Top tips for top shots
You are simply in a class of their own: aerial photography. "Fascinating!", "Spectacular!", "Incredible!" Without these enthusiastic words, descriptions of drone photos will not work. But without the necessary know-how, swarming can quickly turn into disappointment. Our photographer and drone professional Andrea Furger has put together 4 top tips for your winter camera flight.
Top tip 1: Before taking off, check the legal position
Do I need consent?
Hobby photographers with drones up to 30 kg generally do not need to obtain a permit - except a) for flights over crowds, ie several dozen people or more in a confined space, and b) if they do not constantly have direct eye contact with their drone. When it comes to the question of consent, data protection comes into play, because nobody can be photographed without his consent if he is recognizable on the picture.
Am I in a protection zone?
Use within a radius of five kilometers around an airstrip is generally prohibited. This also applies to small airfields, such as those of gliders, i.e. also around Engadin Airport in Samedan. The wildlife protection zones are also considered no-fly zones. The interactive drone map of the Federal Office for Civil Aviation is of great help here: map.geo.admin.ch
Can my drone fly over private property?
Basically, your drone has to fly so high that no people are visible on the recordings.
Ok ... was that it now?
Nearly. Does your drone weigh more than 500 grams? Then you must take out liability insurance for the device in the amount of at least CHF 1 million.
Top Tip 2: Winter flights require more energy
For most drones, temperatures from -10 ° C to 40 ° C are not a problem. Still, the cold demands much more from the batteries. Therefore:
- Use only fully charged batteries.
- Warm up the batteries to 20 ° C or more before the flight.
- Just let the drone hover for a minute to warm up the battery.
- Batteries discharge faster in cold temperatures. Check the battery status more often during the flight.
Top Tip 3: Snow is just water
Avoid landing your drone in the snow if possible, as moisture can damage the motors.
Top tip 4: No more dark snow pictures
Do not rely on automatic mode, which can lead to dark images, but always configure the exposure and white balance manually.
In the link the result of the aerial photos for the municipality of Madulain
www.madulain.ch
