Aerial photography of New York skyline

[jacodwa]

Hi there!

I'm such an amateur photographer, and I've been gifted with a helicopter ride to see the New York skyline. It's going to be so fun!

I'm so excited and don't want to miss good photos. The problem is I am totally lost about what and how to shoot. My gear is just a Canon 350D with its default 18-55.

The sky is going to be clear, and the ride lasts 15mins aprox (at 10am). I guess I'm looking for the standard shots. Any suggestions on which adjustments to set and what to look for?

Help is so apreciated. Thanks in advance!! : )

[Bluenoser]

Check your exposure settings, making sure you're getting good exposures. If it's clear and sunny set your WB accordingly.

Take 100's of pics. As many as you possibly can. It's a digital camera, you can delete the ones you don't like later.

Take pictures, take as many as you can.



Did I mention - take pictures, take as many as you can?

[AnnetteJ]

Also, eat something beforehand and maybe take a travel sickness pill if you've even the slightest inclination to queasiness! I've never been in a chopper, but went in a light plane to take pix and...

I'm usually fine, and would have been except for trying to take pix during the banking which was done to give us a good view. The combination of the tight cornering and the not looking at the horizon beacuse I was fiddling with my camera. Managed to hold on during the first part, but the second did me in. Fortunately for my Dad, whose birthday treat it was, I had managed to hold on long enough to reach the main goal and not cut short his flight. Not such good news for his hat though...

Went up another time and was fine when I made sure I had a sandwich just before the flight. Also I made sure I enjoyed looking as well as taking shots. So if your stomach is rock solid, sure take pix the whole time, if not then take time to look and enjoy the experience with your eyes not just the camera!

[fletch]

Might be a bit of a radical sugestion but maybe "don't take your camera"?

Crazy you say but here is my rational: I've never done it but I imagine taking photos from a helicopter will be very difficult, therefore you will spend all or your time trying to set you camera and get that perfect shot. Why not just relax and enjoy the experince, liberated from trying to take a good photo and being disapointed if they don't come out.

If that seems like a big leap then why not just take a few "I was there" holiday snaps at the start and then put the camera down.

[anthonybeard]

Fletch, i know exactly what you mean.

there are times where focusing on getting just the right picture of almost everything you come across can get in the way of just having a good time! i cant count the number of times where i thought to myself "if only i didnt have this camera bag strapped to me..."

i think the "take a couple shots and put the camera down" may be the best bit. i mean, how many times will you actually get to do something like this?

would it be juvenile to spit over the side... just once?

[Chip]

Sounds like a great opportunity.

I suggest looking for shots where the light may be interesting or different: reflections, sunlight bouncing off a building, light and dark areas, etc.

Will you be shooting through a window on the helicopter? If so, you might want to think about getting a circular polarizer filter - it can help reduce any reflections that might be caused by the window. If you get one, just try to find time to practive with it first.

Have a great time. And please post a pic or two once you're done.

[Bluenoser]

Originally Posted by fletch

Might be a bit of a radical sugestion but maybe "don't take your camera"?

Crazy you say but here is my rational: I've never done it but I imagine taking photos from a helicopter will be very difficult, therefore you will spend all or your time trying to set you camera and get that perfect shot. Why not just relax and enjoy the experince, liberated from trying to take a good photo and being disapointed if they don't come out.

If that seems like a big leap then why not just take a few "I was there" holiday snaps at the start and then put the camera down.

Actually it's not that difficult. There are some obvious factors that will affect this, but if you have no turbulance or very little and a good experienced pilot, you can expect a pretty smooth flight. This of course leads to plenty of photo ops. The two times I got to go up, I took as many pics as I could. Viewing them later on allows me to enjoy the flight over and over again.

[JodyGall]

I don't know how big the chopper is, but if you have the choice to sit up front next to the pilot...DO IT! I went up in a helicoptor in Hawaii. It held 3 people besides the pilot. 2 people in back, and 1 person sitting next to the pilot. It was GREAT! I totally asked him if I could fly it....and he let me! haha! The people in the back were petrified! LOL! But anywho, you get a better view up front. I just held my camera as close to the glass as I could. I got some great shots! Mind you this was years ago, and I had a point and shoot. Not sure how I'd do it now with my DSLR and having to actually look through the eye piece! LOL! You will have a great time and take lots of pics!!

[Jim Bryant]

More importantly......use a high shutter speed to stop the vibs from the helo, otherwise you'll have unsharp photos with motion blur. Use at least 1000 sec or above and shoot at 400 ISO. Have fun

[Samanax]

A friend of mine is a helicoptor pilot for the Honolulu Fire Department and he takes lots of aerial pictures (while flying the helicoptor) and he swears by his image stablization lenses. Must work because he takes stunning photographs of our Island (Oahu). He said he takes the aerial shots one-handed while flying

Here's a recent shot he took of Diamond Head.