Aerial Shots

[kaneohebud]

Here's a question for those with aerial photography experience. I'm going up in a helicopter this next Tuesday as part of a tourist experience for my wife and her friend. They suggested I come along to take some photos. I spoke with the helicopter company and they will allow me to fly without the door for clear shooting. I have Sony gear as listed below. The A77 has a 1.5 crop factor. The Zeiss is the best glass of the lot although all are very good.

I normally shoot manual settings with ISO set per conditions. Conditions should be bright sunlight here in Hawaii. I'm thinking that, because of the helicopter motion, I might be better off shooting at auto ISO and high shutter speed at 12 fps letting aperture be determined by the camera. That way I may get a couple clear shots out of each burst. Also, since the flight is only 45 minutes, I won't have time to be fooling around changing lenses so I'm thinking about using two cameras, one with the 70-400 and one with the 16-35. Does any of this make sense?

Open to any and all suggestions. Thanks.

[NorthernFocus]

IMO if you are used to shooting in manual mode, I'd only use auto ISO and retain control of your ss and aperture. Particularly since you'll be shooting landscape type stuff. You'll really be PO'd if you get back and have a bunch of shots a max aperture.

I've just started practicing a bit with auto ISO. Don't know what the Sony controls are like but it's pretty easy on my Nikon to keep my ss and aperture in manual, auto ISO, and make any EV tweaks that I want with exposure compensation. On the Nikon the EC button is right beside the shutter release and adjustment made via wheel. So you can do it while looking in the VF.

Sounds like a cool trip. Enjoy and post up some results.

[krispix]

I don't know what sort of altitude you'll be at, but being a chopper it's likely to be fairly low. However, I think you'll find a Circular Polarising filter will be a great help in cutting through any atmospheric haze. It's going to be a bit fiddly having to adjust it every time the orientation of the the 'plane changes, but it's a small price to pay.
Don't get too hung up on the motion of the helicopter. Yes, it will move about a bit, but it's motion relative to your subject won't be very much. Every once in a while you'll hit a 'bump' and Sod's Law dictates that you'll hit the shutter button at just that point - But, that's life! To be safe work at about 1/250 and you should be fine. If your ISO is at (say) 400 allowing 2 stops for the CPL, this should give you an aperture of around f11 to f16.
I don't know what you're hoping to shoot, but I'm not sure I'd bother with the 70-400. Even at 70mm it's about double the 'standard' focal length which means the effects of camera movement will also double and, as you zoom in from there it'll only gets worse. So, unless your objective is bikini-clad lovelies on the beach, I would leave it at home. If it's glorious landscapes you want then your 16-35 should be ample. I did a similar trip a few years ago and went up with a 18-200 to try to cover all the bases - I'm pretty sure it was stuck on 18mm for the whole time.

[Mike Buckley]

In my shoots from three or four helicopter rides, I used the same shutter speed as if I had been standing on the ground and never had any issues. I also recommend a polarizer.

About shooting through the glass: Though shooting through the open door will tend to yield best results, don't hesitate to shoot through the glass if that situation presents the preferred composition. My best helicopter shots were all made shooting through the glass, so I encourage you to take the shot and determine later whether the glass causes a problem. Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't, depending on conditions. National Geographic photographer Franz Lanting explained in a presentation a few years ago that one out of ten commercial airline flights yields a photo of publishable quality for him.

[William W]

I would DEFINITELY NOT use AUTO ISO.

I would NOT use Burst Shooting.

I would take two cameras one with each lens described, if that is all you have.

I would use Manual Mode and I see no reason why, if that is what you normally do, that you should not do the same.

