Learn to master your drone—the gear, the technique, the photography, the video—and create jaw-dropping visuals!

Over the last few years, drones and quadcopters have become the hottest new gear in photography, whether you’re a professional photographer or an amateur shooter. These “flying tripods” have given photographers the ability to place their cameras virtually anywhere they want, creating still images and video footage that was previously impossible to capture. Many photographers have a drone or quadcopter right at the top of their “I want” list. And many others have already purchased a drone but haven’t mastered its use yet.

No matter what model you may own—whether that’s a popular Mavic, Mini, Air, or Phantom from DJI, or another brand—you need to learn how to put this new gear to good use in your aerial photography. You need to learn how to safely operate and fly a drone, how to create compelling photos and video, and how to make your work stand out from the crowd.

In this fully updated and revised edition of the bestselling first edition, photographer and bestselling author Colin Smith guides you toward mastering your drone and creating powerful and impactful imagery. Featuring his award-winning and beautiful aerial photography throughout the book, Colin will teach you:

• How to fly a drone, including practice flight patterns and controller tips that will help you master the basics

• New rules of composition for aerial photography as they apply to drone and quadcopter imagery

• How to create the best files for both still photos and video

• Post-processing techniques—both basic workflow and advanced techniques—unique to aerial photography that you need to know, such as how to make videos look both dynamic and smooth

You’ll learn everything you need to know about drones and quadcopters in order to take your photography to new levels…literally!

Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Safety and Regulations
Chapter 2: Drones and Gear
Chapter 3: Flight School
Chapter 4: Shooting Photographs with a Drone
Chapter 5: Shooting Video with Drones
Chapter 6: Basic Photo Workflow in Lightroom or ACR
Chapter 7: Advanced Photo Editing
Chapter 8: Editing Aerial Video
Parting Words
Index

Drone Photography and Video Masterclass contains everything a photographer needs to take their craft confidently and expertly into the skies; and everything a drone pilot needs to master this photographic genre. The book takes the view that successful drone photography is all about the shot, not the drone. So, while the reader is equipped with an essential introduction to drone technology, flying skills, safety measures, and legal requirements, author Fergus Kennedy demonstrates how the skills of planning, composition, lighting, focus, and exposure remain essential to capturing great images. He shows how to transfer camera tools and technique from ground to air to achieve outstanding overhead, panoramic, and 360o shots; and how to master gimbal and other skills to bring depth and movement to video tracking shots. Applications from 3D mapping and modelling to landscape and travel photography are covered, demonstrating the range of markets and creative possibilities available to the professional drone photographer. Drones offer a genuinely new perspective, a bird's-eye view previously out of reach for most photographers and filmmakers. Drone Photography and Video Masterclass is the essential guide to realizing the full potential of this exciting new playing field, and elevating the art of your photography to dizzying new heights. AUTHOR: Fergus Kennedy is a marine biologist, photographer, and film-maker, and an experienced multi-rotor pilot and camera operator. Through his company, Skylark Aerial Imaging, he provides aerial video, still photography, and 3D modelling services to clients including the BBC, ABC Television, Canon Europe, Love Productions, WWF, and the Royal Navy. 175 photographs

Drones offer the photographer new creative horizons, but how do you get started? This practical book shows you the way. The first section deals with drone flying, while the second guides you through the complexities of aerial photography. Together with practical insights, case studies and professional shots, it illustrates how to take stunning photos from incredible - and hitherto unreachable - angles and heights. Topics covered include: getting airborne and how to choose a drone and fly it safely and legally and developing your skills to capture stunning aerial shots - focusing on composition and lighting. A step-by-step case study of capturing the iconic Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth harbour is featured.

Inexpensive consumer drones that offer ease of flight and high-quality photography and videography have exploded on the market recently, creating what can only be described as drone mania amongst a diverse range of potential users. Because camera-carrying drones still really only exist on the edge between hobby and the mainstream, there is still a lot of confusion about what these small drones are capable of doing. The decision to purchase one is just the first in a long stream of things a new owner must think about. Aerial Photography and Videography Using Drones is designed to help you make the most of the opportunities these nimble, affordable, and accessible flying machines have created for aerial photography and videography. Within this definitive guide, you’ll learn about the following: • the current state of camera drone equipment • how to become a competent drone operator • tips for getting the best aerial still images and videos • stories from aerial photographers and videographers from around the world • the current regulatory state for drone usage in the U.S. • techniques demonstrated in several videos you can download from peachpit.com, along with pre-flight checklists and worksheets for flight training.

Featuring award-winning and beautiful aerial photography, this exciting book explains everything photographers need to know about drones and quadcopters in order to take their photography to new levelsliterally. --

With over 1.5 million posts on Instagram tagged with #drone, a revolution in photography is taking place over our heads. At the forefront of this revolution are the innovators who have instantly elevated drone photography to the level of art, pioneering their own distinctive bird's-eye view on genres ranging from landscape and architecture to nature and sports. Masters of Drone Photography orbits the world of 16 leading lights, each with a creative vision of how, where, and why drones should be used to create stunning photography. Through probing Q&A style interviews, beautifully reproduced images, captions telling the story of each picture, and detailed technical information, the reader is given an insight into the photographers' working practices, from their career paths and inspirations, to the equipment and techniques they employ to create their breathtaking and visionary works. Contributors include: JP and Mike Andrews, Francesco Cattuto, Amos Chapple, Tugo Cheng, Stacy Garlington, Tobias Hägg, David Hopley, Karim Iliya, Fergus Kennedy, Petra Leary, Andy Leclerc, Florian Ledoux, Bachir Mouzarkel, Kara Murphy, and Sean Stalteri.