Drone photography has grown in popularity recently, especially in wedding photography. Besides allowing couples to take spectacular photos from vintage points, drone photography also offers wedding photographers more versatility. Drone helps photographers and videographers add aerial photography into their services, offering more options for clients.

Drone Photography Adds a Necessary Touch to Your Pre-wedding Photos

Drone wedding photography provides a different perspective that captures unique details from above. If you’re a wedding and engagement photographer, this new tool will amaze your clients and help you get ahead of the competition by providing dynamic and exciting images. 

However, good drone pre-wedding photography requires a different set of skills which consist of a strong understanding of lighting composition with extra planning, and preparation. In this article, we’ll look at useful tips for drone wedding photography that will help you get the best results while following the safety guidelines and legal regulations. 

Know the Limitations of Drone Pre-wedding Photography 

The first thing to understand before you start offering drone pre-wedding photography services is to understand the limitations. Indeed, drone photography has improved dramatically in recent years but isn’t yet comparable with mirrorless camera systems and professional DSLR quality. Here are some of the key differences between professional camera photos and drone photos:

• Sensor size and picture quality – drone cameras aren’t the same level as professional cameras, so they won’t capture the same detail and offer the same higher dynamic range as pro cameras. 
• Image stability – drones are sensitive to vibration, which may result in shaky images in low light. Even though drones are equipped with stabilization systems, they still don’t match the stability of professional cameras. 
• No flash – drones can’t trigger flash photography, which may limit your ability to separate the subject from the background. 

Drones are Complementary Photography Tools

Drones provide a unique perspective and capability, but remember to use them sparingly as they shouldn’t replace traditional photography techniques. Professional cameras provide better image quality, control, and flexibility, so they remain the first choice for professional photographers. 

Drone pictures should be a small percentage of your total imagery shots for a pre-wedding. This is because it takes time to set up, fly and land it. Make sure to capture multiple compositions and execute many different ideas. However, don’t focus on it too much that it takes up the entire photo session. 

Know the Different Wedding Photography Compositions

Now that you are aware of the limitations above, here are the essential composition tips for drone photography when capturing a pre-wedding. 

Separation and Contrast are Essential

Just like any wide-angle photo, it’s vital to separate your subject from the background. However, with drone photography, there aren’t any flash or a shallow depth-of-field available, which are the two techniques photographers use to separate the background from the subjects. This is why keeping your subjects at the right distance from the background is important. Choosing the right wardrobe color or lighting can help you with this. 

Find Beautiful or Interesting Scenes

Not every scene is worth flying a drone over! Save the use for drone photography on a clean, interesting, and beautiful scene. This especially works for a pre-wedding in Bali with beautiful beaches, majestic mountain views, vast flower gardens, and others. But this may also include parks, cityscapes, and other locations that may be appealing. 

Look for Interesting Patterns from Above

The composition you should look for in a drone pre-wedding photography is interesting patterns and shapes from above. Drones let photographers capture aerial shots from the highest angle that reveal patterns and shapes that aren’t visible from ground level and add a new perspective to the composition. 

Another way to look for interesting patterns and shapes is to find repetition in the scene, like rows of chairs, tables, patterns in the tiles or carpet, or patterns created by the architect of the building.  These repeating patterns create a rhythmic and harmonious image that draws the viewer’s attention and adds a sense of order to the composition. 

Additionally, you can look for patterns by finding contrasting elements in the scene, like a natural contrast between organic shapes and geometric shapes of the built environment. This helps create tension and visual interest in the image, making it more engaging and dynamic. 

Maximize Your Drone and Remote Connection 

The final important tip for drone photography is to take precautionary steps to maximize your drone’s remote connection. Make sure your drone antenna faces upwards toward the drone. Stand away from your vehicle and avoid barriers like walls, cars, doors, and other obstacles that might disrupt your drone’s remote signal. 

A stronger signal offers better control and visibility, helping you capture the best compositions and avoid running into any problems like losing your drone and bringing it back to the home point. 

Pre-wedding Planning for Drone Photography 

A successful pre-wedding photography requires effective planning and preparation. Here are some tips to help you prepare: 

• Discuss drone photography with your clients to understand their preferences and vision. The best time to do this is in your mood board review or pre-wedding talk-through.
• Survey the pre-wedding location and surrounding areas to identify the best spots for drone shots and places that may be too risky for it. 
• Bring backup equipment like extra batteries, memory cards, and props in case of emergencies or malfunctions. 

Conclusion 

Drone pre-wedding photography, just like any other skill, doesn’t take overnight to master. However, the main controls are pretty simple to understand and navigate. The more complex flying techniques will take practice, time, and discipline. This can be accomplished with years of flying and understanding the shots you must capture from high above the ground. 

However, the best pre-wedding drone photography ideas are inspired by seeking opportunities for compositions and landscapes around your chosen location. Even though it takes time to find these opportunities from the air, if you’ve already mastered the art of pre-wedding photography and composition hunting, you should quickly excel when capturing images with a drone as well.