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

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.

If you think you need a boarding pass to fly, you’re really missing out! Today, drones are everywhere. From film studios to farms, they’re in the hands of photographers, commercial surveyors, and racers alike. This fully illustrated book explains how drones developed, where they’re going, and which one you should choose. It even includes complete instructions to build both a simple drone and a super-fast FPV racer yourself. Whether you’re flying indoors or out, buying or building, this book covers everything: Understand the Jargon: Flying has a lot of unfamiliar terminology, but this book will make it easy to master. Business or Pleasure: Every type of multicopter you might want is introduced, including explanations of which is best suited for what role. Get the Best Pictures: This edition includes an extended guide to the tech and composition tricks you can use to make your pictures stand out of the pack. Get the Best Video: A new shot-guide shows you how to get the most engaging aerial video, whatever your drone. Be an FPV Racer: There are complete step-by-step instructions for building your own FPV racer, or a surprisingly cheap wooden drone – both great projects. This is an Extended Second Edition. Following from the worldwide success of the first edition, which has been translated into numerous languages, this edition is not just fully updated to keep pace with the laws and the technology (including gesture controls), it is also new enough to thoroughly cover the fast-growing new sport of FPV drone racing, while still including a comprehensive guide to learning to fly any drone.

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. --

Drones are the next frontier in photography. This cutting-edge technology, still unexplored by the masses, can bring visual artistry to new and exciting heights. The Handbook of Drone Photography will be the go-to manual for consumers wishing to harness the power of drones to capture stunning aerial photographs. This book covers everything one needs to choose the right drone, to get airborne, and to capture and share incredible content. With easy and straightforward instruction, the text will familiarize readers with their craft and its controls. Readers will master drones’ extraordinary image-capturing capabilities and review detailed photography tips that can bring their artistic vision to life. For the first time, aerial photography is open to everyone, and award-winning travel photographer Chase Guttman will guide readers’ drone ventures from beginning to end. The Handbook of Drone Photography can help anyone break into this thrilling, high-potential space and launch their own lofty explorations today.

If you think you need a boarding pass to fly, you're really missing out... Today, drones are everywhere. From film studios to farms, they're in the hands of photographers, commercial surveyors and racers alike. This fully illustrated book explains how drones developed, where they're going and which one you should choose. It even includes complete instructions to build both a simple drone and a super-fast FPV racer yourself. Whether you're flying indoors or out, buying or building, this book covers everything: ¦ Understand the Jargon Flying has a lot of unfamiliar terminology, but this book will make it easy to master. ¦ Business or Pleasure Every type of multicopter you might want is introduced, including explanations of which is best suited for what role. ¦ Get the Best Pictures This edition includes an extended guide to the tech and composition tricks you can use to make your pictures stand out of the pack. ¦ Get the Best Video A new shot-guide shows you how to get the most engaging aerial video, whatever your drone. ¦ Be a Winning FPV Racer There are two complete step-by-step instructions for building your own drones inside: an FPV racer, or a surprisingly cheap wooden drone - both great projects. Following the worldwide success of the first edition, which has been translated into numerous languages, this second edition is not only fully updated to keep pace with the laws and technology, but also extended to thoroughly cover the fast-growing new sport of FPV drone racing, while still including a comprehensive guide to learning to fly any drone.