You don't always have to fly high with a drone

Friday 22 July 2022, 14:41 by Nando Harmsen | 4,528 views | 0 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

You can fly a drone up to 120 metres high. This gives you a bird's-eye view and lets you capture the landscape in a unique way.

But you don't always have to fly that high for a good drone photo. A few metres above the ground can be enough.

Many photographers who use a drone tend to fly high. The ceiling is 120 metres, and that limit is often pushed, and exceeded, I am convinced. This height does give you a unique view of the landscape.

Still, you don't always need to fly that high. In fact, in many cases it is better to stay low. Not 120 metres, or even 50 metres, but around 5 to 20 metres high. Even a slightly higher viewpoint gives you a special perspective.

High and low

Photos say more than a thousand words. So I went out to show why you don't always have to fly high. I chose an orchard where the trees were planted in neat rows. With a normal camera, you look straight at it. The rows of trees don't really stand out that well.

Photographed straight from the front, this is what you can do with a normal camera. You can see the rows of trees, but they don't really come across.
With a drone, you can go up. When you are between 50 and 120 metres high, you are almost forced to photograph straight down. And yes, the rows of the orchard are clearly visible. This creates a unique image.

At a height of 51 metres, according to the EXIF data, the lines also look special. The disadvantage is that everything seems so far away, and you have to look carefully to see what it is.

If you view the orchard from a viewpoint 50 metres or higher, you will almost always need to photograph downwards. This creates a somewhat detached image. You lose the connection, so to speak.

A little higher, but not high

When you stay below about 20 metres, you look down on the subject in a very different way. It is no longer so detached, so you can see details.

You also don't necessarily need to photograph straight down. You can photograph over it. This makes the image seem more natural in a way.

A slightly higher viewpoint lets you see the receding lines. This photo was taken at a height of 17 metres, according to the EXIF data, which I actually still consider a little too high in this case.

You can use this to photograph roads, paths, rivers, streams or orchards. It is as if you are standing on a tall ladder or on a balcony. You can see the line running through your landscape into the distance. You also have a photo that does not immediately shout 'drone'.

Choose the height that works best for your photo

When you take a photo with a drone, it does not have to be immediately obvious that it was taken with a drone. In other words, you don't always have to be high for a good photo.

A good photo is one taken from the best possible viewpoint for the best composition and appearance.

Taken with a drone or not? You can barely see it, if at all. The photo was taken with a drone, at a height of about 2 metres, in a place that is not easy to reach.
In short, choose the height that shows your subject at its best. If that means going high, fly high. If it means staying low, stay low. Even flying just 2 or 3 metres higher can make a big difference.

You might also like

• 

  The end of my drone era?

  by Nando Harmsen

• 

  Nature photography tip: Consider a drone

  by Rob Dijkstra

• 

  DJI launches the Mavic 4 Pro drone

  by Nando Harmsen

• 

  10 tips for photographing a waterfall

  by Nando Harmsen

• 

  Beware of Well-Meaning Photography Advice

  by Nando Harmsen

• 

  10 Tips for Beginner Photographers

  by Elja Trum

0 comments

Have your say

Please note: Articles older than a week can only be commented on by signed-in visitors.
Would you still like to comment? sign in or create a free account.