The View From Above How to elevate your drone photography and videography with three pro tips

“Make sure you’ve tested your drone fully before sending it off, particularly your ‘return to home function’,” says Jason Capobianco. “Learn how to adjust the setting of your drone’s handling and the gimbal responsiveness (which holds the camera steady) to suit your style of shooting and the story being told.”

“Check the Civil Aviation Authority websites where you live and find out which areas are off bounds and if you need to register your drone. Next up, weather. Excessive windspeeds and gusts are going to cause all kinds of drama for you and your drone, not to mention significantly shorten the life of your batteries. The optimum conditions are a dry, sunny wind free day.”

“Draw yourself a storyboard,” says Capobianco. “Use it as a way to build your story and think about the scenes of your film before you start flying: how do they flow together, which ones will be in slow motion, and which will be in real time or sped up. Write down all your camera moves and what you plan on achieving. When in flight keep an eye out for symmetry and patterns, just remember to keep the composition simple.”