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Aerial Photography and Videography Using Drones

Aerial Photography and Videography Using Drones

by Eric Cheng
Publisher: Peachpit Press
Release Date: October 2015
ISBN: 9780134122847
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Book Description

Inexpensive consumer drones that offer ease of flight and high-quality photography and videography have exploded on the market recently, creating what can only be described as drone mania amongst a diverse range of potential users. Because camera-carrying drones still really only exist on the edge between hobby and the mainstream, there is still a lot of confusion about what these small drones are capable of doing. The decision to purchase one is just the first in a long stream of things a new owner must think about.

Aerial Photography and Videography Using Drones is designed to help you make the most of the opportunities these nimble, affordable, and accessible flying machines have created for aerial photography and videography. Within this definitive guide, you’ll learn about the following:

• the current state of camera drone equipment

• how to become a competent drone operator

• tips for getting the best aerial still images and videos

• stories from aerial photographers and videographers from around the world

• the current regulatory state for drone usage in the U.S.

• techniques demonstrated in several videos you can download from peachpit.com, along with pre-flight checklists and worksheets for flight training.

Table of Contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Endorsements for Aerial Photography and Videography Using Drones
  5. Contents
  6. Foreword
  7. Introduction
    1. A Note About the Downloadable Videos
    2. Acknowledgments
  8. Chapter 1. Equipment
    1. What Is a Drone?
    2. Drones and Cameras
    3. Quadcopters
    4. Batteries and Chargers
    5. Aerial Cameras and Gimbals
      1. What Is a Gimbal?
      2. Big Sensors on Small Drones
      3. Flying GoPros
      4. Integrated Aerial Cameras
    6. Vibration Isolation
      1. Jello
      2. Balancing Propellers
      3. Vibration Dampeners
    7. First-Person View
      1. Analog FPV
      2. Digital/High-Definition FPV
      3. Integrated FPV
    8. Ground Station/Mission Planning
    9. Stills vs. Video
    10. Recommendations: What to Buy
  9. Chapter 2. Learning to Fly
    1. Choosing a Trainer Drone
    2. Finding Good Flying Locations
    3. Creating a Flight Checklist
      1. Environment Safety Check
      2. Physical Inspection
      3. Control Inspection And Calibration
      4. Take Off
      5. Landing
    4. Telemetry
    5. Practice Makes Perfect
      1. Exercise 1 Takeoff and Landing
      2. Exercise 2 Box
      3. Exercise 3 In and Out
      4. Exercise 4 Box with Yaw
      5. Exercise 5 Circle
      6. Exercise 6 Figure Eight
      7. Exercise 7 Orbit
      8. Exercise 8 Assisted Flight Modes
    6. Conclusion
  10. Chapter 3. Aerial Stills Photography
    1. Camera Settings
      1. General Settings
      2. Integrated Cameras
      3. GoPro
      4. Other Cameras
      5. Accessories
    2. Aerial Photography Techniques
      1. Thinking in 3D
      2. Just Out of Reach
      3. Straight Down
      4. Abstracts
      5. Slow Shutter Speeds
      6. Shallow Depth of Field
    3. Advanced Techniques
      1. Panoramas
      2. Time-Lapse
      3. HDR
      4. Photogrammetry
    4. Post-Processing
    5. What’s Next?
  11. Chapter 4. Aerial Videography
    1. Telling Stories
    2. Image Stabilization: Beating Jello
    3. Using Gimbals
      1. Gimbal Modes and Control
      2. Gimbal Speed
      3. Gimbal Tuning and Calibration
      4. Gimbals and Filters
    4. Camera Settings
      1. General Settings
      2. Integrated Cameras
      3. DJI’s LOG Mode
      4. GoPro
    5. Aerial Video Techniques
      1. Tilt Up/Down
      2. Tracking Shot
      3. Dronie
      4. Crane Up/Down
      5. Orbit
    6. Advanced: Live Aerial Video Streaming
      1. Using Video Out/HDMI
      2. Periscope and Other Apps
      3. YouTube Live
    7. Post-processing and Sharing
    8. The Future of Aerial Videography
  12. Chapter 5. Getting the Shot: Real-World Stories
    1. Guest Artists
    2. Holuhraun Volcano (2015)
    3. Holuhraun Volcano (2014)
    4. Man Burn
    5. Vatna Glacier
    6. Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
    7. Lake Mývatn
    8. DC-3 Plane Crash
    9. Bahamas Shipwrecks
    10. Glass Window Bridge
    11. Whale Sharks
    12. Cannibal Rock
    13. Tonga
    14. Strawberry Rock
    15. Balinese Rice Fields
    16. Pura Tanah Lot
    17. Son Doong Cave
    18. Backyard River Dronie
    19. Tetamanu Pass
    20. Tonga Via Catamaran
    21. Corsica Panorama
    22. Cinque Terre
    23. Castello Aragonese
    24. St. Angelo
    25. Lake Como Panorama
    26. Shark Aggregation
    27. Lion’s Head
    28. Poaching at Duiker Island
    29. Monwabisi Beach
    30. Xunantunich Ruins Dronie
    31. Bliss Dance
    32. Bubble Patterns
    33. Tennis
    34. Wigman Motel Dronie
    35. Stanford Oval
    36. 49’ers Stadium Panorama
    37. Notre Dame Cathedral
    38. Hong Kong Skyline Panorama
    39. Pittsburgh Panorama
    40. Chicago Waterfront Panorama
    41. Gate 6 Houseboat Co-op
    42. Cupid’s Span
    43. Facebook HQ
    44. Hacker Square
    45. L.A. Rooftop
    46. Rockefeller 3D
  13. Chapter 6. Flight, Policy, and Travel
    1. Flying Recreationally
    2. General Flight Restrictions
      1. Manufacturer Responsibility
    3. Flying Commercially
      1. Section 333 Exemptions
      2. Micro UAS
      3. Global Landscape
    4. Regional Rules
    5. Have Drone, Will Travel
      1. Backpacks and Cases
      2. Air Travel
      3. Lithium Batteries
      4. Customs
    6. Responsibility and Change
      1. We Fear Change
      2. Drones Are Good
  14. Appendix A. Resources
    1. Camera Drone Manufacturers
    2. Online Communities
    3. Clubs and Associations
    4. Commercial Drone Insurance
    5. Other Resources
  15. Appendix B. Reference Material
    1. Preflight
    2. Flight Log
  16. Index