Although I’ve mixed a whole lotta R/C helicopters into shoots, there are many more times in my profession when climbing into a real A-star is essential to get the shot. A recent assignment in the Caribbean presented another on of those lovely occasions…and while I’ve touched on shooting film + photos from a helicopter in some past posts, I’ve never gone deep on the how-to of shooting from a heli.
And before you dismiss this and say “This is so outrageous, when will I ever get to shoot from a helicopter” …I’ll just say that every photographer who has ever shot from a chopper has said those same words, only to find themselves ripping heavy G turns and shooting from blue skies at some point in their career. So stick with me. And one other note – yes flying around can be expensive, but it can also be done relatively affordably depending on how long you fly, what chopper, and of course…who’s paying 😉
Here’s a few teasers of some of the stuff I cover in this video:
// Helicopter safety. It is critical that you understand how to navigate your way safely in and around this machine. There are two hard and fast rules that all helicopter people live by when it comes to helicopters: 1) Never walk around the tail-end of the helicopter while its on the ground and 2) the pilot is always in charge. Always.
// Personal safety. Strap in! There are a couple of ways to get this done and the video runs thru several of them… If you walk away with one piece of advice, it’s if you’re hanging out of the helicopter – always be connected to it by at least two (2) connection points.
// Gear + settings. In the vid I lay out exactly what gear I take up with me (it includes the D4 and D800), but for the sake of driving some points home I’ll repeat… here two of my gear guides:
1) Remove the lens hoods – this will prevent excessive movement due to rotor downdraft as well as your forward motion, and 2) keep the gear well attached to yo and always pass or move gear with both hands when the door is off. 3)I always shoot manually, mid-ISO 400 range, and a minimum of 1000 shutter speed (I really like 1600 or greater). 4)Shoot with large volume cards to avoid having to change cards while hanging out of the bird.
….and many more in the video
Good luck – hope this helps those of you who are just getting into it, have a fantasy of flying that you’ll someday realize, or hell maybe even a seasoned pro will pick up a tip here and there. And as always if you’ve got other tips to share – please do.
Music by the one and only Big Chocolate.
Amazing video…
I’m doing a video shoot from a helicopter soon. Is it a problem to shoot at slower shutter speeds during video due to vibration? Or do you still want to shoot at 1000/sec+ ?
I have shot some from Helicopters. One trip was to an offshore oil rig. The pilot, a Viet vet, walked me out to the chopper never saying a word. I got in, strapped myself in good as he started it up. Just before we lifted up he turned to me and said “when we hit the water wait till we’re upside down to get out.” I thought WHEN WE HIT THE WATER? And off we went.
Of course the message was in case of a water landing wait until the water stops the rotor before getting out. Good thought.
OK, now I understand why you insist on using 1/1600 shutter speed: it is because you like to sit outside, with the downdraught hitting you. I usually like to sit just inside the door (sideways on the helicopter seat, always securely tied down with a climbing harness, of course), where I can shoot without the wind blowing my camera around.
If you only shoot air-to-ground, it is better to use a shutter speed faster than 1/1000th, but if you shoot air-to-air also (as I often do), you can -and sometimes you should- work with slower shutter speeds.
For example, when shooting another helicopter, you need a shutter speed below 1/160th (depending on helicopter and rotor type) in order to have a nice rotor blur and not have its rotor blades frozen in an awkward position.
Also, when shooting during dusk or dawn, you don’t have a choice, you need to try and work with slower shutter speeds (that’s when you use your motor drive on Continuous High and hope to get at least one good frame from every burst)
Here is an example (dusk flight, air-to-air Huey mil heli, shutter speed around 1/40)
http://costaslakafossis.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/gj8y4921.jpg
When shooting like that, my tip is to isolate the camera from any vibration by using your whole body as a shock absorber, from the seat of the heli to the hand holding the camera (you should avoid picking up any vibration from anything, so sit away from the back of the seat or the frame of the door).
Thank you Chase for being such an inspiration and for giving away such a wealth of knowledge!
Awesome guide, thanks a ton for sharing.