Shooting places from mid-air through your camera is a nice experience you cannot express. The name of this game is aerial photography. I have taken few photos from the air. I, an amateur, want to share my experiences.

What is the method to take snaps from the sky? We have to fly on a helicopter, an aero plane or a balloon. If helicopter is your vehicle, you can sit at the back, near the door, which is kept open (Be careful!). On plane, you can prefer a window seat, side wings not hiding your object. The speed of the flyer should be between 45 and 65 nautical miles per hour. If there is a lot of vibration, you can increase the shutter speed.  Take-off or land-off time is preferable on planes as it does circles above the city. If luck is at your side, your pilot may do more rounds for buying time for landing your plane.

The average height that is needed to get a good photograph is 500 feet. When you are on a hill station, selecting a view point, you can try aerial photography. The ideal climate to take clear photographs in India is in April and May, before the monsoons and then in September and October. During night, you know visibility is poor(Still you can venture. That’s another story!). Day light in morning or evening is the best option. I think the most difficult place to shoot is where the temperature hovers below minus one degree centigrade as you cannot open the door in the helicopter or the formation of snow on the window panels.

The benefits of aerial photography are many. You can write the history of a place through images. Comparing with new pictures, you can identify new flyovers and buildings. You can confirm the disappearance of some islands after a period or striking of tsunami. You can see the sinking of beaches and coastal areas because of global warming.

I hope these tips are useful to you. Your smooth panning technique and intense concentration will help you to capture a fast moving area nicely.  One day I may choose to shoot the scenes from outer space.  You may comment this hub.