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Writer's pictureJoe D'Ambra

Drones in Landscape Photography- Match Made in Heaven

Updated: Nov 13, 2020

Ever since drones became more mainstream in the photography community, there has been an explosion in aerial landscape shots. There is a very good reason for this. Drones are fantastic for landscape photography. If you haven't got one, or you are considering getting one. Then trust me, get one!


Drones offer a completely different perspective of the world, they give you an even greater scope of creativity. Using a drone can get you much more original compositions. There are so many to get with a drone flying it at different altitudes, adjusting your camera to different angles. They literally open up a whole new world for us landscape photographers.



Having the ability to move around an area so freely, and capture so much of an area with a drone is just fantastic for landscape photography. There are some areas which I literally refer to as drone spots. That's because a camera at ground level can't really do the area the justice is deserves. Some places just look way better from the sky.



The fact that drones have become way more mainstream means that they are a lot easier to fly. Gone are the days when a drone pilot is a specialised position. With the GPS technology you can find in modern day drones, pretty much anyone can watch a few youtube videos on set up/ controls then successfully fly one. The GPS technology keeps the drone in place, stopping it from flying around with the wind etc. There is also obstacle detection on most modern drones making it harder to crash that ever. Don't take that as me negating the whole skill of flying and being careful with your drone. There is definitely a skill there, and the more you fly the better you will become. I'm just saying that its really easy to get yourself up and running.


A lot of people talk about the lower resolution of the cameras on the mainstream drones- like DJI. Refer to it as being a problem. Honestly, as long as the camera can shoot raw and you don't intend on blowing up your images to a billboard size you will be fine. That is definitely what I would be looking for out of a drone- number one priority is shooting in raw. The ability to shoot in raw negates the lower quality issue with the increased editing capacity.



I never used to shoot video much until I got a drone. They just make it so easy. The gimbal keeps the camera perfectly straight, along side all the special functions built into drones. Its pretty easy to get some real nice videos. Obviously if your main goal is photography then you can still get the photos. It's just a cool side edition and something extra to come home with.



So, which kind of drone should I get I hear you ask. It depends on your budget, and I certainly wouldn't get a £1500+ drone for your first its just too risky. You want something you are going to be confident flying (trust me £4000 flying around doesn't make you to too confident!). Something easy to set up, fly and like I said before that can shoot in raw. Then you can really concentrate on the photography, well and videography if you want to give that a try too.



Here are some drones I would recommend, I've had a go on all of them and owned some. All fantastic. It really just depends on your budget.


Mavic Pro 2, This really is the creme de la creme of more mainstream drones. It's easy to fly, actually has a great camera and I can't fault it. Great piece of kit. Love all of the new flight modes on it too. Actually an unbelievable drone. Follow that link to get the one with the Hassleblad camera, the zoom version is more for videography. The Mavic Pro is still an amazing drone, the camera isn't as good but just as easy to fly. With the fly more combo you will save money too. Extra batteries cost a lot and they are definitely worth getting. I usually use 2-3 a shoot. Simply land and change them, then boom more flight time! The Mavic Air 2 is a drone that people have been raving about. You can see why. Not as expensive as the Mavic Pro or Mavic Pro 2 but still an incredible drone. With the same easy flying and raw capabilities you can't go too far wrong. Just the camera isn't quite as good as the other two.


These drone are definitely worth the money. You can seriously enhance your landscape photography with any of those drones. Like I say it unlocks a whole new world for you. If you are new to landscape photography, then get one... you will regret it later down the line if you don't trust me. And if you have been shooting for a while, then definitely get one and you will see straight away how game changing it is. Thank you for reading, I'd love to see your shots and if you have any questions just post to my facebook group here.



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