tutorial guide for who like me is a enthusiastic photographer and videomaker
Since I started flying with drones, I've always found it useful to read and share my experiences with other photography and Drones enthusiasts pilots
These aircraft so technological, give the possibility of being able to make aerial shots or simply photographs from a spectacular point of view that otherwise we would never have been able to reach.
Very often this can surprises the eye of our friends or clients , the singularity of the shot or the cinematographic movement performed by the drone camera.
But let's go with order
In this tutorial of AirButterflyDrone.com we take a look at how to make film shots with a drone and a stabilized camera on the ground and some useful advice on the checks to be carried out before starting shooting.
We will explore the most effective techniques, the best camera settings, and even a bit of post-production.
If you make amateur VideoMaker, my first rule is to respect people, their privacy ;-)
When using the Drone, always carry out a good pre-flight and post-flight check, respect the laws and well plan your flights before starting to fly.
Shooting techniques and maneuvers
1. Move slowly
My first suggestion in this to anyone preparing to shoot with a drone or a stabilized camera (gimbal) is to maneuver gently and harmoniously.
Slow movements are more cinematic and the viewer is given the impression that this is taken from a larger platform, such as a helicopter or a dolly.
This unconsciously increases the value of production and makes the movie look more controlled and made professionally
Use gradual movements and remember to accelerate and slow down slowly; this to avoid oscillations or sudden movements of the camera.
Otherwise, the result would be to get distorted images due to vibrations in the movie
( "Jello effect" also called the "Wobble" effect)
Planning the flight in its detail allows to carry out more evocative aerial shots, the subjects can be chosen and immortalized to the best.
Knowing in advance the maneuvers to be carried out and the path of the drone, will also help you optimize the battery life of your aircraft so as to avoid having to interrupt work in the middle of the shoot.
2. Use a two-axis movement
To imitate the high-budget aerial shots seen in films
(typically performed with two axes of movement at the same time), a cunning to use could be for example: fly backwards and downwards simultaneously, at a constant and linear speed
3. "Machine gun" effect
Using lateral movements, we can show scenarios from different and more original perspectives from the usual. Often, in fact, aerial filming with the drone is performed only forwards or backwards: the lateral movement is a good solution to obtain impressive cinematographic shots.
4. Orbit
The Orbit effect consists in rotating the drone around a subject in a circular and constant way.
This is one of the most difficult shots to make since it is necessary to simultaneously operate the joystick that controls the rotation movement on the vertical (yaw) plane and at the same time the other joystick (forward / backward - right / left) so as to obtain an orbiting shot around the subject.
In this maneuver it is essential to slowly and constantly move the yaw control, or you will end up turning too fast and so get a bud effect.
Fortunately drones like the DJI, in this case a DJI drone provide functions that automate this type of shooting, helping the less experienced video maker
Circle, Helix Rocket or Boomerang, Point of interest, tripod mode on DJI Drone will perform the maneuver automatically with harmonious movements giving the possibility to create impressive film shootings.
5. Shooting through obstacles
The passage with the drone through the obstacles (doors, windows, bridges, trees etc), can create highly scenic effects but at the same time this type of shooting can be very risky because in many cases (losing the view of the drone)
The only reference that remains is the controller screen monitor (FPV) or a co-pilot
Therefore, despite the drone can use anti-collision sensors ( VPS - Vision Positioning System) and an automatic return system (RTH) at its starting point (HomePoint), this type of filming is not recommended to those who do not possess high piloting skills
we have also to take into account the aeronautical regulation which requires visual flight (VLOS) that request the drone always still under your direct visual control.
In professional aerial shooting/filming, often is used a helper or co-pilot, which can operate on a second remote control, or not, but it is always a great help because it will ensure the pilot remains in the area pre planned for the flight and therefore safe and free of obstacles.
So beyond a factor related to safety and rules, the drone shots under our visual control will certainly be better performed and more fluid , smooth
My advice is to plan more flights with different starting points when you need to filming different scenarios. Doesn’t matter if this will be done even in different days …
6. Gimbal movements
Another technique to obtain even more suggestive and particular shots could be the use of the gimbal in combination with the drone movements, one of my favorites is the forward and upward movement by tilting the Gimbal, creating a lot of cinematic effects
7. Parallax
Adding depth to aerial scenes by exploiting extreme parallax effects, often with trees or structures closer to the drone, can help the viewer realize the real dimensions of the surrounding environment.
