DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE

A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE We have taken a dive into the world of drones, take a look at some of our favourite shots we have taken so far around the Algarve along with some tips on choosing a drone for yourself!

Never has it been so easy to capture aerial images of some of the world’s most stunning (and sometimes hard to reach) places. The drone, a sky-high flying, unmanned camera, is undoubtedly the wildest photography development in recent memory.

Essentially a remote-controlled toy for the photo obsessed, drones are as much fun as they are revolutionary and as the desire for drones has risen, the price has dropped, making it easier than ever to get a camera in the air. One search of “drone” in Google will shock you, the number of drones available out there these days is amazing, but it’s not as simple as clicking buy it now and flying off to capture the world around you, there is much to learn before becoming a drone pilot.

We recently took the step into the world of Drone photography (which you will see throughout this months issue), so here is a selection of shots we have taken around the Algarve so far along with some tips on getting into drone photography yourself!

Let’s start with step one, which drone you should buy?

This depends on a few factors, your budget, your experience and your goals. There are two types of drones to consider, ones with a built-in camera or an on-board camera. You can find both expensive and less expensive cameras for either types however on-board camera drones tend to be a little cheaper than built-in as they don’t include the camera. They are also lighter and as you are already used to your camera, you’ll only need to learn how to fly. If you’re a complete beginner then there are cheap, light and durable options available but they normally come with less features.

Now you’ve decided on which type of drone, what next?

Get to know their features and what they can do, for

example, some drones are designed to be flown indoors only, some have longer range, or have lighting equipment for flying and taking pictures at night. Once you’ve decided on your goals you can choose which drone fits you. Now you’ve decided on your drone, its time to learn everything about it. The best way of course is to read the manual (yes, we know it’s boring but it is worth it!), the manual will tell you everything about its features and what you can do to achieve the best results. Some of the features commonly found are: Smartphone feed so you can see what your drone sees; Smart mode, this innovation is put in place to essentially help newbies get the most out of their shots; Tracking, this allows you to put your phone away and let the drone follow you or a vehicle to get the perfect shot; Geofence, which limits your drone’s distance from you These features vary depending on the manufacturer so make sure you check before testing it out in the air!

Make sure you’ve checked legalities

Most laws and regulations are quite obvious and easy to understand, however a lot are still quite messy, especially surrounding fines. The laws surrounding registration also vary for every country. The best thing to do is to take the time to check the legality of drones (which you can do online) before you launch your camera.

Lastly, before lift-off, make a preflight checklist

Go through this list before you send your new toy kilometers away at 50km/h:

Fly Zone: Where are you going to fly? Is it private or public domain?

Weather: Are flying conditions good? Will you need to utilize anti-stabilization because of the wind?

Surroundings: Will there be people around at this time of day? Will it be safe to fly low/high? Will they mind a drone hovering around them?

Battery: Have you charged up all your batteries? How long can you stay in the air?

Settings: What resolution do you need? How bright do you need to set your camera? What frame rate, shutter speed, and ISO are best for what you want to achieve in your photo?

Propellers: How are your propellers looking? Are they nice and straight, or do they need replacing?

Motor: is the motor and mounts in tact? Are the motors rotating freely? Is it making any unrecognisable sounds? Are the screws tight?

Controls: If you’re using a smartphone or tablet, is it ready to go for your flight? Are other apps turned off? Is the fully charged? If you’re using a remote control, does it have batteries? Is it responding to your drone?

We hope you enjoy the amazing angles now available to us as much as we do, the Algarve is an amazing place from the ground and taking a look from the sky is only making us fall deeper in love with it! If you are in need of aerial photography, give us a call on 961 700 200 for more details.