When you operate a drone for an aerial filming service, one of the jobs that you'll likely frequently be called upon to do is to photograph staff members from companies in your community. Many organizations love the idea of getting everyone together for a group photo, and one catchy way to do so is to have the staff gather outside the business and hire an aerial filming service to take a series of shots from overhead. This angle means that you can shoot a couple dozen or even several hundred people with ease, but there are a number of tips that you'll want to keep in mind to deliver the best finished product possible to your clients.
Choose The Right Time Of Day
When a client calls you to set up the photo, you should be discerning about the time at which you visit the client's location to shoot. Shooting in the early morning and late afternoon can be a challenge because of the sun's low angle, so try to steer your client away from booking your service at either of these times. Generally, scheduling the shoot closer to the middle of the day is advantageous, especially if it's sunny. The sun overhead won't interfere as much with the people and will provide a source of natural light that properly illuminates the shot.
Get Between The Group And The Sun
Naturally, people who are having their photo taken outside don't tend to want to stare towards the sun. This may compel the group to stand with the sun at its back, but you'll need to get everyone to turn 180 degrees for the best shot. When the light source is behind a group, everyone's faces will be shadowed. Conversely, when the people are facing towards the sun, it will ensure that shadows are not an issue. Since you'll be on the ground juggling the tasks of flying the drone and organizing the group, ensure that the group faces towards the sun (but make sure no one looks directly into the sun!) and the drone is between the sun and the group.
Ask People To Close Their Eyes
As you move the drone into position for the shots, invite the people in the group to look down or close their eyes. When you're hovering where you want to be, ask everyone to look up and identify the drone. If you need to make any further adjustments, you can ask people to close their eyes again. This will ensure that they're not looking into the sun for too long, and thus won't have awkward expressions when you actually take the shot. When you're ready to shoot, give a verbal countdown and ask everyone to look up and quickly focus on the drone. You can then fire off a burst of images and repeat the process, as necessary.
For more information and tips, talk with other professional aerial photography businesses, such as SteadyFly.
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