Photo tip of the week: How I shot New York from above

By Dylan Giannakopoulos | 27 November 2017

While travelling around North America earlier this year with my wife, I organised a helicopter photography flight over Manhattan, New York, during golden and blue hour.

After months of research I composed a shot list and determined I was going to hire two Sony Alpha a7R IIs and two lenses, a Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM and a Sony Distagon T* FE 35mm f/1.4 ZA. But unfortunately, no matter how well you plan, problems you never considered tend to arise.

New York is such a dense and dynamic city which presents countless photographic opportunities. When we were flying between major landmarks, I was always on the lookout for subjects to photograph. Sony a7R ii, Sony Distagon T* FE 35mm f/1.4 ZA Lens @ 35mm, 1/250s @ f/1.4, ISO 3200.

1) Plan for Success

As with most aspects of photography, the more you plan and the better prepared you are, the greater your chances of success will be. Aerial photography is certainly no exception and in fact heavily depends upon a highly detailed and well thought out plan.

My planning process began roughly six months prior to my flight. I started my research by finding images that other photographers had taken on their flights over New York.

This research enabled me to gain an understanding for how the city looked not only from different aerial perspectives but how different lighting events such as the golden hour and blue hour shaped the city and changed its look and feel.

In sections of New York, there are city blocks tightly filled with apartment buildings, each one looking indistinguishable from the building next to it. From a street level, these buildings would likely be dismissed by photographers. From above, these architecturally uniform structures form to create unique and interesting compositions. Sony a7R ii, Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM Lens @ 43mm, 1/250s @ f/2.8, ISO 3200.

From this research, I was able to determine that certain images that I wanted to capture had to be taken at very specific times. Using the application PhotoPills, I was able to find out the time and duration of these lighting events, as well as the direction of the sunset. Utilising sites such as 500px which give photographers the option to display Exif data, I was able to gain an understanding of what focal lengths and camera settings were typically used.

This information also aided the lens selection process. I compiled my research and created a shot list, which comprised of 14 different images I wanted to capture. Within each shot, I used multiple reference images and wrote a brief description to illustrate what I was trying to achieve. Just prior to my flight, I had a briefing with my pilot and this is where I discussed my plan in detail.

Being able to convey and clearly explain your plan to your pilot is going to be the difference between your flight being a success or not, so make sure you take the time to thoroughly plan your flight and prepare a shot list.

Camera orientation can be a great way to isolate your subject and remove distracting elements from your image. I chose to photograph the One World Trade centre vertically because I wanted it to be the key focal point of the image. Shooting horizontally would have included too many other buildings and distracted the viewer. Sony a7R ii, Sony Distagon T* FE 35mm f/1.4 ZA Lens @ 35mm, 1/250s @ f/1.4, ISO 2000.

2) If you don’t own it, rent it!

I use rental companies when I need a specific lens or camera which I do not own. Often the cost to rent is very affordable and if it is not a piece of equipment which you need regularly, it can be economical. Aerial photography is unfortunately a very expensive activity and is something few are able to do on a regular basis. In order to make the most of your opportunity, you are better off paying more money and using the best equipment available.

Instead of using my Sony a7 II, I hired two Sony a7R II camera bodies. The 42-megapixel sensor not only provides the opportunity to print large-format images with plenty of room to crop but it also produces cleaner images at higher ISOs with greater dynamic range.

Whilst we were flying back from the Statue of Liberty, I took this opportunity to capture the interior of the helicopter. By shooting with the 35mm lens wide open, I was able to turn Manhattan’s city lights into smooth bokeh balls, whilst keeping the dials on the dashboard sharp. Sony a7R ii, Sony Distagon T* FE 35mm f/1.4 ZA Lens @ 35mm, 1/250s @ f/1.4, ISO 2500.

3) Flexibility is important

When you’re investing time, money and resources into a project, planning is critical. However, life is often unpredictable and it is important to remember to make the most out of any given situation and to be resilient.

A few weeks prior to my flight I had discovered that a no-fly zone had been put in place around President Donald Trump’s Trump Tower in New York.

This no fly zone significantly impacted my plans and meant that a number of shots could not be achieved. With my flight around the corner, I was in two minds; do I bring up a telephoto lens and try to shoot the impacted landmarks from significantly further away or do I stick with my original plan and play it by ear?

This is my favourite image from my flight over Manhattan, however it only came about because air traffic control had directed us around Central Park, instead of flying through it like we had planned. This image serves as a reminder to always make the most of any given situation. Sony a7R ii, Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM Lens @ 30mm, 1/250s @ f/2.8, ISO 2000.

I chose the latter which was lucky as I did not foresee how much of an impact the surrounding three airports would have on my flight. Due to the wind direction, air traffic control was directing flights in such a way that particular parts of New York were a no fly zone. This ruled out any possibly of me being able to shoot those landmarks from afar.

I also discovered that air traffic control may also restrict your altitude and the flight path you take. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise as it pushed me creatively to photograph locations and buildings from new perspectives.

My recommendation is to plan, but do not be disheartened if things do not go exactly as you hoped. Instead, just keep on shooting and look for interesting and unique compositions.

As a result of the no fly zone, I was unable to capture Times Square looking directly down. Instead, I had to push myself creatively to capture this part of the city from a different perspective. Sony a7R ii, Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM Lens @ 52mm, 1/250s @ f/2.8, ISO 3200.

4) Make use of Image Stabilisation

Image stabilisation (IS) is a game changer in the world of photography. IS helps combat against motion blur, allowing you to lower your shutter speed by multiple stops. There are two types of IS, sensor stabilisation and lens stabilisation, the latter being the most common.

