So you just got a new drone and you want to get started on drone photography and videography.   At first, this can be very daunting and intimidating.  It is true that you are not going to master the art of drone photography and videography right away.  But it is going to be very helpful if you know where to start.  This article will give you some tips so you can get started on it right away.

1. Safety First

Before you start flying, know the area where you are flying.  Find out about local regulation and flight restriction on that area.   So that your flight is safe and legal.  Some of the flight restricted areas are near airports.  These restrictions and regulations are constantly changing so you need to keep updated constantly.  If you fly DJI drone, DJI drone app is also helpful in letting you know some of the flight restrictions and regulation in that area.

2. Shoot Photos in RAW

If you are shooting photos, always shoot the photos in RAW mode.  This gives you the most advantage on post production.

3. Shoot Photos in Panorama mode

Benefits of shooting panorama mode is you get the highest resolutions and wider field of view.  You can always crop the photos as you like in post production.

4. DJI Automatic Function

If you using DJI drone, take advantage of Automatic Function.  Automatic Function sets all the setting automatically, so you can focus on framing and concentrate on shooting the video.

5. Inflight Hyperlapse Feature

If you are using DJI drone, take advantage of Inflight Hyperlapse feature.  A hyperlapse is time-lapse in motion.   With inflight hyperlapse, you can capture very dynamic video of cloud moving across the sky or cars moving on the road.  Lastly using hyperlapse video, you can pull photo out of the video and use as its own.

6. Speed vs Altitude

Choose your speed and altitude of the drone according to what kind of video you want to shoot.  Remember, if you are flying lower, it looks like you are moving faster.   On the other hand, if you are flying high altitude, it looks like you are moving lot slower.

7.  Shooting at different frame rates

Trying shooting at 60fps so you can smooth out some of the jerky panning motions.

8. Lighting

Lighting is just as important in drone videography.   So it is important to plan out where sun is located before when you arrive at the location.   Also best and most dramatic time to shooting is when the sun rises and sun sets.

9. Composition Techniques

In order for your videos to stand out, try different techniques such as LEADING LINE, ORBITING SHOTS, REVEAL SHOTS, PARALLAXING SHOTS, and BIRDS EYE VIEW SHOTS.   Although DJI app can help you makes it easier, overall, they are not easy to master.  So you need lots of time in the air to get the practices.

 10. Filters

There many different filters you can experiment with that can enhance your videos and photos.  For example, Chroma filter can soften your video and make your video looks more like cinematic.

I hope these 10 tips can help you get your foot off the ground to get going on amazing adventure of drone photography and videography.

10 Tips to Get Started in Drone Photography & Videography

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