10 tips in Aerial Photography, part 2

continued from 10 tips in aerial photography, part 1 in colloidfarl.blogspot.com


6. International flights often have TV screens for entertainment. When available, I always set mine to the flight channel which charts the progress of the flight against a map. I regularly take a snapshot of the channel screen so that I can place the location of my photographs at the later time.

7. Use your sharpest lens. Long lens are fine but only if they are sharp, otherwise you have a lot of post-processing to do. My favorite lens in most of my aerial photographs is my 18-55mm kit lens. I have a 70-300mm lens but it is soft and sensitive to camera shake.

8. Photography inside a plane is much like action photography. I often set my camera at the widest aperture or adjust the ISO so that a proper exposure of at 1/500s or faster can be achieved. The plane moves in such speed that is magnified at lower altitudes.

9. When the wide world below becomes your photographic canvas, always remember the fundamentals in composition. Think before you shoot. You may not be able to pass that way again.

10. Cut out glare. Depending on the light conditions, this may mean keeping the lens as close to the window as much as possible. Sometimes the shirt you’re wearing, even when it is all white, could get reflected on the glass and come out in the exposure. A plain dark shirt, especially black, works best for me.


more aerial photographs


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/800s, f/5.6, 55mm, ISO 100, -1/3EV
a highly populated island near Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, July 31, 2008



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/800s, f/5.6, 55mm, ISO 100, -2/3EV
an island in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, July 31, 2008
an unpopulated island off Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, July 31, 2008



Canon EOS 350D, 1/640s, f/6.3, 54mm, ISO 100
Tawi-Tawi, the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, Sulu archipelago, the Philippines, March 27, 2006



Canon EOS 350D, 0.005s, f/8, 55mm, ISO100, -1/3EV
Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, September 13, 2006



Canon EOS 350D, 1/800s, f/8, 55mm, ISO 200, -1/3EV
Laguna de Bay (?), Manila, the Philippines, September 12, 2006



Canon EOS 350D, 1/250s, f/10, 55mm, ISO 100
over Myanmar, SE Asia, November 18, 2005



Canon EOS 350D, 1/80s, f/6.3, 55mm, ISO 100
35,000 feet over Dhaka, Bangladesh, November 18, 2005



Canon EOS 350D, 1/250s, f/11, 55mm, ISO 100
the dunes near Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, East Africa, November 10, 2005



Canon EOS 350D, 0.031s, f/5.6, 22mm, ISO 100
the desert dunes of Dubai, UAE, November 7, 2005



Canon EOS 350D, 1/160s, f/5.6, 55mm, ISO 100
Lantau Island, Hong Kong, January 8, 2006



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/800s, f/9, 55mm, ISO 100
West Madagascar, East Africa, November 16, 2005

10 tips in Aerial Photography, part 1

I am enamored by aerial photography. The patterns one can see from above are different and mostly are left unknown to the ordinary viewer on the ground. The earth from above takes on a whole new form. No wonder a lot of people attribute to flying as a spiritual experience.

Being a frequent flyer, I always try to get that window seat that provides the best view of the earth down below. But getting that right spot in the plane, away from the obstructing wing, is easier said than done. Luck plays a great deal in getting that enviable seat. Over the years of flying, I’ve learned some tricks of the trade which I am sharing here.

1. Study the flight direction against the map. Is the direction going northeast or directly west? If you’re a sunrise and sunset hound, determine which side of the plane faces west or east. What are the most likely attractions that one can pass? Short of asking the pilot, the actual flight path can only be acquired by experience so if you would take the same flight sometime in the future, check out now what the sights are below.

2. Be conscious of the flying time and the direction of the light. Sometimes, I purposely would sit where the sun is at the other side to get strong backlights against bodies of water. Check the weather too of your port of embarkation and the place of destination. Aerial photography is impossible in bad weather.

3. Be early in the airport. If it is possible to book a seat before the actual flight do so. International carriers allow you to choose a seat online although some of the good seats are often blocked. I have not tried this with domestic Philippines airlines which don't offer this service yet.

4. If you cannot get a window seat at the front, a section often reserved for the business class, settle for a seat at the back. The view of middle seats are blocked by the wing and the engine.

5. Keep a wet tissue. I find it useful in cleaning the windows (yeah, people stare at me).

to be continued

Here are a few samples of my aerial photographs.


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/400s, f/8, 55mm, ISO 200
Laguna de Bay (?), Luzon, the Philippines



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/500s, f/5.6, 55mm, ISO 100, -2/3EV
rice (?) fields at Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, July 31, 2008



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/500s, f/8, 55mm, ISO 200
ponds near Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia, November 8, 2007



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/160s, f/8, 55mm, ISO 100, -1/3EV
ponds in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, September 13, 2006



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/1500s, f/8, 55mm, ISO 100
salt farms in Madura, East Java, Indonesia, September 13, 2006



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/800s, f/9, 55mm, ISO 100
river tributaries in West Madagascar, East Africa, November 16, 2005



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/1000s, f/5.6, 55mm, ISO 200
Biddeford Pool, Portland, Maine, the US, December 18, 2006



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/640s, f/5.6, 25mm, ISO 100, -1/3EV
an unknown development project near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/640s, f/6.3, 55mm, ISO 100
Tango Island, Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, the Philippines, March 27, 2006



Canon EOS 350D, 1/1000s, f/6.3, 51mm, ISO 100
an islet near Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, Sulu archipelago, the Philippines



Canon EOS 350D, 1/200s, f/11, 47mm, ISO 100
sanddunes north of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, East Africa



Canon EOS 350D, 1/200s, f/11, 47mm, ISO 100
sanddunes north of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, East Africa


For other aerial photos, check out My Islands of Sulu