eBook Download
BOOK EXCERPT:

Learn to master your drone—the gear, the technique, the photography, the video—and create jaw-dropping visuals!

Over the last few years, drones and quadcopters have become the hottest new gear in photography, whether you’re a professional photographer or an amateur shooter. These “flying tripods” have given photographers the ability to place their cameras virtually anywhere they want, creating still images and video footage that was previously impossible to capture. Many photographers have a drone or quadcopter right at the top of their “I want” list. And many others have already purchased a drone but haven’t mastered its use yet.

No matter what model you may own—whether that’s a popular Mavic, Mini, Air, or Phantom from DJI, or another brand—you need to learn how to put this new gear to good use in your aerial photography. You need to learn how to safely operate and fly a drone, how to create compelling photos and video, and how to make your work stand out from the crowd.

In this fully updated and revised edition of the bestselling first edition, photographer and bestselling author Colin Smith guides you toward mastering your drone and creating powerful and impactful imagery. Featuring his award-winning and beautiful aerial photography throughout the book, Colin will teach you:

• How to fly a drone, including practice flight patterns and controller tips that will help you master the basics

• New rules of composition for aerial photography as they apply to drone and quadcopter imagery

• How to create the best files for both still photos and video

• Post-processing techniques—both basic workflow and advanced techniques—unique to aerial photography that you need to know, such as how to make videos look both dynamic and smooth

You’ll learn everything you need to know about drones and quadcopters in order to take your photography to new levels…literally!

Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Safety and Regulations
Chapter 2: Drones and Gear
Chapter 3: Flight School
Chapter 4: Shooting Photographs with a Drone
Chapter 5: Shooting Video with Drones
Chapter 6: Basic Photo Workflow in Lightroom or ACR
Chapter 7: Advanced Photo Editing
Chapter 8: Editing Aerial Video
Parting Words
Index

eBook Download
BOOK EXCERPT:

The only thing growing faster than the drone market is the amount of misinformation about them. Almost overnight popular drones like the instantly reconginsable DJI Phantom have created a billion-dollar industry, with a foothold in everything from movie-making to the toy market. This book shows you everything there is to know about drones/multicopters/UAVs (including what really is the correct term for them) in plain, jargon-free English. Find out how they work, how to fly them, how to choose the right drone for you, how to take amazing photos and videos from above and more. The text is accompanied with clear illustrations and brand-new photography. Also included is a complete step-by-step project to build your own modestly-priced drone - great as a first step into the world of drones; fun for one, perfect as an educational project for parent and child. In addition there is a layman's guide to the crucial legal issues around drone flying, and there is an accompanying website with video clips and commmunity links. This book is all you need to take to the skies!

eBook Download
BOOK EXCERPT:

Drone Futures explores new paradigms in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in landscape and urban design. UAS or drones can be deployed with direct application to the built environment; this book explores the myriad of contemporary and future possibilities of the design medium, its aesthetic, mapping agency, AI, mobility and contribution to smart cities. Drones present innovative possibilities, operating in a ‘hover space’ between human scales of landscape observation and light aircraft providing a unique resolution of space. This book shows how UAS can be utilised to provide new perspectives on spatial layout, landscape and urban conditions, data capture for construction monitoring and simulation of design proposals. Author Paul Cureton examines both the philosophical use of these tools and practical steps for implementation by designers. Illustrated in full colour throughout, Drone Futures discusses UAS and their connectivity to other design technologies and processes, including mapping and photogrammetry, AR/VR, drone AI and drones for construction and fabrication, new mobilities, smart cities and city information models (CIMs). It is specifically geared towards professionals seeking to understand UAS applications and future development and students seeking an understanding of the role of drones and airspace in the built environment and its powerful geographic imaginary. With international contributions, multidisciplinary sources and case studies, Drone Futures examines new powers of flight for visualising, interpreting and presenting landscapes and urban spaces of tomorrow.

eBook Download
BOOK EXCERPT:

