10 tips for photography from a helicopter

Having flown in many helicopters over the years in Vancouver, the Kimberley, Sydney, Uluru and Kata Tjuta, the Fraser Coast and more, I’ve picked up a few tips along the way to get great shots from above.

  1. Ask for DOORS OFF! This gives you a clear and unimpeded view of the outside world around you. Shooting through sometimes scratched and dirty perspex glass is not the easiest thing to excel at.

  2. Communicate with your pilot. Be clear about what kind of shots you want, where you might want to fly, and do this before the actual flight if possible. On the flight you will have a headset and microphone so you can also chat while flying, but unless you’re a millionaire, chances are you have only booked a flight for less than 30 minutes so, time matters.

  3. A clear day is best as clouds cast shadows on the land below, and are to be avoided if possible. Over ocean and rivermouths, low tide yields the most amazing designs and patterns.

  4. If you are flying over the ocean on a sunny day, I recommend using a CPL filter - a circular polarising filter on your lens. This can help cut the glare and also show more clarity in the water.

  5. Whatever gear you are using, it must be secured well - so wear a camera strap or a hand grip.

  6. Take care that nothing can fall off your lens such as a lens cap (put it away before the flight) as this can have unwanted consequences if it falls off……….(I will leave it at that).

  7. Don’t change lenses during the flight. I generally take one camera and lens, a Canon 6D and Tamron 24-70mm lens. I prefer not to bring 2 cameras but that is an option if you wish to use several different lens lengths. Note that using a super wide angle will most likely get the rotor blades or the bottom rack in your shots!

  8. Be aware that the heli is constantly moving - so you want a fast shutter speed. I find that using Auto ISO and AV (aperture priority) mode set at f2.8 is a great start. You may want to adjust these settings as you fly, so check your camera to make sure it’s working for you.

  9. You will probably have a friend or a few other people on your flight, so keep in mind that you are not the only person who matters - this is good to communicate before the actual flight to make sure you all get the shots you want.

  10. Remember all your standard composition rules for photography, and keep your horizons straight if you include the sky/horizon.


    ENJOY your flight and please leave a Comment below if you enjoyed reading this!

Antarctica

There is not enough time or space to rave on and on about Antarctica here...but I will NEVER forget it! What an exciting journey, from flying down to Ushuaia, seeing the red ship MS Expedition docked at port, awaiting new passengers, feeling apprehensive and nervous about the dreaded Drake Passage 2-day crossing, and seeing Antarctica for the first time. WOWIE!

Where would I even start? Okay. Scenery: magnificent, other-worldly, white, grey, blue. Crazy wind, rough seas, and then a surface like glass that I sea-kayaked on for over 16kms on one session! I didn't take nearly enough photos, but I had joined the 'kayak bootcamp' and spent a lot of time paddling and trying not to cry with emotion, because my glasses would fog up. 

Marine life? you betcha! elephant seals, leopard seals, seals of every sort, gentoo penguins with bright orange beaks, penguins porpoising in the water and off icebergs, following a pod of minke whales by listening to them breaching, orcas, birds birds and more amazing birds! Please note: no polar bears here (before you ask)...that's the Arctic :) 

Ship life was fantastic: experienced, knowledgeable, funny, entertaining crew who kept us 100% safe at all times when off the ship. I swam in minus 0.5 degree Celsius water on Deception Island (brrrr COLD is not even close!!), I camped in a tent I put up myself on a windy shore, watching the ship move away from the location because icebergs were floating too close, feeling the exhilaration and the excitement of being IN ANTARCTICA!!! As you can probably imagine, i highly recommend this journey. It is worth.every.dollar. And more.

Okavango Delta, Botswana

Larger than 16,000 square kilometres, this amazing delta in Botswana is home to the most diverse wildlife and scenery. Arriving at Oddballs Camp in a tiny plane, I came in to land and saw an elephant feeding, right near the runway (which was dirt and allows elephants to wander across it). My first night in a tent on a deck was exhilarating, with an ellie pulling down branches from above the tent next door (it was loud! and quite scary!). There was an ensuite attached (open roof) and I was warned to watch out for ellie trunks exploring over the wall to find water..........aaaaaarghhh so exciting! A hoisted bucket on a rope for a shower and reed flooring: some would call it rustic. I call it...heavenly.

On another night, there was a hippo in the camp! How unique to see 1) no guns and 2) a beautiful connection with wild animals, allowing them to roam free, even through the camp!

Mornings: up early, coffee and a muffin, before meeting our guide Isaiah, who poled over in his mokoro (wooden dugout canoe) from his village. The guides have a little chit-chat while observing the wildlife action and proximity (hippos in the main channel! avoid!) before helping us into our mokoros to venture across a channel to an island where we spent the day walking as much or as little as we wished, looking for animal tracks, almost bumping into giraffes nibbling on tall tree branch leaves, and standing statue-still while keeping an eye on a herd of buffalo. Tall grass hides a plethora of wild things, we keep downwind from herds of buffalo, and walk, one behind another. The light...the smells of Africa...it's like another world.