filter Used For?

An ND4 filter specifies the amount of light that your filter blocks. This value is usually the lowest number and is the best for mild weather conditions. The end number means that the filter will be letting 1/4 of the light to come in, which should result in appealing drone photos.

Do You Need Neutral Density Filters?

No, but it would help a lot to have an ND filter. An ND filter can improve your aerial photography, let you use prolonged shutter speed, and help you create motion blur. ND filters are for professional videographers, but photographers can use them too.

How Do You Use Mavic Air ND Filters?

First, pick a suitable ND filter for your style. Turn your Mavic Air upside down and unscrew the standard filter on your camera. search the standard filter with an ND filter. Shoot in Manual mode. Adjust your shutter speed and ISO so that everything on your screen looks neutral.

What Filters Can I Use for Mavic Pro?

There are a variety of affordable filters to choose from for the Mavic Pro. You can buy them on Polar Pro or in the DJI store. You can find filters that add a cinematic look, control image exposure or serve as regular ND filters.

Photo by Emiliano Arano from Pexels

Conclusion

Even though ND filters aren’t made exclusively for drone photography, you can still use them to create more harmony in your pictures.
You will enjoy using ND filters if you shoot in the right weather conditions with the right kind of camera filters.

How to Start a Drone Photography Business (12 Easy Tips)

Taya Ivanova — Tue, 31 Dec 2019 18:57:01 +0000

Drone photography is incredibly popular thanks to the breathtaking views it provides, the salaries it offers, and much more.

Here are a few things you need to be aware of for your drone photography business to run smoothly.

Aerial Photography Capability

DJI Mavic 2 Pro Drone Camera

“Capture stunning aerial shots with ease and precision for your drone photography business with this advanced quadcopter equipped with a high-quality Hasselblad camera and obstacle avoidance technology.”

Drone Photography Business Tips

Get a Licence and Insurance to Become an Official Drone Photographer

Most drone photographers need a licence to work legally. Insurance is optional, but it will help you build trust with your clients.

A licence usually involves a test. Once you pass the test, you become an official drone pilot. An insurance guarantees that if anything goes wrong during your photoshoot (which hopefully will not happen), you will be compensated.

Even though a licence and an insurance take time and money, they’re both worthy investments. Clients find it easier to trust photographers who know how to control drones professionally. Make it clear that you’re licensed when you talk about your drone photography online.

Read Drone Laws to Avoid Shooting Illegally

There are many drone laws to keep in mind when you take photos anywhere. These laws, however, depend on the country you’re in.

For example, here are a few laws for American citizens:

your drone must weight less than 55 pounds;
you can’t fly above 400 feet; and
you must always be able to see your drone.

Being aware of basic drone laws will help you have safe and successful photoshoots anywhere. This will also strengthen your reputation and make clients trust you more.

Start with an Affordable Drone to Practise Drone Photography

You might be tempted to invest in an expensive drone right away. Even if you have the money, consider buying a cheaper drone first.

This will give you a chance to experiment without worrying about damaging your equipment. You’ll be able to focus on composition, angles, and views instead.

The Ryze Tello is one of the most affordable drones out there. It’s a great place to start if you’re looking for an entry-level drone. You can also see more of the best beginner drones in this link.

Most of these are lightweight and have high-quality cameras, so you don’t need to worry about compromising the quality of your work.

Later on Invest in a High-Quality Drone to Take Amazing Shots

When you feel that you have enough experience as a drone photographer, you can invest in professional drones. The kind of drone you choose depends on the kind of work you plan to do. (More on this later.)

Some of the best drones today are:

These are all fairly pricey, but they’re all worthy investments if you want to start a sustainable drone photography business. The better your equipment, the more confident you’ll feel when offering your services to clients.

Experiment with Different Drone Genres to Find Your Favourite(s)

This is one of the most important steps of your business plan. As mentioned before, drone photography comes with a lot of sub-genres.

Here are just a few categories that drone photographers can get into:

Real estate
Surveillance
Agriculture
Weddings

Make sure that you experiment with as many genres as possible. Have at least two favourite photography genres that you can work on in the long run. The more skills you develop, the more clients you’ll have.