8. Weather
For a good aerial shot keep an eye on the weather and the best times of the day.
When it comes to weather we are practically at the mercy of Mother Nature!
The best photos and videos with drones are made during clear or cloudy days, better in the absence of wind .
To be careful on the coldest days where condensation can develop on some parts of the drone which can freeze at altitude
9. The wind is the worst enemy
The wind is perhaps the greatest enemy of our drone and aerial shots.
The advice that I can give is to avoid taking aerial shots during windy days.
I generally don't fly with my drone when the winds are above 10 maximum 15 knots (about 25 km / h) or if there are frequent gusts of wind. Even if most drones are classified to fly with winds above 15 knots but the footage filmed with these weather conditions will probably not be satisfactory and therefore you will only risk wasting time.
The use of programs like After Effects or Final Cut to stabilize the images does not always give good results: personally I still have to see movies that have been completely restructured with the stabilization function.
10. Sunrise and sunset
Just like with the cinematography on the ground, the shots taken at dawn and at sunset can help make our movie better. In fact, in these hours of the day the shadows are clearly visible, helping to define the characteristics of the environment that are not so evident during the afternoon.
11. Use a neutral profile , My best Camera settings
Camera settings can play an important role in successful aerial photography with drones.
So make sure that the camera settings are as neutral as possible. This will allow you to take aerial shots maintaining natural colors and highlighting the details in the less bright spots.
My suggested settings for a DJI drone
4K or in any case the one with greater definition of your camera
60 fps (not to be confused with shutter speed )
Color D-Cinelike / Style custom -1, -1, -1
The best ISO (100) or at least the one with the lowest value allowed with light conditions.
In the Gimbal Yaw Movement Limit -35Max
Gimbal Pitch Speed -9
Extended Gimbal tilt Limit -Yes
Gimbal Pitch Smoothness - 19
12. Set the shutter speed
Shutter speed: Shutter speed is the length of time the camera’s shutter is open and is responsible for catching movement
ISO: The ISO indicates your camera’s sensitivity to light. Lower numbers are used in areas with a good light source, and produce a fine, even textured photograph.
Boosting the ISO number can help let more light in in poorly-lit areas, but doing that can also give the photo or video an unattractive grainy texture.
F-stop: The f-stop is also called the aperture, and it dictates the focal area of the photograph.
A larger number will bring a larger amount of the photograph into focus.
You’ll probably need a larger number but you’ll require more light in the photo, which is done by adjusting the ISO.
This all three parameter can’t be set in all drone but we can solve by using NDfilter
When possible is better to keep a low shutter speed, especially when shooting on the ground, to avoid the stroboscopic effect.
Not being able to set the shutter speed when filming a scene from the DJIGO4 menu
it is indispensable to use ND filters
there are various types of ND filters , polarized ones can be of help in shooting on the sea or in the snow, let's say that applying a ND filter lens to the drone camera, this being in a condition of lower light, and so it will increase the shutter time automatically
( ND Filter mean slow shutter speed )
In the days of normal light I use normally an ND4 filter, in spring or in the early afternoon an ND8 ... ND16 summer filter is very recommended or more hight like ND32
ND Filter some time looks like can simulate a F-Stop that we can’t adjust
13. Another important note should be dedicated to the histogram
In DJI Drones as like in many others cameras, it is possible to view the histogram on the display
In drones and in general in aerial photography that where the image coming from a remote device ... (DRONE - REMOTE CONTROL) the reading of the histogram becomes fundamental
This is because, if we can see the image directly from the viewfinder or on the screen of the camera in real time ...
with the drones it is not possible do it …
The only way , to watch our image is to see the image transmitted by the drone to the display (tablet / phone) of remote control, which although transmitted in real time, can be not accurate … due to multiple factors, such as the quality of the signal transmission, the different settings of the display and light conditions on the ground ...
this makes it mandatory to read the histogram which will give us the real values of the light passing through the camera sensor regardless of the display.
Through this reading, we will have the certainty that we have the right setting and that the image/video is taken as we wish.
So based on this I recommend a study of the histogram which, after will be very simple to understand and useful as all the words spent up to now in this tutorial of mine.
