Introduction to RC Aerial Photography Part I

Aerial photography is the act of taking pictures from the air. Aerial Photography has long been used to take pictures of large structures, help produce maps, and take pictures of property. Usually, taking aerial pictures necessitated hiring an aircraft and a pilot and then flying to the target location, taking the required pictures, and flying back. This process is expensive and inconvenient, due to the large costs involved and the restrictions of flying conventional aircraft.

RC aerial photography is a relatively recent development, brought on by improvements in radio control and camera technology. Many RC enthusiasts attach conventional digital cameras to their aircraft, and use them to obtain pictures of where they fly. RC Aerial photography is a challenging and rewarding hobby, but it is also turned into a thriving and valid business. Aerial photography owes it’s success to the huge demand for aerial pictures and video of different real estate properties. One of the best ways to describe a property to a potential buyer is to show them an aerial picture, which can provide a view of the entire area at a glance. Many real estate companies are interested in low cost aerial pictures, so they are the primary customers of the business.

Full size aircraft must always fly higher than 500 ft above ground level, so this severely limits the types of views which can be obtained when taking pictures. RC aerial photographies main advantage is it’s versatility, you can do RC aerial photography anywhere at almost any time.

Getting Started with RC Aerial Photography

The first thing to do is to get a suitable beginner RC model aircraft and learn how to fly it. You can learn to fly in many different ways, but the most common is to get a trainer aircraft and learn with a more experienced instructor. Once you have mastered your trainer aircraft, you are ready to proceed to more specialized areas of the hobby.

Equipment You Will Need for Doing RC Aerial Photography

• RC Model Airplane or Helicopter - After you have learned to fly a trainer aircraft, you will need to choose one to use for aerial photography. In most cases any RC aircraft will do, as long as its able to carry the weight of the camera you are using. RC helicopters are best for aerial photography, because of their ability to hover in one place while taking pictures. This can help reduce blur and make taking steady images easier. Some RC airplanes have also been designed for aerial photography, including the Tango Surveillance Aircraft.
• Camera - The most important thing to consider when buying a camera for RC aerial photography is the weight. Make sure that the aircraft can carry the weight of the camera before you attempt a flight. It is best to keep the weight of the camera as small as possible, but any with a weight less than 5 ounces should be within the carrying capacity of most RC models. Check the memory capacity of the camera - will it allow you to take as many pictures as you need? Most digital cameras come with a memory expansion port, but make sure of this before you buy. Find out whether the camera can be remotely triggered or not. Some cameras can be modified to include switches, which will interface to the radio system of an RC plane. This is by far the most common and most reliable method of remotely triggering a camera. RCGroups.com has a thread listing supported cameras, look there for ideas. If you are interested in RC aerial videography (taking aerial video) then there are several pre made solutions available, many of which just need to be strapped to an RC aircraft and turned on. These include the Eyecam, Eyecam Extreme, and the SAVS camera (only available with the SAVS helicopter) .
• Chargers, tools, and batteries / fuel - Depending on the model that you choose, you will need several different accessories. After you learn to fly you will probably have most of these, but you can refer to the field accessories guide if you need a list.

Setting Up Your Model for RC Aerial Photography

There are several prebuilt aircraft available, designed for aerial videography (taking aerial video). You can retrieve still images from them, but they will not be of a comparable quality to still images obtained with a still camera. If you are interested in aerial videography, then you might want to look at the Draganflyer series of RC helicopters, which have been designed for this purpose.

Preparing the Camera for RC Aerial Photography

If you want to take high quality aerial pictures, then you will need to modify a digital camera and install it on your RC model aircraft. The hardest part is getting the camera to trigger remotely, at the flip of a switch on the radio transmitter. In order to do this, you will need a spare channel on your radio system. The simplest way to trigger the camera is to attach a spare servo to the camera, so that when it moves it pushes the trigger on the camera. Some cameras can also be modified and wired directly to your radio system. The latter is the most popular method, and the most reliable. You can find more information on cameras and how to wire them to your receivers. The exact procedure varies between cameras, but the end result is the same.

Mounting The Camera on The RC Aircraft

Your camera will need to be mounted to your aircraft in such a way that it does not interfere with flight, and is able to take pictures without interference with the propeller or other aircraft parts. Mounting the camera can be as simple as attaching it to the fuselage or wing of the aircraft using rubber bands. This is one of the most popular ways to attach the camera, because its cheap and temporary. The camera can also be permanently mounted in the fuselage, or attached using an articulating, adjustable mount. How you mount your camera is up to you, just make sure that whatever you choose doesn’t interfere with the aircrafts flight and provides a clear view. It is important to keep the propeller out of the cameras view, unless you want it in your aerial pictures.

Once you’ve got a camera attached to your RC aircraft, you are ready to begin doing aerial photography. In the second part of this article we will discuss the different applications of RC aerial photography, and then show you some great tips that will let you get great pictures, every time.

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