Photo tools: Experiences with drones

In this post, I'll share some of my experiences using drones in landscape photography. It's not about technical aspects or product reviews, but simply about the usefulness of this tool in landscape photography. The topic of "filming with a drone" will also not be covered.

"Drones are annoying." "Drones are unnecessary toys for people who already have everything." It's true: drones have a bad reputation, and I've experienced firsthand that simply mentioning that you use a drone can elicit strange looks from acquaintances: "What, at your age? And who are you spying on with it?" Despite all this, about three years ago I started using drones specifically—and very carefully (so as not to disturb anyone)—for photographic work.

It all started with a very small quadcopter; I think the thing weighed less than 400 grams and had a rather modest 2/3-inch image sensor. My goal was to find out for myself whether these things offered any real added value for photography or were simply short-lived "gadgets." I quickly discovered that a) this mini-drone made a lot of noise, but b) it enabled completely new perspectives and camera positions that truly broadened my horizons. I then took the little machine with me on a two-week ski touring trip to Norway and gained my first experience with it in "real-world" situations. Besides many video clips, which I used for a short documentary, I also brought home a lot of photos taken with the drone. The video quality was surprisingly good, while the photo quality from that small sensor was just about okay.

Shortly after, a successor model was released, and I've been using this drone for about two years now. It now features a 1-inch sensor with 20 megapixels and, with a little post-processing, offers very good photo quality. Furthermore, the device is still foldable, making it easy to pack in a backpack and therefore ideal for long hikes in the mountains. Another important advantage: the motor speed has been reduced, the propellers are slightly larger and have specially shaped tips – these changes have significantly reduced the noise during operation.

Now to the actual question of this post: is it worth buying for hobbyists like me? Short answer: yes – absolutely! The drone isn't a toy for me – I never just fly it around for fun; it offers the advantage of a camera that can be freely positioned in space. I can achieve camera positions that would be difficult or extremely challenging to reach with other means.

Camera location: approximately 80 meters above ground level

A common beginner mistake is positioning the camera too high. This usually results in rather boring aerial shots lacking depth. Very often, the best results are achieved by flying low and including objects on the ground in the composition to enhance the sense of depth.

Drone photo: approximately 3 meters above the ground

Over time, you develop a certain sense for potentially worthwhile drone deployments. Often, however, I carry the drone around in my backpack all day without ever taking off. But the same thing happens with conventional photography: either the light isn't right, or there's no subject that triggers your personal "motif buzzer." With drone photos, the same principle applies to good lighting conditions as with terrestrial photography: "lightismagic!" I took the picture below last year shortly after the first snowfall. The very special lighting situation with the long shadows and the interplay of sun and shadow was difficult to capture effectively from the ground. But twenty meters above the ground, it looked completely different:

“Light is magic” applies to drone photos, too...

There's also a small waterfall in our area that's quite interesting. In spring, during the snowmelt, it's usually quite active. I've often tried to capture this scene convincingly. The problem is that the terrain severely restricts your freedom of movement. The waterfall is located at the very back of a narrow ravine. A hiking trail does lead across a small bridge below the waterfall, but the whole scene is surrounded by dense bushes. Just five meters up, however, the view would be completely different. So, I dug my little drone out of my backpack and tried out various positions – a matter of a few minutes. For the photo below, I also used an ND8 filter to reduce the exposure time to half a second, as I wanted the cascading water to look very soft. What surprised me was that, despite the air turbulence created by the waterfall and the longer exposure time, the images were sharp. This is thanks to the camera gimbal and the very effective stabilization provided by the drone's electronics.

A solution for tricky subjects: lift the camera a few feet off the ground

Conclusion

Good photo drones are now available for the price of a similarly good lens. They open up entirely new creative possibilities, especially in landscape photography. These devices have become so sophisticated that they can deliver excellent results even in challenging, turbulent wind conditions. Thanks to the numerous built-in sensors and the sophisticated software, operation is very simple. After a short learning curve, you'll have a very valuable tool whose results are truly rewarding.

Small print for "drone operators"

• Always adhere to the legal regulations of the region where you intend to fly your drone. This is especially important if you are flying abroad. In some cases, there are significant restrictions, and depending on the country, draconian penalties can result from non-compliance.

• The same applies at home: familiarize yourself with the airspace/restrictions of your surroundings (I am particularly aware of this because a) I work professionally in aviation and b) I often fly in my free time).

• With the exception of toy drones, it is recommended to take out a specific liability insurance policy. For example, in Switzerland, most insurance companies offer corresponding add-ons to existing liability insurance policies for a small fee. In some other countries, such insurance is mandatory.

Conclusion

Finally, a word about the hardware: I've been using a DJI Mavic 3 Pro for about two years now. It's equipped with a Hasselblad camera with a fixed focal length lens and a Micro Four Thirds sensor. The image quality is definitely far superior to that of, for example, smartphones – and you also have a lot of flexibility in post-processing.