Once you pick a few favourites, you can start offering your services to a wide variety of people.

Create a Checklist to Ensure a Smooth Operation

Before you make your business official, you can make a list of everything you’d like to focus on. This can be a to-do list or simply a list of questions.

A few questions you can keep in mind are:

What is my target audience?
How much can I realistically earn in one year?
Do I have any acquaintances or friends who might be interested in my business?
Do I also want to offer drone videography?
What is the best social media platform to advertise my work?
What is my backup plan if something goes wrong?

The more prepared you are, the easier you’ll find it to keep your business strong, no matter what you experience.

Improve Your Drone Photography Business by Looking at Competitors

Different kinds of drone photography thrive in different areas. Look at local drone photographers and see what they’re offering. Take note of similarities, pricing packages, and editing styles.

Do most of them offer photography services only? If so, maybe you can offer extra videography services. Your goal is to find what’s missing and use it to attract customers.

There are other things you can include in your offer, such as professional color correction and a 24-hour turnaround.

Of course, you need to make sure that what you’re offering is realistic for your lifestyle. While it’s important to take your work to the next level, don’t forget about your limits and abilities.

For example, if you have a part-time job, you can offer a 48-hour turnaround instead of a 24-hour turnaround. This might give you enough time to work on both jobs efficiently without compromising either of them.

Build a Strong Portfolio to Highlight Your Skills

Without an outstanding style, drone photos all look the same. You can naturally develop your style by taking lots of photos.

Experiment with different angles, heights, editing skills, and videography techniques. The more you do this, the closer you’ll get to discovering your unique preferences.

Store all of your photos on a hard drive. As long as a picture is sharp and has a good composition, keep it. You might come back to these outtakes and see potential in them. If nothing else, you’ll see where you went wrong and learn from it.

When you’ve already had a few photo shoots and feel confident in your work, you can start building your photography portfolio. Post your best work only. Keep your photos diverse. This means you should take photos of different events and landscapes.

Show visitors all of your skills so that they can get inspired by your work. And if you inspire them, you’re likely to be hired by them.

Draw up a Solid Pricing Plan to Avoid Confusion

There’s no right or wrong way to create a photography pricing plan. Drone photographers can charge anywhere from $50 to $450 an hour. If you’re a beginner and need experience, you’ll probably want to start at a low rate.

Come up with a rate that seems fair to you. Now, compare it to your competitors’ pricing packages. You have a right to charge more if you offer extra services.

Another thing to keep in mind is turnaround time. If you can send your client the results within 24 hours, you should charge extra.

Some drone photographers offer a variety of pricing packages. Instead of charging per hour, you can offer an entire package for a fixed price. Consider your turnaround time, how long you’ll be photographing for, and if the clients want edited pictures or not.

Sell Your Photos on Stock Photo Websites for Extra Income

You don’t always need to shoot for a client to earn some money. Many drone photographers sell their photos to publishers, advertising companies, and so on. One of the easiest ways to do this is to find a stock photo agency.

You can submit exclusive or non-exclusive work. Exclusive work can be used only once or for a limited time.
Non-exclusive work can be bought over and over again.

Stock photo agencies don’t usually pay as much as clients do, but they can be a great source of passive income.

Be Present on Social Media to Get More Exposure

Once everything is ready, you can start posting your photos on social media. Social media exposure can lead to more clients, a strong reputation, and paid promotions. It can also help you build a community of inspiring artists.

Start with a couple of social platforms. If you focus on just a few, you’ll be able to spend your social media time wisely.

Post on a regular basis. Include people in your work so that they feel special. Use hashtags related to drone photography so more people can discover your work.

This might not always pay the bills, but it will keep you refreshed and motivated as a drone photographer.

Common Drone Photography Questions

Is Drone Photography Profitable?

Drone photography can be quite a profitable job. Professional drone photographers can charge up to $450 per hour. In general, the amount of money you earn depends on the kind of aerial photography you want to pursue.

How Much Does a Drone Footage Cost?

The cost depends on how long you want your final video to be. Drone footage tends to last between 1-3 minutes. The average cost for filming something with a drone is around $100-$200 per hour. Of course, the final price also depends on the videographer’s experience and the kind of work that’s being requested.

