Aerial Photography FAQ

We normally hire small two-person helicopters to shoot from because they give us the best maneuverability in documenting projects.  They allow us to get as low as 500’ above ground, and as high as 3,000 feet or more when necessary. We can also hover and move in ways that are impossible for fixed wing aircraft. We occasionally use larger, four-passenger helicopters for assignments involving multiple locations and high altitude photography. Airplanes are harder to shoot from in that they have to be constantly moving in order to stay in the air. We do use small planes for assignments located far away from airports and where flight expense makes using a helicopter uneconomical. Also, airplanes are much easier to find than helicopters at the smaller airports that we use.

Some photographers like to shoot in JPEG format and give the images to their clients with a minimal amount of post processing. While this is a faster and easier way to work, the JPEG format basically discards a lot of visual information in order to get smaller compressed files. JPEG files will not capture the wide color spectrum or contrast range that RAW does, and quality is degraded every time processing changes are made and saved. In terms for quality, shooting in JPEG is a compromise of speed over quality. We do use small planes for assignments located far away from airports and where flight expense makes using a helicopter uneconomical. Airplanes are harder to shoot from in that they have to be constantly moving in order to stay in the air. It is our experience that it takes about three times longer to shoot a project from a plane than a helicopter.

There are certain areas that are difficult, if not impossible to photograph, depending upon what is needed.  Locations in the landing and takeoff paths of airports can pose problems both at high and low altitudes.  If a property is located particularly close to a runway, low altitude photos may be difficult if they conflict with the take off or landing of aircraft.  On the other hand, high altitude photos may be permissible if air traffic an fly a safe distance underneath our aircraft.  Conversely, locations moderately far away from an airport’s takeoff or landing corridor may be able to be photographed from lower altitudes, but higher altitudes may be difficult because they will conflict with the altitudes of incoming or outgoing aircraft.   Properties near smaller airports are fairly accessible because of lower air traffic volume.  Busy airports like John Wayne and Bob Hope can be usually be photographed by coordinating with air traffic control.  LAX, however, is continually busy throughout the day, and locations in the approach corridor over Lynwood and South Gate east of the Alameda corridor may only be photographed at lower altitudes because of incoming commercial air traffic. Locations west of the Alameda corridor may not be able to be accessed at all.

Some locations can have Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR’s) for civilian aircraft during sporting events or performances, such as Dodger Stadium, USC Coliseum, the Rose Bowl,  Hollywood Bowl, etc.  The TFR is normally a no-fly zone that extends three miles in radius around the location, and begins one hour prior to the scheduled event, and ends one hour after the event.  A TFR can be a big factor when trying to photograph in downtown Los Angeles during an afternoon Dodger Game, for example.  Disneyland has been able to convince the FAA that it needs a TFR continually around its property.  While it is possible to photograph within that 3 mile radius, it normally has to be done at altitudes above 3,000 feet.  Photographing at lower altitudes is entirely at the discretion of air traffic control, making photographing buildings at lower altitudes a hit or miss proposition. For this reason we tell our clients that locations within the Disneyland TFR are possible at higher altitudes, but we will not guarantee getting low altitude or closeup shots.  Lastly, there are TFR’s when the President comes to town that can make flying for the entire day or more impossible.

We can shoot multiple locations in a single flight when called upon. However, aircraft flight time is our biggest expense so we try to be as efficient as possible in arranging our flights. Normally we try to “gang” projects within a geographical area, such as the Los Angeles basin, Orange County, and the Inland Empire. Contrary to what some may think, helicopters can’t get from one end of Los Angeles to the other in a few minutes. In the smaller helicopters that we use, airspeed can average between 80 and 90 mph—a little faster than cars on the freeway. So it can take 30-40 minutes of flying to get to some locations depending upon what airport we use. Sometimes our work load demands that we cover multiple regions in one flight, such as Los Angeles and Orange County combined. We fly out of multiple airports to service Los Angeles and Orange Counties, San Fernando Valley and Ventura, San Gabriel Valley, and the Inland Empire. By special request we also do assignments in Bakersfield, San Diego, Palmdale, Palm Springs, Victorville, and Santa Barbara North.

