Up, up and away...Mastering Aerial Photography

by Jon Mitchell

My first experience of aerial photography was an assignment for The NUMAST Telegraph in the early 1990s. The UK Ministry of Defence was due to close the RAF station on the Isle of Thanet in Kent and some were concerned that cutting this Sea Air Rescue station would endanger seafarers lives.

So after I had go the green light from the MoD PR people, off I went and after some instruction was soon dressed up in a dry suit and flight helmet and away we went into the air.

The helicopter was an RAF Sea King and while it is a great helicopter for Sea-Air Rescue, it is not so well equipped for hand-held aerial photography! On this visit, I was mainly photographing the RAF aircrew. However, since then, I have become rather fond of aerial photography and practice it whenever possible.

By the end of the 1990s, I had travelled in many helicopters, especially old Vietnam-era Hueys - which are great for aerial photography as they have large doors on each side. I was also flown in a small single-engined Piper over the Panama canal.

Of course, to conduct aerial photography, you do not necessarily need an aircraft - or you can even buy your own. Paragliders, balloons, kites and motorised paragliders can all be used.

Motorised paraglider take 30 minutes to learn how to fly (though I suggest you swat up on it first) and a two-seater can be bought new for €3,000. These can be towed behind a car or even sent via Fedex!

This option is a cheap, fuel efficient means of conducting aerial photography. The drawback is that they are not always powerful enough for some jobs and can be dangerous in coastal areas (don't forget your life-jacket!). High wind can also prevent take-off. Though I know a chap in Segovia who does quite good business from his motorised paraglider. Hiring these is also often cheaper than helicopters and small planes.

Planes and helicopters are often better options though, as they are faster and more flexible. Aircraft are expensive though and chartering them is not for the faint of wallet!

The golden rule of aerial photography is NEVER SHOOT THROUGH A WINDOW - unless of course, you are on the International Space Station!

Plastic aircraft windows are appalling - optically-speaking - and distort images. Any professional aerial photo is taken sans window. There is an exception to this rule and that is if the image is newsworthy, then quality becomes a secondary concern.

All other work should be done with an open door or window. Good sunglasses are a worth taking and you may want to wrap up well - even in tropical countries, as it gets cold up there with the door open!

Telephotos are harder to use than smaller focal lengths and require a better sense of timing. Most pilots like aerial photographers, as they get to do some interesting flying. Work out a rough flight plan with the pilot beforehand and remember that aircraft to have limits.

Weather is a big problem in aerial photography. An expensive charter can turn out to be a flop if visibility is poor. So take note of the season and local weather conditions. High winds can make flying some types of aircraft difficult and heavy rain is also not preferable.

Digital cameras work well on helicopters - though you need to take lots of cards or a portable image-dumping device such as an iPod Photo. There is usually more light when up in the air, so Medium Format is a good option and provides great quality.

Film speed is best at around 100 ISO, though maybe several 200 ISO rolls would be useful as a backup.

Aircraft vibrate alot, so use at least 1/250 of a second shutter speed, though 1/500 is a better bet. Anything under 1/250 will be blurred.

Sometimes, if you are a bona fide photo-journalist, you may be offered press trips on helicopters. Don't waste the fuel and ask them to keep the door open if at all possible. I have taken some great aerials in Panama while being flown on a press trip to a police base in the Darien Gap. The Colombian anti-narcotics police flew me around Huila department for a day and the Spanish Navy flew me along the Galician coast to see the effects of the 2002 Prestige oil tanker disaster.

In 2004, my agency chartered a helicopter to photograph the high Himalayan glaciers in Nepal.

Choose your charter aircraft carefully. Are the wings high up on the fusilage? Some Cessnas and other twin-engined aircraft are useless as the wings are in all your shots. Can you open the windows? Does it allow you to take shots from both sides? All, are important considerations.

Helicopters are simpler and in general, unless they have large wheel trusses (like the Sea King), then they should be fine.

Communications of various aircraft vary and some allow you to talk to the pilot and/or aircrew, others not so easily. Hand signals can be used if noise inside the aircraft prevents normal conversation. Work these out beforehand with the pilot/aircrew.

Last but not least, keep safe. Aircraft can be dangerous. Make sure you are not flying with a cowbow operator (yes, that does include some central American Air Forces!) and remember to use safety harnesses at all times (I almost fell out of the Sea King, being so engrossed in taking pictures). Do not try to coerce the pilot into doing unreasonable or dangerous manouvres. Obey the pilot if ordered to do so.

So whatever way you take to the skies, stay safe and enjoy the view!

Jon Mitchell can be contacted via email at this address: jonstmic@rediff.com or leave a message with Chantal Mitchell on +44 (0) 1234 721536

NB For those who have not noticed, Lightroom Photos is a sister company of this publication.