…And how to improve them.

by Vadim Sherbakov / @madebyvadim

Boring composition

Boring forest shoot with poorly thought-out composition

Problem: The most common mistake made by drone owners is to start shooting anything and everything they can fly over: Empty fields, backyards, houses on the road, etc. We’ve all done that, excited to fly a drone and thinking that it is so awesome to see “that place” from the air. But if you are serious about aerial photography then choose the subject wisely, don’t just shoot whatever you see.

Fix: Shooting mountains, rivers or amazing places is easy, but what to do if your subjects are not particularly memorable? Try using different angles and places. You’ll be surprised how awesome they can look, for example, from an angle looking straight down.

Changing the angle will make it a completely different story.

No post-production

Straight from the camera, no post-production.

Problem: We see lots of images from drones that are straight out of the camera, often shot with jpeg setting, and, thus, lacking the wow factor that illustrates the location’s true beauty.

Fix: Always colour-correct your images, in order to elevate them to the next level.

Raw file, post production

Overdone post-production

HDR is overdone

Problem: There’s no doubt post-production is essential. But watch it: Some over-saturated images or images using HDR technology look very fake and overdone.

Fix: Learn Photoshop or Lightroom and critically examine your final results.

Post production done right.

Daytime Shooting

Daytime shot

Problem: Daytime is not the best time to shoot epic drone photos, since the sun is casting harsh shadows and the light is not flattering.

Fix: Best to wait until the time of the day often referred as The Golden Hour. It happens just before sunset and at sunrise. There are plenty of apps, free and paid, for pinpointing the precise times based on your location. Light at these hours is soft, golden, and pleasing to the eye. It also creates long shadows.

Golden hour sunset shot.

Dull weather shooting

Dull weather = dull results

Problem: Dull weather makes even the best locations … dull. There is nothing more sad than not using locations and weather to their fullest potential.

Fix: For epic photos you want to be proud of, check the weather forecast and try not to shoot in dull conditions. It’s time for coffee and editing those old photos you have been putting off for so long 🙂

Coffee time.

Jpeg, not Raw 🙁

Single jpeg file.

Problem: There is only so much you can do with a jpeg image. For starters, its compressed format takes away any advantages of post-production. Colour correction settings and white balance are already hard-code embedded in that format, so any changes are much more difficult or even impossible, as opposed to the RAW format images.

Fix: It is crucial to shoot in Raw format, so you can fix any mistakes or have much more room for additional work on your photo later on, including colour correcting. Raw format is much more flexible to changes, stores more information, and WB or colours are not hard-coded.

RAW file with post production.

Skewed horizon

Horizon line is badly skewed

Problem: One of many signs of professionalism is a perfectly lined horizon. Drone photos with a skewed horizon line look amateur.

Fix: It’s easy to fix it both via gimbal positioning or later in post-production. So don’t be that guy 🙂

Straight horizon

Lost opportunities

Problem: Drones nowadays have so much to offer: raw file formats, automatic exposure bracketing, D-log setting for even more dynamic range, as well as creative opportunities to shoot straight down or make a panorama, both horizontal and vertical. So it’s a shame not to use it at full potential.

Fix: Study your machine, study tutorials on the subjects you are not familiar with and try, try, try. Your skills will grow very quickly and you will be amazed at how much better your photos will look.

AEB 3 shots + horizontal panorama + D-log settings = great results.

Fly safe!