We usually fly at around 500 feet above ground to get low altitude shots showcasing the building or project, and then go up to 1,500 to 2,000 feet to show the project and its relationship to freeways, businesses, and other points of interest. We photograph in a 360 degree circle around the project and capture everything in the vicinity. One thing to remember is that shots looking into the sun will not be as good as when the sun is behind the aircraft.

High altitude aerial photos can be very useful in marketing because it is easier to point out landmarks in the distance. At lower altitudes, individual buildings in the distance are harder to identify. While a property shot from higher altitudes will not look as prominent in the photo, landmarks behind the projects will stand out more and are easier to label. We can usually photograph at altitudes below 3,000 feet, but going higher requires coordination with SoCal TRACON, which controls air traffic for most airports in Southern California. Reaching higher altitudes and circling also takes up more flight time so these types of shots are offered as an additional cost option to our regular photo packages.

Though crystal clear days in Los Angeles are few and far between, photographs taken on these days can be breathtaking. Getting photographs on a clear, sunny day with no clouds will obviously give better results than when taken on a cloudy, hazy day. The clearest conditions are usually after rain and we try to schedule our flights accordingly if the weather forecast is for sunny conditions. Great visibility can also follow very windy days or Santa Ana winds.

Southern California doesn't always have ideal weather conditions especially in the LA basin where smog tends to collect. The Inland Empire suffers from haze and smog because it usually lacks winds to blow them away. Orange County, also, gets its share of haze, and the beach areas can be prone to fog. Since weather is one of the most important factors in getting good photos we try to fly on days with the best conditions within the current weather trend. Haze is one of the hardest and most unpredictable factors that we have to deal with. Weather reports do not predict haze conditions and even though it can be a sunny and cloudless day, heavy haze can spoil photography. Airports often report at least 10 miles visibility but there can still be considerable haze present. There are times when we will take off but abort the flight because of haze. In the summer when haze is a constant problem, we usually try to shoot on sunny days and enhance the images in postprocessing. However, there is no substitute for sunny conditions and clear visibility!

The worst months for aerial photography are in May and June when we have “June gloom” conditions--heavy fog in the morning which lasts till noon or late afternoon, after which it finally burns off. Even after the fog dissipates, lingering haze may limit our ability to get good photographs. Last year we had a period of about six continuous weeks where June gloom did not give us acceptable conditions for photography. In the summer months, beach areas can be severely affected by fog even though inland areas are unaffected. We have encountered 1/4 mile visibility in Newport Beach while John Wayne Airport five miles away was reporting clear conditions. The same can be said for LAX where visibility may be two miles, but downtown Los Angeles may be at ten miles.

We are so used today to setting devices to automatic and getting acceptable results. While many of today’s digital cameras give good results, without digital postprocessing the quality of photos will be inconsistent and sometimes unacceptable. Processing is done in software programs like Photoshop, Lightroom, and Aperture, and can involve correcting images for brightness, contrast, color, sharpness, and even perspective. When it comes to professional photography, capturing images is half the work and the other half is in processing.

Digital photos will only look as good as the photographer can make them look. Digital processing will determine the difference between an average photo or a very good one. When we photograph we shoot in Camera RAW format because it captures the most visual information possible and enables us to produce images with the highest level of quality. However, RAW images also require special processing and involve a lot more work. We normally do all our shooting and processing in RAW, and then convert the processed images to JPEG. This workflow allows us to quickly transfer files electronically while preserving the quality of the RAW processed images.

Some photographers like to shoot in JPEG format and give the images to their clients with a minimal amount of post production. While this is a faster and easier way to work, the JPEG format basically discards a lot of visual information in order to get smaller compressed files. JPEG files will not capture the wide color spectrum or contrast range that RAW does, and quality is degraded every time processing changes are made and saved. In terms of quality, shooting in JPEG is a compromise of speed over quality.