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The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Travel Drone Photography

Beginner’s Guide to Travel Drone Photography

With the introduction of drone photography, capturing aerial photos is more available and easier than ever before. A drone can take the most stunning photos of a place and it’s open up a whole new world of opportunities. This remote-controlled object offers amazing angels, a unique perspective, and impactful images that we could only dream of a few years back. Not only did they make photography unique but also made it available and much easier. But as a beginner, there are a few things to keep in mind. This article will discuss every aspect of a beginner’s guide to travel drone photography. Keep reading this interesting piece.

1. Check the Legal Aspects of Drone Flying

The first thing to remember in the beginner’s guide to travel drone photography is the legal activities. As you might already know, drone, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), flying requires government permission in many jurisdictions. Not all countries allow it. You should check all the applicable regulations at your intended destination before traveling. Not only will you not be allowed to fly your drone, but regulatory authorities might even confiscate it as you enter. Instead of risking legal trouble because of such issues, it is always best to find out all the regulatory requirements.

Once you have all the permits, follow all the regulatory guidelines pertaining to the following:

    • Do not fly it higher than the maximum allowable height. In most places, it is 400 ft/120 meters high, but there can be variations based on your location. Therefore, be sure to research the maximum allowable height. It is advisable to print a paper copy of the regulations and keep them with you whenever you operate your UAV.

    • Obtain the consent of the people in the region where you are planning to fly. You may ask the local authority regarding their requirements. It is also for the privacy of the neighbors that you abide by such guidelines.

    • Be within a 3 mi/5 km radius of the UAV. You do not want to lose sight of it. If it is going to crash into a building, you should be there to divert its direction.

    • Do not fly it in a busy place or over people. Drones need a clear area to fly without any obstructions.

Regulatory guidelines are the top priority in our guide for drone photography for travelers. These are mandatory to follow for anyone and getting caught breaking the law can lead to fines, penalties, and more serious problems.

Once you have cleared all the regulatory requirements, you can quickly browse through the slides below for expert tips on drone flying:

2. Take A Few Flying Lessons

If you want to capture your vacation memories using a drone, it is best that you learn how to fly one. It is not all that difficult, but a little practice will be helpful.

Most of the drones today come with different sensors so you do not need to do much. However, knowing the basics of flying will make you much more confident when the time comes.

Just like a kite, once the drone is in the air, you do not need to do much. If the battery lowers, most machines descend to their take-off points. You can even define the flight paths and leave it on auto mode. However, it is best to not let it go out of sight.

Take A Few Flying Lessons for drone photography

There are certain no-fly areas in all places. Many of the newer UAVs come with a built-in sensor to detect these. There are apps to help you identify some of these zones, however, it is advisable to do your research to avoid these areas and therefore avoid unintentionally violating the law. In any event even the best made machines can have problems, so it is always better to not let it go out of sight.

You can hire a professional trainer to teach you the technical aspects of flying, or you may see a DIY video online and pick up the skills there. The essential requirement for you is to know all the features of the machine and how to maneuver it. Knowing your machine and how to handle it features second on our guide for drone photography for travelers.

3. RAW vs JPEG – Which Format Is Better?

If you do not already edit your own images and videos, then JPEG may be “good enough” for you. For your amateur enthusiasts and professional photographers, however, your options for post-processing are very limited with JPEG because the raw data has already been compressed and formatted to reduce the file size and much of the detail has now been lost.

If the camera is set to RAW format, no processing is applied to the image or video, thereby leaving more data—and more detail—to be used to process the image further, giving you greater flexibility to draw out colors or tones that help the image go from good to great.

Perhaps an analogy from cooking will help you understand: RAW formatting is like raw ingredients in that you can pick and choose how to prepare it.

A JPEG, on the other hand, I like a meal that has already been prepared; you can make some changes, but it is essentially already set so there is little room left to modify.

Therefore, RAW images help in the post-capture processing of the images. Once edited, RAW images look much better than JPEG images. Also, you might wonder why editing is required. Well, without editing, your JPEG images might be too dark or too light or may need cropping to better balance the image.

If you want to post your images or save them for personal memories you want them to be as good as can be, which may take editing.

4. With Drones, Sky Is the Limit to Creativity

Drones make various kinds of photography possible that you cannot capture with a normal camera. This gives way to a lot of creativity. In a solo trip you can capture images that are simply not possible without specialized equipment that you can now carry with you wherever you go.

You can capture the beautiful sunset by flying the machine to the horizon or from various angles. You can use the light to your benefit too. In a nutshell, enjoy the toy and be creative with your photography. It is a simple but very useful tip for all the photography buffs out there. So, we have included it in our guide to drone photography for travelers.

5. Capture the Aerial Views with Ease

If you are in an area surrounded by natural beauty and landscapes, drones are your best friends. Nothing captures aerial photographs better than drones. 

You can even create beautiful videos by swooping down from a great height. It creates a dramatic effect in your videos and can make your trip much more memorable.

Capture the Aerial Views with a drone very easily

Previously, aerial photographs could only be captured via helicopter shoots. It was beyond the reach of most people, but now, you have the means, and you should make the most of it. It is also very effective way to take aerial photo for your vacation rental as well

6. Do not Fly Very High – Capture the Detailed View from A Low Height

Just like you are barely able to see anything on the ground when you are looking from a very high altitude, drones will also not be able to capture detail if you take them too high.

It may be tempting to fly it as high as possible, but aside from the legal difficulties you may encounter, there is also the possibility that you will lose perspective. The images will lack depth and details and will be less meaningful. It is better to take it to a medium-high level and capture the beautiful landscapes with much sharper pictures.

Although this might seem counter-intuitive, you can try it out yourself. Take the drone to the highest (legal) possible level and capture the image. Then take it to a slightly lower height and capture another image.

Compare the two and you will find out how only a minor change can give you a large difference in the results. As it is a crucial aspect, it is one of the topmost suggestions in our guide to drone photography for travelers.

7. Explore the Various Modes Offered by Drone Technology

Drones offer various modes or settings, like many other cameras. As it is a flying device, you might wonder how stable your pictures will be. There are modes to control speed and hovering stability. Make use of these if you want clear, still photographs.

You can even try to set the radius for panoramic photos. You can try for 360-degree or 180-degree panoramic photos. There are many more modes depending upon your device. Exploring these modes can open a new world of photographic possibilities for you. The photos will come out as you have never seen before.

8. Protect Your Investment

Protect Your Investment

Your equipment may seem like a toy to others, but you know how valuable your investment is, both in monetary value as well as in the memories.

Be sure to safeguard your property by packing it in a case that will protect the equipment and the data. Whether you choose a hard case or a soft case, it should be strong, water resistant, and insulated enough to defend against the bumps and bruises from traveling as well as from unwanted intrusion by unauthorized individuals. 

Make sure that you have enough room for extra memory cards and batteries, and that they are all kept safe from accident or theft while in transit.

Wrapping Up A Beginner’s Guide to Travel Drone Photography

We hope you find our beginner’s guide to travel drone photography helpful. Try these tips and see what beautiful photos that you can click on your next trip. Showcase them on all your social media platforms and make memories that will last a lifetime, or longer!

Photographs make vacations memorable. Exploring innovative technology such as drone photography will make you go to lengths you never imagined before. It is an interesting hobby to pursue while vacationing and helps you get the most out of your trip. But be sure to research the regulatory requirements and have full command over your UAV so you can maximize your fun and minimize the risk.

Do not forget to check out the best drone friendly accommodations on our platform Rental Trader. If you want to know more about our accommodations, fill out the web form below, or feel free to call us via the number on the Contacts page.

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