Advances in high spatial resolution mapping capabilities and the new rules established by the Federal Aviation Administration in the United States for the operation of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) have provided new opportunities to acquire aerial data at a lower cost and more safely versus other methods. A similar opening of the skies for sUAS applications is being allowed in countries across the world. Also, sUAS can access hazardous or inaccessible areas during disaster events and provide rapid response when needed. Applications of Small Unmanned Aircraft systems: Best Practices and Case Studies is the first book that brings together the best practices of sUAS applied to a broad range of issues in high spatial resolution mapping projects. Very few sUAS pilots have the knowledge of how the collected imagery is processed into value added mapping products that have commercial and/or academic import. Since the field of sUAS applications is just a few years old, this book covers the need for a compendium of case studies to guide the planning, data collection, and most importantly data processing and map error issues, with the range of sensors available to the user community. Written by experienced academics and professionals, this book serves as a guide on how to formulate sUAS based projects, from choice of a sUAS, flight planning for a particular application, sensors and data acquisition, data processing software, mapping software and use of the high spatial resolution maps produced for particular types of geospatial modeling. Features: Focus on sUAS based data acquisition and processing into map products Broad range of case studies by highly experienced academics Practical guidance on sUAS hardware, sensors, and software utilized Compilation of workflow insights from expert professors and professionals Relevant to academia, government, and industry Positional and thematic map accuracy, UAS curriculum development and workflow replicability issues This book would be an excellent text for upper-level undergraduate to graduate level sUAS mapping application courses. It is also invaluable as a reference for educators designing sUAS based curriculum as well as for potential sUAS users to assess the scope of mapping projects that can be done with this technology.

eBook Download
BOOK EXCERPT:

eBook Download
BOOK EXCERPT:

eBook Download
BOOK EXCERPT:

If you think you need a boarding pass to fly, you're really missing out... Today, drones are everywhere. From film studios to farms, they're in the hands of photographers, commercial surveyors and racers alike. This fully illustrated book explains how drones developed, where they're going and which one you should choose. It even includes complete instructions to build both a simple drone and a super-fast FPV racer yourself. Whether you're flying indoors or out, buying or building, this book covers everything: ¦ Understand the Jargon Flying has a lot of unfamiliar terminology, but this book will make it easy to master. ¦ Business or Pleasure Every type of multicopter you might want is introduced, including explanations of which is best suited for what role. ¦ Get the Best Pictures This edition includes an extended guide to the tech and composition tricks you can use to make your pictures stand out of the pack. ¦ Get the Best Video A new shot-guide shows you how to get the most engaging aerial video, whatever your drone. ¦ Be a Winning FPV Racer There are two complete step-by-step instructions for building your own drones inside: an FPV racer, or a surprisingly cheap wooden drone - both great projects. Following the worldwide success of the first edition, which has been translated into numerous languages, this second edition is not only fully updated to keep pace with the laws and technology, but also extended to thoroughly cover the fast-growing new sport of FPV drone racing, while still including a comprehensive guide to learning to fly any drone.

eBook Download
BOOK EXCERPT:

If you think you need a boarding pass to fly, you’re really missing out! Today, drones are everywhere. From film studios to farms, they’re in the hands of photographers, commercial surveyors, and racers alike. This fully illustrated book explains how drones developed, where they’re going, and which one you should choose. It even includes complete instructions to build both a simple drone and a super-fast FPV racer yourself. Whether you’re flying indoors or out, buying or building, this book covers everything: Understand the Jargon: Flying has a lot of unfamiliar terminology, but this book will make it easy to master. Business or Pleasure: Every type of multicopter you might want is introduced, including explanations of which is best suited for what role. Get the Best Pictures: This edition includes an extended guide to the tech and composition tricks you can use to make your pictures stand out of the pack. Get the Best Video: A new shot-guide shows you how to get the most engaging aerial video, whatever your drone. Be an FPV Racer: There are complete step-by-step instructions for building your own FPV racer, or a surprisingly cheap wooden drone – both great projects. This is an Extended Second Edition. Following from the worldwide success of the first edition, which has been translated into numerous languages, this edition is not just fully updated to keep pace with the laws and the technology (including gesture controls), it is also new enough to thoroughly cover the fast-growing new sport of FPV drone racing, while still including a comprehensive guide to learning to fly any drone.

eBook Download
BOOK EXCERPT:

Camera drones have changed filmmaking and photography forever. The Drone Camera Handbook is 'the manual that should have come in the box' for all drone enthusiasts, photographers, and filmmakers as well as extreme sportsmen and women who want to capture epic images of their adventures. Choose the right drone for you Pilot like a professional Film in different conditions and terrains Expert advice on filmmaking and photography International drone rules and regulations Post-production edit, sound and music