AIRCRAFT V DRONE

People have a natural curiosity to see the familiar from a new angle and the unfamiliar and inaccessible for the first time. Aerial photography often adds drama to images and can turn a relatively uninspiring building or landscape into something really quite special. When I discuss the solutions to client’s imaging needs, they are often torn between using aerial or drone photography.

For the purpose of this blog, ‘aerial photography’ refers to taking photos or film from an aeroplane or helicopter, and ‘drone photography’ is the use of SUAs (Small Unmanned Aircraft), although strictly speaking drones are still aerial photography.

Aerial photography was first successfully achieved in the 1800s, so while it is not a new concept, clients are often faced with budget constraints, a brief, and Civil Aviation Authority’s rules and guidelines to adhere to (some countries in the world have banned drone photography completely), all of which impact the choice of photography most appropriate for the job.

Aerial photography is good for high-level, large-scale projects such as motorway developments or the Queensferry crossing, for example. EXAMPLE OF JOB. It also provides an alternative in instances where drones are unable to fly legally.