Benefits of Low Altitude Aerial Photography
Here is a comparison of traditional airborne photography and videography systems:
Aircraft
Aircraft have great capability with some limitations:
- They are not good for up close shots, and obviously can’t hover in a single spot.
- They have altitude limitations and are expensive.
- Time over subject is very limited.
- They can’t fly indoors.
Should we need to employ a fixed wing airplane, we have a partnership with a qualified pilot and access to several models of aircraft.
Helicopters
Helicopters are very capable traditional aerial platforms but have some limitations:
- They are incredibly expensive, especially when configured with a stabilizing camera gimbal.
- They have very specific altitude and safety limitations for subject proximity.
- They are somewhat noisy.
- They can’t be transported into and operated in rural locations economically.
- They can’t fly indoors.
Should we need to employ a helicopter, we have a partnership with a qualified pilot and access to several models of aircraft.
Balloons
Commercial tethered balloons are also very capable traditional aerial platforms but have some limitations:
- They cannot be positioned and maintain position with a great deal of accuracy.
- They are very sensitive to wind.
- They can be difficult to transport and deploy.
- They can be difficult at low (40 to 60 feet) altitude in constrained areas.
Cranes, Jibs, Polecams
These ground-based tools can provide excellent results for positioning and moving a camera platform for stills and video, but they have some limitations:
- They have a very serious practical limitation of about 20 feet.
- There are very limited options for stabilization and remote camera control.
- Most are constrained to a single point and distance, effectively making them two dimensional.