Illustrated by Lorenz Holder. All photos taken with DJI Mavic Pro.
1. Flip the perspective.
Drones allow you to shoot from angles that no camera can give – from above! Take full advantage of the top view! Ask your friends to lie on the ground and use the most incredible poses. Something completely ordinary, such as park benches or a wall, can look like a ledge of a building and help create the illusion of a jump. Use this trick to do the impossible!
2. Look for symmetry.
From a bird’s eye view, you can see such beauty that cannot be seen from the ground. A park or city square can hide incredibly symmetrical figures. Shoot them vertically from above and you will get excellent mirror images.
3. Look for lines.
In any photo, sharp, clear lines set the composition of your photo, direct the viewer’s eye. Roads or footprints will divide your frame, creating lines from left to right or top to bottom, or even corner to corner. Play with these shapes to get the desired result.
4. Shoot sparse patterns.
Take your Mavic Pro and look for unique locations. You will be surprised how many amazing forms exist around you. The weirder they are, the better.
5. Shoot panoramas from the air.
Don’t underestimate the panorama feature. Thanks to a wider image, you can show the beauty of the landscape, unlike an incomplete photograph. Climb higher, select a point, then frame, turn around and take another!
6. Look for contrasting colors.
I like to shoot bright subjects. And you will like it too. Bright, rich hues look amazing on top. More contrast will give a more expressive frame – play with highlights and shadows, and try complementary colors.
7. Reopen the selfie.
With the Mavic Pro, you can throw away your selfie stick. It doesn’t matter what kind of background you use, because thanks to shooting from above, you are always on top. Try to keep the picture simple and don’t forget to wave at the camera.
8. Look for repetition.
Some places have a lot of repeating objects. Neatly assembled objects can create precise lines, like a pattern. Places like warehouses or train stations can have a huge number of identical objects, even ordinary neighbors’ houses can line up in interesting rows. Turn repeating objects into an interesting photo.
9. Shoot abstract.
We can all become Picasso with a brush, but we can also create abstract art with a drone. Look for curved lines and odd shapes. Anything around can tell a story, you just have to see it.
10. Catch shadows.
Shadows can be the key to awakening the imagination. As the sun sets, just before sunset, the shadows stretch out into gigantic silhouettes, reflecting our every move. Although nothing interesting can be seen from above – the shadows will tell a whole story.
11. Shoot the horizon.
After playing with shadows, it’s time to look at the horizon. Here you can combine all the previous tips to create a breathtaking picture. Look for symmetrical lines, interesting shapes, contrasting plots, or incredible shadows. Combine unique shooting points and perspective. Photographing the horizon will give depth to the image that cannot be obtained in any other way.
