Drone photography: basics

In short: Drone photography enables aerial shots from perspectives otherwise only possible with expensive helicopters. Besides the technique, legal requirements for flight operation are essential.

In more detail: In many countries, drones require registration or marking depending on weight and type of use.

In detail

• Flight rules: Maximum altitude, minimum distance to people, and no-fly zones such as airports must be observed.
• Camera settings: Manual exposure helps achieve consistent shots in changing light during the flight.
• Image composition: Aerial shots especially benefit from patterns, lines, and symmetries visible from above.
• Weather conditions: Wind significantly affects stability and battery life; calm conditions usually give better results.
• Battery planning: Limited flight time requires forward planning of the desired shots.
• Privacy: Filming private property or people without consent can cause legal problems.
• Post-processing: Aerial shots often benefit from targeted colour correction to compensate for haze and uneven exposure (brennweite-und-bildwinkel, bildkomposition-goldener-schnitt).