Gaspard-Felix Tournachon, a French photographer and balloonist famously known as “Nadar”, is the first to engage in aerial photography in 1858 at Paris, France. With various digital cameras in the market today, anyone can capture images of subjects while on commercial aircrafts or private planes, and even hot-air balloons.

Before engaging in aerial photography, you should at least possess the basic skills and have experienced taking pictures while on the ground. It would be quite difficult to just ride on an aircraft, even if you have all the means to do so, and just capture images without being familiar with the essential techniques of photography because it would just be a complete waste of time, effort, and resources. But for the avid photographer, here are some very useful tips to make your aerial shots really interesting and attractive.

Aerial shots are most commonly in demand in the real estate market to advertise various properties and locations. It can also be useful for geography and landscapes. If the aerial shots have good contrast and vibrant colours, then your main goal is achieved.

When you are taking pictures from a fast-moving helicopter or airplane, consider the obstacles first. If the wing covers most of the view, you should change your position. Get an unobstructed sight of your subject so you can take the best shots. Open the window or door, if you must, just be careful when doing so.

Determine the time of your flight so you can capture the most dramatic scenes of the surroundings or your main subject. The best times are after the sun has risen or before it goes down. At mid day, landscapes and everything else seems to be flat and plain.

Take aerial pictures in raw format so you can save as much as 50 images of your focal interest. This will give you more opportunity to edit the outcome and choose the ones that look best for you.

The ISO of your camera should be at its highest. Fast shutter speed will enhance the clarity of the images and prevent motion blur. Shutter speed from 1/500th to 1/750^th should do the trick so you can capture the best shots. Your camera stabilization should be turned on if you are using a telephoto or wide lens. It will help in preventing pictures that are hazy or dim.

Bracing yourself against the helicopter or airplane will only add to the motion blur. Just relax and avoid letting any part of your body and the camera touch the interiors of the aerial vehicle.

Speaking of hazy aerial shots, these can be avoided by having your digital camera on the highest contrast settings. You can even improve the clarity of your images by developing the film with a higher contrast.

Taking pictures of skyscrapers from an airplane would require you to utilize telephoto or wide lenses of 200mm and longer. But it would be easier if you are flying high in a helicopter because it would only require you a lens less than 100mm in order to capture the best image of a landmark.