When it comes to aerial photography, sunny days are ideal for capturing the perfect shot. Mid-morning and afternoon are the best times to take photographs that don't require shadows or a soft glow. However, it is best to avoid the bright midday sun as strong shadows won't appear and photos will look unflattering when the sun isn't directly above the landscape. Before or after noon, a photo session favors many landscapes, since the light is yellow, unlike the reddish or orange tones of the golden hour lighting. Humid weather and gray skies can make aerial photography difficult.
Fog is one of the most unpredictable factors we have to face. Smog and fog tend to build up in certain areas, and visibility conditions can vary greatly. Weather reports don't report foggy conditions and, although it can be a sunny, cloudless day, heavy fog can ruin a good photograph. In summer, when fog is a constant presence, we usually try to take pictures on sunny days and improve the images using software to reduce the effects of fog. ND filters are useful for taking pictures in full sun or in snowy conditions, reducing glare to offer more flexibility with other aerial camera settings.
Photographing aerial views of the mountains in the middle of the day is still beautiful; however, the result will be more of a contrast of blue against snow or rock. In this article, I want to share some tips on how I capture aerial photographs, as well as list some of the best lenses, settings, and creative tips to use for your next aerial attempt. Conditions that are too bright or that fluctuate between clouds and sun at short intervals are a challenge for aerial photographers. In general, any time between 10:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m.
is best for water shots - just like when “I photographed the antennas of the Great Barrier Reef”.Clouds create crystal clear skies and increase the clarity of photographs. A good rule of thumb for evaluating weather conditions for aerial photography is to always act with caution. Fog can produce unusual aerial views when there's an island, a mountain peak, or a tall building peeking out of it; however, the pilot must be aware of changes in the fog so that he doesn't catch you with zero visibility at the airport. Since most aerial shots are taken through an open window of an aircraft, temperature is an important consideration. If you've never photographed aerial images before, it can be a little intimidating at first because you have little time in the sky; it's usually a bit wasteful; and with movement and distance it can be difficult to know what to set up your camera for optimal results.
Capturing an alternative perspective of a scene is always thrilling - perhaps never more so than when taking aerial photographs.Aerial photography is highly dependent on natural light; therefore, the intensity and direction of the sun are essential. I take photos with the Olympus OM-D-E-M1 MKII and for aerial photography I combine it with the 40-150 mm f2.8 PRO lens to expand details and keep it wider for landscapes. To get started with aerial photography, you need to understand how light works in different conditions. Sunny days provide excellent lighting for aerial photography but there is more to consider than just the sun. Mid-morning and afternoon are ideal times to take photographs that don't require shadows or a soft glow.
However, it is best to avoid bright midday sun as strong shadows won't appear and photos will look unflattering when the sun isn't directly above the landscape. Pilots already tend to avoid humid weather as gray skies and gloomy conditions don't offer ideal lighting or ambience for aerial photography. In addition, a single drop of water on the camera lens can quickly make images useless. Fog is one of the most difficult and unpredictable factors we have to face as smog and fog tend to build up in certain areas and visibility conditions can vary greatly. Weather reports don't report foggy conditions and although it can be a sunny cloudless day, heavy fog can ruin a good photograph. In summer when fog is a constant presence we usually try to take pictures on sunny days and improve images using software to reduce effects of fog. ND filters are useful for taking pictures in full sun or snowy conditions reducing glare to offer more flexibility with other aerial camera settings.
Photographing aerial views of mountains in middle of day is still beautiful however result will be more contrast of blue against snow or rock. To capture an alternative perspective of scene always thrilling - perhaps never more so than when taking aerial photographs. Aerial photography highly dependent on natural light therefore intensity and direction of sun essential. I take photos with Olympus OM-D-E-M1 MKII combine with 40-150 mm f2.8 PRO lens expand details keep wider for landscapes. These tips will help you capture stunning aerial photographs no matter what kind of weather you're dealing with! Always act with caution when evaluating weather conditions for aerial photography as fog can produce unusual views but pilot must be aware changes in fog so doesn't catch you with zero visibility at airport.