ISO, SHUTTER SPEED, OPENING, HISTOGRAM
For these 4 topics let me know ... if you need another guide or suggestion…
Post production
Let's go over some post-processing techniques that I use in post production to improve my aerial shots.
14. Post production
We should decide in what format we want to save the video
Especially for what use …
Sometimes the best 4K resolution could be too heavy to edit if you don't have the right tools and when the edited video will only be used to upload it on social media like Facebook or YouTube or maybe Instagram ... much better a 1800p full hd
This also, when the original video is shot in 4K but in post production will be edited in 1800p HD , it could allow us to adjust the frame a lot by making cuts and then having a final composition of the best image frame …
The rule of three quarters and photographic composition
Another element in benefit that comes to our help will be to add if necessary a camera movement that has not been completed during the recording …
I'll explain
With modern video editing programs, it is possible to cut the video image, zoom in and out and for example bring the subject to the center of the frame or maybe to 3/4 the horizon ...
In the same way ... with a dynamic clipping it will be possible to simulate an up or down camera movement, adding a movement that was not performed during filming , giving that extra touch to cinematography that will make the video more appealing .
There are many tutorials on YouTube to try to learn in a simple way.
like this : TIPS - MAKE A TILT IN POST PRODUCTION
Record at the highest possible resolution
( this is also useful to take some pic from your clip )
in post production add a black bar below and above (border size) which makes it look more cinematic
Using Final Cut
Tip - Letterbox - aspect ratio 2,35:1
and then play with the offset in order to correct the cut frame of the photograph
Offset start at beginning of clip -
set value 0,24 and on right side of value click and add a keyframe
So now we have a made first step
Then ... move at the end of clip and set offset with different value , like -1
This helped me to make a light tilt movement but in post production
this trick helped me a lot in filming this video, hoping to give a nice effect, with more dynamic and fluid camera movements
15. Add Motion Blur
If we had to do our aerial shots with a high shutter speed, or if we used a camera that didn't control the shutter speed, we'll add a motion blur effect, so that it looks more natural.
16. Color grading
One of the most enjoyable stages of editing is definitely color grading. We define the color grading phase as that process of alteration and enhancement of color in an image or video with the aim of achieving two types of results: corrective and / or artistic.
One of the latest trends (certainly deriving from the use of smartphone applications) is to apply quick filters for coloring during assembly. In this case, we use the LUTs.
I happened to edit more than one video directly from Ipad. using LumaFusion app it was possible to apply Lut directly from Ipad to the edited video. with an incredible result.
First of all the LUTs work at their maximum potential when they are applied to files that are defined as "flat", that is not too contrasted and with a color density not too high, and give the best if the file starting point is quite rich: better RAW or log files, like Cine-like or D-log.
Certainly having shot the d-Like or Cine-Like ... ie in very neutral mode ... you will need to color our images, a bit like you do with a photographic image taken in RAW.
Which, although very rich in details, needs to be directed towards the right values
Applying an adequate LUT we will give the video the appearance of a video shot on film or in any case a color we may like more … (cinematic)
there are lots of free packages, LUTs for the most popular video editing programs.
my advice and download one and study it in order to know how to select the most appropriate LUT for every need.
in the color grading phase, an error that can often happen is to exaggerate …
too much contrast, light or maybe color ...
any one of these degrades the appearance of the final video …
so, to avoid this mistake ... the simplest thing is …
once you have the ideal color ... try to go back a few points on your setting …
(do you know the green grass with an unreal color?) avoid it if possible
17.Another tip is to study your drone ….
Manual , tutorial , forum and make a test
Read the manual and the various guides, practice and perform tests when it is necessary to check or better understand some of the steps.
Create your checklist pre-flight and post-flight
A good checklist could be no more than 10 ... 15 points
here my drone checklist pdf draft copy ... but is better you made yuor personal one
This will guarantee you greater safety when you are shooting and consequently more control of the drone and the quality of the shots
Plan as best you can where, when and why to take your shooting in order to optimizing battery times and image quality.
Angle of view, position of the sun, shadows, light, composition, camera movement.
Following these tips, your aerial shots with drones, will acquire that extra professional touch and will help you to make your footage special and unique.
I hope to read your comments soon …
If you liked the guide, share it with your friends and feel free to contact me if there is a need to better understand some points in below comment …
Hello and good day Alex. Thank you for sharing this informative video and the information on how you created it. These tips/information will be very helpful to all our DJI co pilots. Great work and thank you for your valued support.
