How to Become a Great Aerial Photographer
SUMMARY: Learn and book the best. Find the best studio for aerial photography services.
Do you love taking shots from high places? If heights exhilarate rather than frighten you, then you might have a career in aerial photography. An aerial photographer is someone who takes pictures from an elevated or birds-eye position, which allows for an uncommon perspective. This is the usual angle for subjects that are too big to fit into a normal frame, like extensive property grounds, historical landmarks, buildings, and more.
If you want to pursue this further, be prepared for a complicated process. Here are a few tips on what you’ll need.
Earn the Right Qualifications
Some professions require higher education and training before you can be great at your job. As an aerial photographer, though, you don’t have to meet any formal educational background. However, you’ll need to have enough experience to build up your industry knowledge and expertise. Those are qualifications that your customers will appreciate and look for.
Know the Local Laws
Many aerial photographers rely on drones. Drones are changing the landscape and making it easier for photographers in this field to achieve shots that haven’t been done before. However, before you use the drones, make sure you know the local laws that govern their use. Lack of knowledge in these things might lead to accidents. Your drone could collide with an airplane or other aircraft and that’s going to be a disaster. Also, flying it over a residential community could be seen as you invading the privacy of the residents. Go over the laws before you use drones anywhere in your shoots.
Invest in Your Tools
To be a photographer, you’ll have to have the right tools. Getting certain shots is easier if you have the right equipment for your shoots. With must-have gears and accessories that make life as a photographer much more convenient, you’ll be capable of achieving so much more in terms of the light effects, composition, color, and more. That’s not to say that photographers without the right tools can’t achieve the same. They can, but they’ll have to work a little harder to get the same results.
Learn from the Best
One way to be great at your craft is to learn from the best. Find excellent teachers. Look for photography studios that offer aerial photography services and book several sessions. Watching a professional at work in a real photoshoot will give you a lot of valuable pointers as well as insights into what you should hone, what qualities you need to be successful at your job, and more. By booking the services of an expert photographer, you don’t just get a wonderful shoot out of it, you can watch a pro at work.
Do Your Homework
Make sure you find a reputable photographer in your area. Check out local studios that offer the services you need. They are likely to know the local laws that govern drone use in your area. That’s knowledge that you can benefit from. Also, take a look at the feedback from other clients. What do they say about the studio and its services? Are they happy and satisfied?
