heliguy™ and DJI Aerial Photography Workshop Review On Friday the 27th of May, heliguy™, in partnership with DJI, put on an aerial photography and videography event for new and experienced drone pilots. The event took place at the stunning Elvetham Hotel just outside Farnborough, one of Heliguy’s PfCO training locations. Scott from heliguy™, as well as two guest speakers, gave some amazing insights into DJI drones and how they can be used for aerial photography and videography. This included seeing examples of their amazing work and the discussion of the different tools and techniques used to capture them. Keep reading to find out more about the event from heliguy™ and DJI.Scott Henderson Introduction
Following the event registration, Heliguy’s Operations Manager, Scott, opened the event. Scott began by introducing heliguy™ and their relationship with DJI, from the DJI Phantom 1 to the present day. Scott then discussed the DJI Mavic Pro and Phantom 4 Pro, the featured drones of the day. He talked about their technicalities and capabilities with a focus on aerial photography and videography. Scott also provided an overview of the drone rules in the UK. This highlighted what all drone pilots should be doing in order to stay safe with their drone and ensure their flights are legal. Scott introduced the guest speakers, Jerome and Oliver and handed over to Jerome for his talk on aerial photography. Keep reading to find out some of the highlights from the DJI Aerial Photography Workshop.
Scott from HeliguyJerome Courtial Discusses Aerial Photography
Jerome is a world-class photographer, based in London, who has the opportunity to capture images from all over the globe. Jerome uses a DJI Phantom 4 along with his keen photographic eye to capture unique images that have won a wide-range of awards. Jerome entertained the crowd by sharing examples of his work and helpful tips on how he is able to capture and develop his impressive images. A highlight of Jerome’s speech was his discussion on finding an interesting subject to shoot. This is done through researching your shoot locations and gaining a different perspective on the image. Additionally, Jerome discussed the importance of bracketing images, in order to achieve the best image quality. He advised he will capture the same image in a range of contrasts using HDR (High-Dynamic-Range) and AEB (Auto Exposure Bracketing). This then allows you to combine the photos during editing to achieve the best images.
Jerome Courtial Another useful tip from Jerome was about finding the right time to shoot your images. Jerome advised he prefers the lighting at sunset, however, will often go out for sunrise. This provides similar lighting but is usually a quieter time of day, free of interruptions and people. Jerome’s talk was followed by a break where attendees were able to ask Jerome and the heliguy™ staff questions whilst refreshments were served. Check out some of Jerome’s images below:
For Heliguy’s guide to aerial photography, head to our Insider page here.
Oliver Astrologo Discusses Aerial Videography
Oliver is a director who utilises aerial videos to enhance his expert-level video production. He uses a range of DJI’s drones, to capture stunning aerial video that’s combined with ground footage to create exceptional visual stories. He works for a wide range of clients, including Condenast, Google and Bulgari, as well as having many videos with a top Vimeo staff pick. In Oliver’s session, he showed a selection of his videos, giving hints and tips on the different techniques used to produce them. His standout videos included a film on Catalunya and one on Venice.
Oliver Astrologo A highlight of Oliver’s talk was his tips on the advantages of using DJI D-Log setting to achieve a broader dynamic range in your footage. Additionally, he gave guidelines on how and when to use ND filters, a tricky area for aerial and ground filming. Other useful advice Oliver gave was to make sure you have the right kit for your job and ensuring you have a plan for the types of scenes you want to capture and include in your final product. Check out an example of Oliver’s fantastic work below:
Catalunya from Oliver Astrologo on Vimeo.For more information on obtaining permissions to fly your drone commercially, please head to our training page here.
Flying Demonstration and Q&A
In the final section of the day, attendees got an opportunity to fly the drones, watch a drone demonstration and ask heliguy™ staff and the speakers questions. In the indoor flight cage, the Mavic Pro was flown by the clients under the instruction of Scott. This gave new pilots a chance to get a feel for the Mavic Pro’s controls and test out their skill. Outside in our demonstration area, the Training Team showed off the Phantom 4 Pro in flight. The team showed the drone’s controls and flight mechanics. Due to adverse weather, the outdoor flying was limited. Attendees also got a chance to ask specific questions to Jerome and Oliver about their work, as well as general questions to the heliguy™ team.
Elvetham HotelReviews
We received feedback from a number of our attendees following the event. Check out what they had to say: "It was great to meet the speakers, meet other heliguy™ training alumni and to gain fresh insights into UAVs as an imaging platform. It was also really helpful to appreciate that even the most experienced professionals occasionally have mishaps (flyways and crashes) and when flying internationally the hurdles of how you travel with a drone (and with batteries) and where you fly are only likely to get more restrictive. It was great to learn how to get the most out of the DJI cameras, and the very practical advice of flying at sunrise!"- Nicolas Mellor
"Fantastic day, really informative. Hope there will be more in the future. Well worth coming despite the long drive."- Will Wright
"I thought it was a really good event and glad I was able to attend... Content and speakers were excellent, good balance of creative insight, tech knowledge/tips."- Shariff Moossun - @aerialviewuk
One attendee also created the video below on the event: Thank you to everyone for the feedback and feel free to let us know your comments if you attended.Event Gallery
Check out some of the images from the heliguy™ image gallery for the event in Farnborough.Summary
The DJI Aerial Photography Workshop in partnership with heliguy™ was an exciting and interesting event for everyone who attended. Drone pilots from all experience levels had the opportunity to learn a wide range of tips on how to develop their aerial photography and videography. The guest speakers provided insights into the drone industry from two people at the top of their fields. Their advice will likely help improve the work of those who attended and the work they showed will definitely provide inspiration. Thank you to everyone who attended the event and to Jerome and Oliver for their valuable hints and tips on the use of drones in photography and videography.We are planning multiple future events - so fill the form below to sign up for updates on these exciting new experiences in the future.
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.To discuss any information from the above post or any DJI or Freefly product, please give one of our team a call on 0191 296 1024 or email us at info@heliguy.com.
Keep checking back to Heliguy’s Insider Blog for more announcements, insights into drones and, of course, the latest news from the drone industry.
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