Drone Photography: 5 Easy Ways to Dramatically Improve Your Photos

Drone Photography: 5 Easy Ways to Dramatically Improve Your Photos

Drones have revolutionized the way we capture stunning aerial imagery. However, achieving professional-quality drone photos requires more than just lifting off and snapping away. Here are five easy tips to elevate your drone photography game, focusing on composition, lighting, camera settings, and post-processing.

Master Composition: The Rule of Thirds

Composition is the foundation of any great photo. Rule of Thirds is one of the simplest yet most effective compositional techniques. Imagine your frame divided into nine equal segments by two vertical and two horizontal lines. Placing your subject along these lines or at their intersections creates a more balanced and engaging image.

This rule can guide drone photography in positioning vital elements like the horizon, buildings, or natural features. It helps avoid the common mistake of centering the subject, making the image less dynamic. Use your drone’s grid overlay feature to practice and refine your composition skills.

Choose the Right Lighting and Time of Day

Lighting can make or break a photo. For drone photography, early morning and late afternoon are the golden hours when the sun is low, casting soft and warm light. This lighting is ideal for capturing detailed textures and creating long shadows that add depth and dimension to your photos.

Avoid shooting in harsh midday sunlight, which can create overexposed highlights and deep shadows, making it challenging to capture a balanced image. If you must shoot during the day, consider using ND filters to reduce the light entering the camera, allowing for better control over exposure settings.

Use Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB) for HDR Photos

Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB) is a valuable feature for capturing High Dynamic Range (HDR) photos. HDR photography involves taking multiple shots at different exposures and blending them together to capture a wider range of light and detail. This technique is beneficial in high-contrast scenes, such as sunrises, sunsets, or landscapes with bright skies and dark shadows.

By setting your drone to AEB mode, you can automatically capture a series of photos at varying exposure levels. Later, you can merge these images in post-processing software to create a single, well-balanced HDR photo that showcases the full range of detail in the highlights and shadows.

Invest in ND Filters

Neutral Density (ND) filters are essential accessories for drone photography. They reduce the light entering the camera, allowing you to use slower shutter speeds without overexposing your photos. This is particularly useful for capturing motion, such as flowing water or moving clouds, which can add a sense of dynamism and drama to your images.

ND filters have different strengths, usually marked as ND4, ND8, ND16, etc. The higher the number, the more light the filter blocks. Experiment with different ND filters to achieve the desired effect in your photos, whether it’s smooth water, blurred motion, or simply a more balanced exposure. We are big fans of Freewell ND filters, but there are several great options on the market for different types of filters and drones.

👉 See our top 10 must-have drone accessories here!

Shoot in RAW for Better Editing

Shooting in RAW format gives you more flexibility in post-processing. Unlike JPEG, which compresses the image data, RAW files retain all the information captured by your camera’s sensor. This means you can recover more detail from shadows and highlights, adjust white balance more accurately, and make finer adjustments to color and contrast.

While RAW files are larger and require more storage space, the benefits of image quality and editing possibilities are well worth it. Use editing software like Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop to bring out the best in your RAW drone photos, allowing you to achieve professional-level results.

Conclusion

With these five tips—mastering composition, choosing the right lighting, using AEB for HDR, investing in ND filters, and shooting in RAW—you can significantly improve the quality of your drone photos. Remember, great photography is about the equipment, understanding the fundamentals, and being creative. So get out there, practice, and explore drone photography’s endless possibilities!