Aerial Photography - an under-explored facet of photography

For anyone who can remember 8-track tapes and rotary phones, digital technology has changed virtually every aspect of your life. From your cell phone to your MP3 player, we were here and saw it all happen right in front of our eyes. Arguably, one of the largest industries to benefit from this is the photography industry, in particular, the camera manufacturers. The selection of digital cameras out there is staggering. But the price is reasonable enough that there are now more amateur photographers than ever, itching for something to shoot. Pictures, like the one above, are not out of your reach.

Aerial photographs, to me, are fascinating. They draw you in and you find yourself investigating every little inch of that picture as opposed to that picture of Aunt Edna eating birthday cake. Take a good look at the picture above, can you see the traffic circle in the center of town, or the building with the mural on it ? Can you feel how is just pulls you into it ? You can take pictures like this too.

Let's consider the platform, or the place you will be taking the pictures from. Beautiful cityscapes and pictures of night lights can be taken from the roof of any tall building. Some areas of the country have bluffs or cliffs high enough for some pretty awesome shots, but pictures like the ones here have to be taken from an aircraft of some sort. The absolute best platform for this would be an old Bell helicopter with the doors off, so you could just hover over your target and shoot. Simple but a little unrealistic. So obviously it is going to be a small aircraft of some sort. Your best choice here is an old Piper Cub with the doors off, for clarity. Another advantage of the Cub is that it is a High wing aircraft. The wing is attached to the top of the fuselage, which means it's not in your shot ! These pictures were taken through the side window of a Piper Warrior, which is a Low wing aircraft, so you see it is possible to shoot around the wing but obviously much more limited. You may end up deleting quite a few til you get the hang of it, but hey, at least your not paying to develop all those bad pictures.

Now you say, "Well that's all nice but I don't know any pilots". Doesn't matter, and I'll show you why. First decide, what it is you want to shoot. Then find the nearest small airport. If you don't know where it is, you can email me at Tidgepilot@aol.com and I'll find it for you, in the U.S., that is. Then you just walk up to the desk and tell them your a photographer and what you want to do. Offer to chip in $25 for gas for an hour and I guarantee you'll get a ride. In an hour you can get some incredible shots.

These pictures came from an Olympus C-5050 Zoom, in Auto mode. A couple things to keep in mind, if your using a plane with doors wash the window inside and out very well before leaving. Don't drink coffee before doing this. The vibration from a single engine airplane will make this difficult enough without the aid of caffeine. If possible, go on a partly cloudy day, the reflections from the plane itself can affect the photo. If not just ask the pilot to circle around so the sun is behind you. The city pictures were taken with the digital zoom, but remember, this increases how steadily you have to hold the camera. It takes some practice and unfortunately the use of a mono pod will only magnify the vibration of the plane to the camera.

With a small amount of assertiveness and the willingness to fly in a single engine airplane, those beautiful aerial shots are possible. Got a friend or family member who lives on some acreage, take a shot of their property and give to them for a Birthday present, it's a unique, creative gift they will treasure forever.

PilotOrNot.com

Aerial Photography - an under-explored facet of photography

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