Can Drones Be Used for Commercial Purposes?

Yes. In some countries, like the UK, you need to get special permission to use a drone for commercial purposes. Most commercial photographers need a drone insurance and a certification for their business to be considered legal.

Do I Need a Commercial Drone Licence?

It depends on the country you’re in. In general, you’ll need a commercial drone licence if you work on a commercial project. This includes client photoshoots.

If you’re planning to use your drone just for fun, you might not need a commercial drone licence.

Conclusion

Drone photography is a diverse genre that can help you look at the world from a unique point of view. It’s not surprising that so many people want to turn it into a thriving business.

With some patience and an open mind, you can have a successful drone photography business of your own that inspires both you and the people around you.

How to Be the Best in Drone Wedding Photography

Taya Ivanova — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 19:06:27 +0000

Drone wedding photography is a fantastic way to document special moments. Thanks to the unusual angles, you can take all kinds of creative and emotional pictures that your clients will cherish forever.

Drones come with unique limitations and requirements. As long as you know what to avoid, you should have a smooth wedding photoshoot.

Become a Certified Drone Pilot for Drone Wedding Photography

No matter how experienced you are in drone wedding photography, you need to get a certificate to be a drone pilot. Some wedding couples might be okay with hiring amateurs. This, however, is a bad idea as it comes with a lot of risks.

For your own wellbeing, make sure you get a certification. This will give you confidence during drone wedding photography. It will also give you more opportunities to work as a drone wedding photographer. (Most drone photo shoots require a certification to be considered legal.)

Drone laws are different in every country. In the UK, you need insurance for any commercial projects that involve drone photography. You also need permission from the CAA. Drones mustn’t fly above 122 meters.

And these are just a few of the many laws you need to keep in mind for drone wedding photography.

Get a Drone Insurance

Drone wedding photography doesn’t have the best reputation because of unfortunate accidents that have happened over the years.

There are many terrible examples of drones accidentally hurting wedding guests. Without insurance, you won’t be able to make up for the possible damage.

No matter where you live, make sure you get proper drone insurance. Hopefully, you won’t need to use it, but it will guarantee that the couple has a plan B in case something unwanted happens.

Use Google Earth for Great Drone Wedding Photography Ideas

If you’ve never been to the wedding venue, Google Earth or Google Maps might come in handy. Instead of fumbling and experimenting on the spot, you’ll know exactly what you need to take stunning drone photos.

You can plan out your drone wedding photography shots using the bird’s eye view tool or simply look for the most flattering angles to shoot from.

Then, take screenshots of your favourite points of view. You can share these with the other photographers later so you can all have a smooth photoshoot during the ceremony.

Practise at the Rehearsal to Be More Confident At the Ceremony

Wedding rehearsals are very common. They can be the perfect opportunity to make a solid drone wedding photography plan.

If possible, ask the couple to allow you to be present during the rehearsal, even for just a few hours. You don’t have to capture photos with your wedding photography drone, but it would help to have a few examples.

You can share these drone wedding photography examples with the couple to give them an idea of your style and plan. This is the perfect time to collaborate with your clients and come up with new drone photography ideas.

Make the Most of Your Space

Drone wedding photography often focuses on symmetry. Don’t forget to pay attention to aesthetically pleasing compositions. They can enhance the simplest pictures.

One of the most important things to keep in mind during drone photography is obstacles. Look out for trees, tall buildings, and anything that could get in the way. Find the best spots to shoot from so that you don’t bother the guests.

Height is also an important factor. How high can your drone go before the wedding venues starts to look dull? How low can it be before it starts distracting everyone? This is a great time to discuss what your clients are comfortable with.

Talk to Other Photographers

There will likely be other photographers during the wedding. Make sure you get to know them and their plans. If you don’t plan ahead, you might end up getting in each other’s way, or taking the wrong kind of photos.

This process doesn’t have to be complicated. You can simply ask them about their plans and let them know where you’ll be standing.

If possible, you could collaborate with them so that your final results complement one another.

Take Drone Photos Before and After People Arrive

This is an optional step, but it can help you take very creative drone wedding photos.

