I’ve recently found myself doing a fair amount of aerial photography and filming video from a helicopter … I figured I should share what I’ve learned because it can be a tricky scenario up there sometimes. Each minute inside of a helicopter is costly, so there’s not a lot of time for error. There’s also literally no room for error, because the space can be cramped. You might even find your elbow bumping the pilot’s controls if you’re flying in a tiny R22, which is one of the most common type of aircraft.

So, let’s say you’re doing video. The first thing you’re going to want to do is select your aircraft. Usually, you’ll have a choice between a Robinson R22 and a Robinson R44. They are kind of like the Prius and the Camry of Lyft. The R22 resembles an upside down lawnmower, or perhaps a go-kart made for the air. It’s light, versatile, and cheaper. It’s not good for long distances or camera rigs that take a lot of space. The R44 is also practical and a little larger. The R22 seats two (including the pilot) and the R44 seats four (including the pilot).

That brings us to the issue of space (not outer space, but hopefully that will be an upcoming blog post). If you’re shooting video, you’re going to need a gimbal or some other similar kind of stabilizer. That’s going to take up space, so I would recommend an R44 for that. The aircraft will also be a little more stable. I’ve done video from both an R22 and an R44 and they both will get the job done, but you will sweat less in an R44 …

If you use a DSLR like I usually do, I’d recommend a Ronin M gimbal. The larger version, referred to as just the Ronin, is going to be too large for a R22 so if you’ve got a camera over eight pounds or so, you’re going to need a Ronin and an R44. If you’ve got eight pounds or less, you can get away with a Ronin M that can be squeezed into an R22 but is still best in an R44. If you do go with the R22 in that scenario, you may need to remove the right arm of the gimbal to make it fit in the helicopter. That’s what I did just this week and it worked fine. The Ronin M has a top handlebar that consists of a right and a left bar. You can remove the right bar, which is the side that will cause the most problems in a small R22. The left bar will mostly stick out the door.

Speaking of the door, you’re going to want to fly with the doors off. This part is awesome and slightly terrifying at the same time. Sometimes the pilot will keep their door on to minimize wind on their side, or to keep it warmer inside, but your door definitely needs to be removed. Good times.

With the wind flying by the open door, the gimbal will be working harder, so it’s important to keep the rig inside the door frame as much as possible. You might roll the camera in the gimbal if the wind overpowers the motors. This happened to me but it’s not the end of the world. I was able to rebalance the rig, but doing so in a helicopter is not ideal and may not always work.

The other thing you’ve got to do is start your arm workouts. The gimbal is going to keep your arms working, so prepare for that. There is little space to really rest the gimbal. No space, of course, for the stand that you would be able to use on the ground.

Finally, wide angle is going to help minimize camera shake. Fly low and close to what you’re filming so that you can shoot wide. If you can’t, go ahead and shoot at 50-70mm or so but you’re going to work extra hard to hold steady at that focal length. If you need a longer lens, you might need a bigger budget to jump a level up into Hollywood-style rigs like the Cineflex.

Now, let’s say you’re shooting photos. You’re more likely to want to select an R22, which is that smaller two-person helicopter, to save money. Without the large video rig, you can fly light and take up less space in an R22.

You’re going to want to bring mostly zoom lenses. I always use wide angle primes on the ground, but in a helicopter you can’t really “zoom with your feet” as people like to say. My go-to is the Canon 100-400mm. It’s perfect for aerial work. On a second body I will use a 24-70 or a fixed 28. I might bring a 50mm, too.

You’re also going to want to use high shutter speeds. The vibration of a helicopter will cause motion blur if you’re down around 1/250 or 1/500. I try to shoot around 1/2000 or higher, if possible.

Other than that, shoot a lot in case some frames do have blur from the vibration.

For both video and stills, you might get a little airsick. For me, I sometimes need more movement and maneuvering when filming video and that means I might feel more sick. Keep the dramamine handy. There are also bracelets that utilize acupuncture points on the wrist that have worked for me with seasickness.

Last but not least: Don’t drop anything! Secure your keys, phone, etc. Keep those cameras on neck straps … and watch your lens hoods! You might want to put a little gaffer tape on the lens hood because the wind can get fierce and you don’t want to drop anything out of the open door!

OK, good luck …

More photos available to view here.

Iceland is beautiful and lives up to all the hype. Plan a visit soon if you haven’t yet been! Buy a red jacket, too; it makes for nice panoramas.

A few photographs from a recent visit to Italy this summer

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The 2019 Undergraduate Research Symposium was inspiring, informative, exhausting, and entertaining as usual.

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