Aerial photography and video via drones opens up a host of opportunities for business usage, creative expression, and just plain fun. This ebook introduces the basics of drone photography and offers practical tips and product advice.

From the ebook:

Drones and quadcopters continue to grow in popularity and become more affordable for consumers. This has provided a level playing field for aspiring photographers and videographers to get shots and angles previously unattainable without a helicopter or access to restricted areas with elevation.

To help get you started with drone photography, I’ll share a few tips. Granted, photography fundamentals are still at play. But a few nuances of aerial photography and videography must be accounted for.

The drone
First, let’s look at the drone you’re going to use for your photography. I’m not going to advise on buying the “biggest and baddest” drone available, but I will say that not all drones are created equal. There are drones with cameras attached for as little as $40 and as much as $3,000.

The less expensive toy drones available may have cameras, but they’re not the best in quality. For example, one toy drone has an “HD camera,” supposedly. Unfortunately, the video clearly comes out as 640×320 resolution. NO, you don’t have to spend three grand to get quality aerial photos and videos from a drone.

We previously discussed great options to build your own drone, but I don’t recommend these for photography and cinematic video. The popular DJI Mavic Pro is chewing up the marketplace with its portable, compact design and superb image quality. Still, as popular as this device may be, I purchased an Autel Robotics X-Star Premium drone. The X-Star may not be as popular, but it offers specs that are comparable to the DJI Phantom line of drones.