Camera Settings for Aerial Photos

met

My cousin e-mailed me the other day. He's going to be taking some aerial photos of our family cabin and the lake from a small plane as the passenger. He has a Nikon D60 with 18-55 and 55-200. I think he basically just shoots on auto and doesn't really know how to operate the camera on manual. He asked me how to make sure he got the best shots or at least things in focus with decent exposure and I can make any adjustments in Lightroom. Do you think that using the Auto or Sports mode on the dial will work while shooting from a moving plane? Is it just a small 2-4 seater I think.

TangoJuliet

I shoot aerial images with a Radio Controlled (R/C) airplane using an older Canon Rebel XTi (350D) and I set it on the Automatic dial for "Landscapes", and it works just fine. Tell him to use the 55-200 lens. At the altitude he'll be flying at, it won't be too long. On my R/C plane I use an 18-55 lens, but I'm also flying lower than 200 feet. Check my website to see examples.

met

Thank you, that is exactly what I'm looking for. He also asked me about the time of day and lighting. I told him what I knew about time of day for portrait photography because I thought that it would probably apply across the board. A little cloudy or later in the afternoon - definitely at least not when the sun is directly overhead. Or to try to shoot with the sun behind him. Is that accurate? Do you find that the same rules apply for aerial photos?

TangoJuliet

It actually depends on what you're trying to show in your photos. In my gallery, there is an early morning shot of downtown Mobile, AL, with the orange glow of sunrise on the buildings. For more oblique angles, looking more downward, mid-day sun is much better as there are less shadows from trees and building to deal with. Some of the shots of the Arlington Park Apartment complex were shot mid-morning because that's the best time of day to get the front office in daylight and not shadow.