This is the eighth post in a series in which I pick some really cool photos and break down the elements about them that I like best. In case you missed the last one, you can check it out here.
This week we’re going to be exploring a newer trend in photography: aerial shots. Most of the time these are taken via camera-mounted drone, but before we had drones, we had people flying around in helicopters and airplanes with their cameras.
No matter the capture method, aerial photography can make for some unique and stunning shots. But what makes them so special?
Subject of the Shot
Today’s feature photo happens to be of an island I’ve been wanting to visit some time: the island of Kauai, Hawaii. Whatever the subject, it goes without saying that it needs to be visually interesting when shot from above.
It’s not enough to send a drone into the air and shoot down on just anything; when far enough away from a subject, surface textures tend to get lost, and so you wind up dealing with texture on a broader scale: the texture of a landscape.
As you can see, the Na Pali coast features natural texture in spades. The mountain ridges, the clouds and the water all combine to offer a variety of unique and interesting textures to the shot, and this is what makes it so interesting.
Shooting Angle
The angle at which the shot is taken is as important in the air as it is on the ground. Too high, and you lose all of the landscape texture I described in the last section (though sometimes that’s what you’re after). Too low, and you risk winding up with an uninteresting shot that looks no different than if someone took it from the ground.
In this photo, the shot is taken from about the same height as the peaks of the mountains, and it captures the rugged, angular beauty of the landscape perfectly. Any higher would make the mountains appear shorter than they are, and any lower would make the shot feel unbalanced.
Sound Fundamentals
As with any photo, solid fundamentals are key to getting something worth sharing. This shot covers all the bases. It was shot with a fast shutter speed (more important in the air, as drones and planes vibrate as they fly, which can cause camera shake if your shutter speed isn’t fast enough). The exposure is beautiful, and captures the contrast between the sunny and shadowy sides of the mountain ridges. While there was a bit of sloppy editing in the clouds, the photographer did have the right idea, darkening them up a bit to mirror the shadows over the landscapes a bit more.
Foreground/Background Composition
The composition is about as perfect as it can be – you’ve got the detail of the water (and windswept texture) in the foreground, the dynamic front edge of the mountain as the focal point, and the rest of the mountain range and clouds I the background. There’s something interesting going on everywhere you look.
Wrapping it Up
Aerial photography can be a great way to capture some unique and breathtaking shots. Make no mistake though – it isn’t to be used as a substitute for poor photography fundamentals. Just like the basic stands, blocks and strikes are important to long-term success in karate, sound photography fundamentals are important no matter what you’re shooting, and no drone can fully replace that.
In the hands of a skilled photographer though, aerial shots can produce some of the most breathtaking and awe-inspiring shots this world has to offer.
Anyway, that’s it for my photo review series for now – I hope you enjoyed reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them! Photography truly is a passion of mine, and if my posts have ignited that same passion in even one other person, I consider my writing successful. All the best as you chase the next shot!