DJI Stephen Posted at 5-5 09:53
Hello and good day Alex. Thank you for sharing this informative video and the information on how you created it. These tips/information will be very helpful to all our DJI co pilots. Great work and thank you for your valued support.
hi DJI Stephan.
I thank you so much for the beautiful words in your comment. Here in the DJI Forum I have always found people of great value and lots of help. so I'm happy when I can contribute a little to this great community
AirButterflyDrone Posted at 5-5 10:51
hi DJI Stephan.
I thank you so much for the beautiful words in your comment. Here in the DJI Forum I have always found people of great value and lots of help. so I'm happy when I can contribute a little to this great community
You are very much welcome Alex. Your work and contribution is really great. I can feel how much you enjoy what you are doing. Have a safe and happy flying always.
DJI Stephen Posted at 5-5 11:03
You are very much welcome Alex. Your work and contribution is really great. I can feel how much you enjoy what you are doing. Have a safe and happy flying always.
thanks again and again DJI Stephan
I'm very happy you enjoyed this
Blizzard Posted at 5-6 00:59
Those tips are so good, that a made a pdf file from it, so I can read them again and again, until I will be able to use them all the time.
Thx!
wuuaaaooo
amazing ... thanks for your comment
I'm so happy you liked it so much ... good
I'm looking forward for whatch some of your new creations
Lysak2003 , Thank you for your comment here ...
in the descripition of color grade ,there is a link if you are looking in this to download the LUT used in it
anyway ... many thanks againg for your watching
ShermanFlyer Posted at 5-9 05:06
Great tutorial. You obviously put a lot of work into this for the benefit of others. Thanks for sharing
Hello, thanks for your comment
as mentioned, here on this forum, I have always found very good people, great pilots and artists, photographs and videos where I've always learned a lot ... and that's why I like to share my experiences here ...
I'm glad you enjoyed it
Great tutorial, but I would mention one more tip: It is very easy to spook a horse with a drone. This can be extremely dangerous if they are under mount. Make certain to keep the drone far enough away to not frighten the horse. Insure the rider has advance warning and has given permission. Be extra careful around "hot" performance horses. And back away quickly at the first sign of trouble.
Blizzard Posted at 5-6 00:59
Those tips are so good, that a made a pdf file from it, so I can read them again and again, until I will be able to use them all the time.
Thx!
Thanks for the advice. As a beginner there is so much to take in and this is a lot of information and very interesting and helpful . Thank you for taking the time to share
I really would like to do, but this forum doesn't support uploading PDF files.
However, if you copy that article in Words, you can always export it as a PDF file.
I hope this can help.
Hey,
First of all thanks to you to write an awesome tutorial .its so helpful for anyone who struggles in photography like ariel photography or in taking a close shot.
As a beginner, I want to say your article is such full of information for me. Too much deep info available in it which guide me properly
Thanks
ElectroGuru Posted at 5-11 04:05
Great tutorial, but I would mention one more tip: It is very easy to spook a horse with a drone. This can be extremely dangerous if they are under mount. Make certain to keep the drone far enough away to not frighten the horse. Insure the rider has advance warning and has given permission. Be extra careful around "hot" performance horses. And back away quickly at the first sign of trouble.
hi , thanks for your watching and your advise ...
yes I agree with you and as said on the topic , If you make amateur VideoMaker, my first rule is to respect people, their privacy ;-) that's mean even to make aware others about your shooting ... obviously with theirs permit ...
even if this topic is about smooth and controlled camera movement to get more cinematic yuor video ... is correct what you said ...
in my case , riders was agree ... some test has been done only with horses without riders ... and then together to make sure it was safe ...
safety first is mandatory rule , otherwise nobody will get fun
anyway ... don't worries... everyone was fine and in agree
and thanks again for your warning about horse that could be valid even for others more commun animals like cats or dogs ...
have a safe flight
Afflospark Posted at 5-12 01:04
Hey,
First of all thanks to you to write an awesome tutorial .its so helpful for anyone who struggles in photography like ariel photography or in taking a close shot.
As a beginner, I want to say your article is such full of information for me. Too much deep info available in it which guide me properly
let me to said THANK YOU
I'm really happy to be helpful to someone with the same passion for drone's photography ...
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