Aerial Photography - The New Perspective

I always watch aerial videos; there's just something about them that really stands out to me, so my bad for another aerial video. In this video, "Perspective," we see nature in a very different way. Drones are tools that give us the freedom to film and photograph from the air. These tools allow us to change our perspective and create imagery that is new to our eye. In this video, Jay really captured some content that we don't get the opportunity to see. He does a great job controlling the camera, panning, flying and shooting in a unique way. 

Owning a drone is a great thing, I've really grown to love mine, and am still pushing myself to use it more and change my perspective on aerial photography. Of course this is not so easy to do, it requires a lot of experimenting, going out and trying new things, finding the right places to fly, and seeing things in a way you have never seen them before.

I first started taking aerial photos for a project we had to do while I was in college. I decided since it was really cold and we had to do night photography, I'll just sit in my car and fly my drone while everyone else is outside freezing. It just so happens that I really liked the way I could do this and it was interesting to see things from such a new perspective. The only thing I didn't like was the extreme quality difference from my Nikon D750 to the Phantom 3 Advanced camera.

Being able to control a camera in the air is pretty awesome. I love shooting things that the eye doesn't naturally see, whether it be a long exposure with some foggy water, or star trails. Perspective is one of the biggest things when it comes to photography. It is a simple little technique that can really carry you through your career. I realized that my drone isn't only for video, I can take photos with it too, so it's something I started doing. Of course being in the air is always a cool thing and a lot of the photos on the drone are automatically cool because you are flying a camera.

So what makes aerial photography stand out? My favorite type of aerial photos are the ones where the camera is pointed directly downwards. These are the photos that really draw my attention because they are so interesting. When we see photos from straight above, it lets our mind wonder and wander. We think more about what we are looking at, we take the time to analyze it more, we appreciate it as it becomes more and more of a common thing as the market for drones rapidly expands.

My favorite photo I have taken so far above, was a shot I've been looking to get for quite some time. I always saw these types of aerials on the big Instagram accounts and I would tell myself, "Maybe if I lived somewhere other than New Jersey I could get a shot like that." Well guess what, that was in New Jersey a few minutes from my house and all it took was a long time for me to figure I really could get a shot like that. I look forward to shooting a lot more aerial photography in the future and really tuning my eyes towards this new aerial perspective.

To all the people with drones out there, go out, explore, shoot, have fun and try new things. Take advantage of the technology that is out today and create your own perspective. Remember to fly safe so these drone laws don't get anymore out of control than they already are.

Don't forget to follow Jay on Instagram and check out his website for more awesome work!