Using a high angle, take photos of the wedding venues before and after guests arrive. The difference between an empty and a crowded location will emphasise the love and warmth of the wedding.

To emphasise this further, place the photos side to side so that they become one photo. This is called a diptych. Diptychs are a great way to make use of outtakes and add more emotion to simple pictures.

Don’t Get Too Close to Guests

Drones tend to be very noisy. Given all the accidents they’ve caused, they’re not the best equipment for close-ups.

To stay on the safe side, don’t get too close to the guests or the couple when using a drone for wedding photography. The farther you are, the less distracting you’ll be. This will make it easier to take candid photos as well.

Of course, range plays an important role in drone wedding photography. The farther you go, the less detail you’ll be able to capture. Find an in-between that doesn’t create too much noise but lets you take atmospheric wedding photos.

Don’t Shoot Indoors

Some buildings have enough space for drone wedding photography. No matter how much space there is, don’t shoot indoors with a drone for wedding photography. It is risky, and the noise might create a lot of discomfort.

When everyone goes indoors, make use of the location. Since there’s no one around to get distracted, you can lower your wedding photography drone a little.

You can also go higher up to capture stunning aerial photography. You can use these outtakes in collages or diptychs to tell a more interesting story about the wedding.

Focus on Exposure

If the bride’s dress is white (which most of the time it is), pay close attention to your exposure. It needs to match the dress. If it doesn’t, the bride will look overexposed, and your drone photography will look unflattering in general.

Keep other bright subjects in mind as well, especially if it’s sunny. For example, if you’re shooting on a beach, make sure the water reflections aren’t overexposed.

Spell out Words Using Your Guests

This is a fun idea that can be achieved only with a drone. Shoot directly above the guests. Ask them to create shapes or words using their bodies.

Here are a few ideas:

Spell out the word love or wedding. The shorter the word or phrase, the better.
Create a heart shape with people. The bride and groom can be right in the center of the heart.
The bridesmaids can hold the bride’s wedding dress to create a beautiful circle. The bride can then throw a bouquet in the air.

Use Multiple Drones

Many professional drone pilots agree that using several drones is a good idea for drone wedding photography.

This way, you can capture as much of the wedding as possible. If a certain angle doesn’t work out, at least you’ll have a few more photos of the same moment.

You’ll need an assistant for this. Based on what wedding drone photographers have said about multiple drones, this is likely to be a worthy investment.

Capture Important Moments to Make Your Photos Emotional

Drone wedding photography can be lifeless if you don’t tell a story. Make sure that you focus on the emotional side of the wedding to make your drone pictures stand out.

To do this, shoot from different angles. You’re allowed to take atmospheric drone landscape shots, but don’t let that be your main focus. Go higher and lower so that your results are diverse and interesting.

The most important thing you should do is take a lot of photos during important moments:

the guests arriving and greeting everyone
the bride walking the aisle
the couple exchanging their vows as everyone listens
the couple’s first dance
children playing after the ceremony

All of these moments will collectively tell an emotional story about the wedding.

Take Creative Aerial Photos After the Wedding

This is a popular pose in drone wedding photography. Even though many couples do this, don’t be afraid to re-create it in your own photoshoot. You can add autumn leaves, other people, or animals to your photos to make them stand out from the others.

If you have some time after the wedding, have a quick photo shoot with the bride and groom alone. You can go somewhere picturesque and safe to take stunning drone wedding photography.

Because there won’t be any guests around, you won’t have to worry about noisy distractions. Use this as an opportunity to take creative couples pictures. Here are a few posing ideas:

The bride and groom should lie next to each other in a field of grass. Take photos directly above them for a surreal effect.
If the beach is close, draw something in the sand. This can be the date of the wedding or a romantic quote. The couple can lie down next to the words as you take photos right above them.
If you’re in an atmospheric place, you can completely zoom out with your drone. Bridges, hills, and boats are perfect for stunning drone wedding photography.

Conclusion

Drone wedding photography comes with unique requirements. You need to be prepared both emotionally and technically.

Get a drone license, make a solid photography plan, and focus on the emotional side of the wedding. These three things will help you take unforgettable drone wedding photos.