Aerial photography involves creating larger-than-life imagery that leaves a lasting impact on viewers. It’s the image that allows you to make a grand entrance irrespective of the type of industry you are in. Aerial photography is also an excellent way to show details that would otherwise have been less obvious to the viewer.
Aerial photography has gained a lot of traction in recent years, all thanks to the advancement in drone technology. Using drones for aerial photography is now a common thing. Drone photography is now possible and affordable irrespective of the size of your business, which means you have endless possibilities now to market yourself better.
If you are new to the whole concept of aerial images or still discovering how it can benefit your company, you are at the right place. This post will help you understand more about aerial photography and its applications. So, what are you waiting for, let’s dive in!
What is Aerial Photography?
Aerial photography is the way of taking photos from the air. Basically, aerial photography is the technique of shooting the Earth’s surface or highlights of its climate or hydrosphere from the elevated/direct-down position with a camera mounted on an aircraft, helicopter, balloon, rocket, kite, or skydiver.
Aerial photos are important to obtain useful data and information about an area. Today, aerial photography is being used extensively in agricultural management, forestry, pollution and conservation, urban planning, wildlife management, and more.
Investing in drones, cameras, and software for aerial photography can be costly and difficult to use. Let us handle these worries for you.
History of Aerial Photography- French photographer and balloonist, Gaspar Felix Tournachon, also known as “Nadar“, was the first man known to take an aerial photograph. The very first aerial photograph was a view of the village Petit-Becetre in France. The photo was taken from a tethered hot-air balloon, 80 meters above the ground. Given the complexity of the early collodion photographic process, it was no mean feat.
Gradually, advancements in photographic technology made it easier for photographers to take cameras into the skies using hot air balloons. However, that was not the only carrier they used. It was also common to see aerial photographers use kites, pigeons, and rockets to carry their cameras aloft.
And when the airplane was invented by the Wright brothers, it became the next most commonly used means for taking aerial photographs. Even though Wilbur Wright was not a photographer, he took the first aerial photograph from an airplane in 1909 to market his planes to the Italian government. So, you can also say that was the first time someone used aerial photographs for marketing purposes.
During World War II wartime aerial images and video became commonplace in newspapers, magazines, and movie theater newsreels. Following the end of the war, the aerial camera was used for non-military purposes. Sherman Fairchild took a series of overlapping photographs and made an aerial map of Manhattan Island. Thus, aerial photography also became an important means for conducting land surveys and mapping.
Until just a few years ago, aerial photography was mostly limited to military, hobbyists, and people with access to airplanes and helicopters. It wasn’t until 2013 that companies around the world started investing in drones. New hardware and software gave rise to the availability of drones in stores. Combined with commercial permission to fly drones given by Federal Aviation Administration led to an explosion in the use of drones in aerial photography. From commercial uses, like real estate agents getting eye-catching photographs of the property for listing, to artistic expressions, like beautiful images of cities from above on social networking sites, aerial photography is now booming.
Aerial photography regulations can be complex and time-consuming to navigate. Let us handle the regulation process for you.
What are the Different Types of Aerial Photography?
Based on the camera axis, there are three types of aerial photography – vertical, low oblique, and high oblique. Each of these types involves tilting the camera to a specific degree for specific needs.
Vertical Photographs- As the name suggests the camera axis is in a vertical position that results in an image with a relatively small amount of area covered. As these vertical images are taken overhead, they are perfect for mapping.
Low Oblique Photographs- For this, you need to tilt the camera axis to more than three degrees, which means the horizon won’t be visible in the final image. Such photographs are very useful for taking close-up aerial shots that require more detail. So, this is the most common angle you would find in advertisements, real estate listings, etc.
High Oblique Photographs- For covering larger areas that also include horizon in the final shot, the camera axis is tilted to approximately 60 degrees. This is perfect for giving you a wider view of an area so you can identify geographical features and landmarks. Such images are ideal for topography, geographic surveys, and identifying archaeological features.
Also, Read – Studio52 Featured as top 10 Video Production Houses in Dubai
Commercial Applications of Aerial Photography- The uses for aerial photography are endless, we have only just started making sense of its possibilities. Our clients have used the aerial images we have captured for different purposes such as data collection, assets management, showcasing properties, presentations, etc. This means the uses are endless, so let’s learn how commercial aerial photography can help propel your business to the next level.
- Real estate listings- With the help of drones, now it’s easier than ever to make your property stand out. High-quality aerial photos of the property help showcase your home’s exterior and neighboring areas in detail, so you can close the deals quicker.
- Agriculture- Drone photography is also excellent to survey crops and huge farms, which would have been very difficult and time taking otherwise.
- Inspection- Routine safety inspections are critical in industries that deal with wind energy, construction, oil and gas pipelines, etc. Aerial photography can easily assist in safely capturing the images of the required locations.
- Advertisements- Aerial photography makes your advertisement stand out from the crowd by providing eye-catching images that have the power to grab consumers’ attention. Recreational properties like golf courses, amusement parks, water parks, cruise ships can benefit hugely from incorporating aerial photography into your advertising campaigns.
- Social Media & Websites- With millions of people spending a huge amount of time on social media channels like Facebook and Instagram and accessing websites for more information, maintaining an online presence is more important than ever. Including high-quality, eye-catching photos is a powerful way to make your website and social media channels stand out from your competition.
- Construction- Construction companies are benefitting hugely from aerial photography by using the images captured to document their progress, build strategies, and also avoid litigation. As an aerial photography agency in Dubai, we have spent a great amount of time working with constructing companies in the region.
- Sports Photography- Drones have made it possible to capture stunning aerial photographs of fast-paced outdoor games like baseball, football, soccer, and auto racing.
- Cartography- Aerial photography is not just great to look at but also a powerful tool for cartographers to use when mapping new roads or unexplored areas.
- Event Photography- It’s often very difficult to capture large-scale events. Aerial photography can be easily used to capture unique angles of the event. These stunning photographs can also be used to market your events in the future.
Aerial photography is time-consuming, often requiring long hours for the perfect shot. No worries, we can help you with that.
Wrapping Up!
The examples we gave above are only a few ways aerial photography is benefitting businesses today. Tomorrow there could be more ways.
Whatever your business, now is the right time to involve a professional aerial photography agency like Studio52 in your aerial drone photography project so you get a collection of amazing visual assets to define your business. Get in touch with us or take a look at our past projects- “Aerial Photography“ to know us better.