*

(on a sunny day as you expect) - If shooting with the sun behind me into a scene front-lit by sun, I would use F/8 @ 1/800s @ ISO200 with the 16 to 35mm lens. I would bracket the SHUTTER SPEED ±⅔ Stop for each shot (3 shot bracket mode), I think that, the Sony sets to a Shutter Speed Bracket automatically, if Bracket Mode is activated when the camera is in MANUAL MODE, (but I am not 100% sure). I would not use a Circular Polarizing Filter on this lens for this job. I would use a lens hood on this lens and I would take the UV filter off, if you use one for "protection".


*

For the camera with the 70 to 400mm lens (assuming another A77) I would also use in Manual Mode and bracket (by SHUTTER SPEED) each shot ±⅔ Stop (3 shot bracket mode)and my central Exposure would be F/11 @ 1/1600s @ ISO800 for a scene with front lit sun using the lens up to about 200mm. If I were to use that lens beyond 200mm, I would bump the Shutter speed to around 1/2500s and open Aperture accordingly (i.e. not bump the ISO).

I would not use a Polariser on this lens unless I were shooting at a low altitude, into the sun and/or across/at water, as the main scene – for example subjects on the water, but I probably would not worry about a Polarizer at all if I had the new 70 to 400 (i.e. the white one and not the silver one).

I would use the Focus Limiter on either model 70 to 400.

I would use a lens hood on this lens and I would take the UV filter off, if you use one for "protection".

*

I would have the Metering Mode to MULTI SEGMENT for both cameras. In the event that it is a changing light or overcast day or if a particular the scene was under shade, I would use the Camera’s meter to adjust. I would adjust by first compromising the APERTURE up to one stop and then compromising the ISO up to one stop faster – even on the most overcasts days 2 stops total latitude should be sufficient, considering the SHUTTER SPEED Bracket ±⅔ for each scene that I would use.

I would take a big black jumper (pullover) or the like, to wrap around the end of the camera lens should I need to shoot through the glass.

I would capture raw + JPEG (L), but that’s my own idiosyncrasy – I’d suggest that you consider just capturing raw.

I would not limit my thinking to only what is outside and below. I would look to what is in the sky also. Also I would shoot some scenes, including the interior of the chopper and the people in them and I would make the interior of the chopper and the people in it the main subject of some images.

WW

[kaneohebud]

Bill, Mike, Chris, and Dan:
I knew I could count on the Forum for some help. I deeply appreciate all your comments and will take them into consideration as I prepare. Good points all. As we say in Hawaii - Mahalo Nui Loa! (thanks very much).

[dabhand]

Bud - just in case you haven't been up in one before - they are noisy as heck and vibrate like nobody's business. Best of luck.

steve

[kaneohebud]

Bud - just in case you haven't been up in one before - they are noisy as heck and vibrate like nobody's business. Best of luck.

steve

[kaneohebud]

Thanks Steve. I logged a bunch of helo hours when I was in the Navy. Just never had the opportunity to shoot pictures from them. I'll bring my ear plugs.

[rpcrowe]

A couple of tips...

1. Don't rest your elbows on your knees when shooting, the vibration of the helicopter will be transmitted to the camera...

2. If the helicopter is in a bank toward the side from which you are shooting, be careful of getting the blades in the image when shooting with a wide focal length...

3. Ensure all of your gear (camera, lenses, etc) are secured to your body. It is easy to lose something if the door is open.

4. I would personally shoot with aperture priority at about one or two stops below maximum (the sweet spot). DOF is not a problem. Adjust your ISO manually if your shutter speed is getting on the low side. ISO 100 @ f/5.6 would give you about 1/800 second and ISO 200 would give you 1/1600 on a bright sunny day...

5. I would personally shoot with a 1-stop auto exposure bracketing and with the camera in burst mode. This would give me three shots at -1, as the meter reads and +1 stop exposure and then stop. That is for my Canon DSLR, I don't know if other cameras work this way.

6. I do like using a CPL but, only if my lens doesn't have a rotating front element...

AND OF COURSE: make sure that your battery is charged and you have a empty memory card. Know where all of your items are. It's frustrating to look through pockets and bags for an item you need...