The astonishing power of an aerial camera — TimothyBentley.Photography

I suppose every photographer aspires to do something remarkable and new. To make images with a unique perspective. Perhaps to escape “the surly bonds of earth”. To soar “on wings like eagles”. If you’re one of these restless artists, as I am, this is for you.

In this blog, I’ll share some of my photographs. I’ll pass along my best tips for making great aerial images. I’ll tell you stories about adventures and misadventures. And at times I hope we may join in a moment of awe about the images we can create through aerial photography.

So this is for you, as a person who aspires to taking extraordinary photographs from the air. And for anyone who appreciates fine imagery.

There are a million and a half drones registered in the US alone right now, and every day, more people are discovering the wonderful photos they can take.

The inaccessible shot

So what is so special about drone photography? To start, until half a decade ago, the only way to take images from the sky was to acquire the money, and the courage, to rent a helicopter or fixed wing plane. So the advent of small unmanned aircraft - drones - has democratized aerial photography. This is truly an inflection point in the evolution of photographic art.

Drones can go where no human could ever venture, and they’ve always got their cameras with them.

This drone image was not photographed from a great height. But If I’d tried to capture it with a conventional hand-held camera, I’d have ended up wet, cold, and seriously dented. And by the way, no helicopter could ever get in front of this waterfall under its heavy forest cover.

So yes, the drone makes possible photographs you could only dream about a decade ago.

And from further up in the sky, say 400 feet, there’s an entirely new perspective available to the serious photographer.

A revolutionary aircraft

In the history of art, every time we developed a new technique, it has revolutionized the field, opening new possibilities. A third of a million years ago, humans first invented paint. That technical advance created the possibility of visual art, and that in turn led to cave painting. Only 2000 years ago, we invented paper, which again changed everything.

More recently, we’ve seen the impact on art of collage, photography, motion pictures, animation, digital, and more - technical innovations that have changed how we perceive and interpret our world.

Just like paint, the drone is a technical innovation, but it’s way more than that. Like paint, it changes the possibilities of art. Learn to use a drone camera, and you begin to participate in a new wave of possibilities.

Look at the tasks where, in just the past five years, drones are supplementing conventional methods, and in many cases, reducing the risks for workers.

Firefighting, police work, search and rescue, inspection of roofs, antennas, bridges, and towers, exploration, delivering medicine to rural areas, consumer package delivery, restoring cell service after storms, real estate sales, reforestation, film-making, farming, high-level window-washing, audacious criminality, and more.

And the list of innovations is far from complete. The number of applications for drones will double and triple in the decade to come. As a result, the number of professional jobs for drone pilots is increasing exponentially every year.

Photography revolution

For the photographer, for you and me, the drone revolution is underway, and we can only guess at the artistic innovation it will give birth to. No one can predict what unexpected imagery you may create in the next few years.

Today’s drones have real cameras, with 1-inch sensors, shooting 20 megapixel images, with full control of aperture, speed, and ISO. Their gimbals are ultra-responsive, keeping images rock solid, despite wind and course changes.

Frankly, I’ve been shocked at how stable they are. It’s often like shooting from a rigid tripod 400 feet tall.

Today’s drones can stay in the air for half an hour per battery, allowing you plenty of time to select and frame your best shot. It goes without saying that they’re also safe and pretty easy to pilot.

Remarkably, the prices are reasonable too. So if you aspire to be part of this radical new movement in photography, now’s the time to think seriously about it.

I love the art of photography, and I hope I can encourage you, as you venture into this new chapter in image-making.

You’re welcome to join me here every week, as we look at why, how, and when to take extraordinary photographs with your drone.