Neither of the lenses that I used on this flight had stabilisation built in. Fortunately, the Sony a7R II has in-body, five-axis IS. The sensor stabilisation did a great job mitigating the helicopter’s vibrations and reducing motion blur.

Being able to reduce my shutter speed and gain a few extra stops of light was the difference between me shooting at ISO 3,200 instead of ISO 8,000. I would always highly recommend using a stabilised lens or camera body over a non-stabilised equivalent.

Ultra-wide angle focal lengths are not typically useful for aerial photography. The wider you shoot, the harder it will be to compose an image without the helicopter’s door frame or landing gear encroaching into your image. Secondly, you are often so far away from your subject that shooting at 16mm is not necessary. This image I captured of southern Manhattan was taken at just 35mm. Sony a7R ii, Sony Distagon T* FE 35mm f/1.4 ZA Lens @ 35mm, 1/250s @ f/1.4, ISO 2500.

5) Shoot Wide Open

It may surprise you to know that for the entire flight, I shot both the 24-70 f/2.8 and 35mm f/1.4 wide open. When photographers shoot landscapes, they will usually stop down their lens in order to maximise depth of field. Fast, wide angle glass is typically used by photographers who either want shallow depth of field or for astrophotography.

Much like astrophotography, when you are shooting from a helicopter, your distance from the focal point is so great that even at f/1.4, the majority, if not all of the scene, is in focus. This allows you to lower your ISO and increase your shutter speed, reducing noise and motion blur.

This photo of the Empire State Building took a fair amount of research and planning. In order for the Empire State Building to draw the viewers’ attention, I wanted the smaller surrounding buildings to be cast in shadow, whilst still having the Empire State Building stand out, glowing in the golden light. Using my PhotoPills app, I calculated roughly what time I would need to take the photo. Thankfully everything went to plan and I walked away with a photograph that I’m really proud of. Sony a7R ii, Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM Lens @ 45mm, 1/250s @ f/2.8, ISO 3200.

Although shooting wide open has its advantages, there are drawbacks. As I had never used the 35mm prime lens before, I was unaware of how much vignetting was present at f/1.4 until I opened the files up in Lightroom. Although this can be easily fixed with the click of a button, this is going to add more noise to the corners of your images which diminishes the initial benefits of shooting wide open.

In addition, the majority of lenses do not perform at their best until they are stopped down. If you are planning on shooting into the golden hour or blue hour like I did, I would recommend using high quality, fast primes and stopping down around 1/3 of a stop, if there is sufficient ambient light to do so.

I captured this image whilst I was photographing the Washington Bridge in the lower left hand corner. In order to take a photo facing directly down without getting the landing gear in your image, the pilot has to bank the helicopter. This photo was taken whilst the pilot was straightening the helicopter which is why the horizon is so tilted. It really pays to always be on the lookout and to never stop shooting. Sony a7R ii, Sony Distagon T* FE 35mm f/1.4 ZA Lens @ 35mm, 1/100s @ f/1.4, ISO 6400

6) Utilise Burst Shooting Modes

Although we may be shooting a fixed subject, as the helicopter is constantly moving, the same principles used for shooting sports or moving objects can be applied. For this flight, I had set both cameras to use ‘Hi’ Continuous Shooting.

By choosing this drive mode over single-frame shooting, I would end up with a series of images, allowing me the flexibility to choose the frame with the least motion blur and the best composition. Upon reviewing my images post flight, there were a few instances where having additional images to choose from salvaged a shot which otherwise would have been unusable.

By shooting in continuous mode, I was able to select which photo out of a series of images had the least amount of motion blur and best composition. Sony a7R ii, Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM Lens @ 70mm, 1/250s @ f/2.8, ISO 3200

One issue I had not foreseen was how quickly the buffer would fill up on my cameras. The Sony a7R II creates very large files when shooting in uncompressed RAW format. There were a number of instances where I was either unable to review my images or missed out on a particular shot due to the buffer not clearing in time.

To rectify this, I changed my setting to ‘Lo’ Continuous Shooting and switched between cameras regularly to mitigate the issue. I would strongly recommend testing your camera’s buffer capacity prior to your flight.

Sensor technology has come such a long way and when using high end full frame cameras, we are able to produce workable images shooting at ISO 8000 and higher with the use of noise reduction. My noise reduction technique involves selectively masking in varying levels of noise reduction in Photoshop. For this image, I applied a large amount of noise reduction to the water and shadows, whilst applying only a small amount to the highlights and midtones. A small amount of sharpening was also added to the statue, to bring back some of the detail. Sony a7R ii, Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM Lens @ 70mm, 1/160s @ f/2.8, ISO 8000.

7) Base Your Lens Selection on the Lighting

When you fly with the doors of a helicopter removed, most companies will not let you switch lenses for safety reasons. This makes lens selection something you need to consider thoroughly before flying.

Fortunately, with two camera bodies, I was able to access two lenses. I knew for the first half of the flight while there was still enough ambient light, the 24-70mm was going to be my go-to lens. I enjoy using prime lenses, however having the ability to zoom turned out to be incredibly useful.

I would have happily shot the entire flight with that lens however as the light started to fade, switching to the 35mm f/1.4 prime was necessary to avoid really high ISOs. Being restricted to a fixed focal length for the last half of the flight was frustrating and made me wish I’d brought an 85mm f/1.4.

Zoom and prime lenses both have their place in aerial photography. The decision on what to bring is going to be heavily dictated by the lighting you have to work with.

8) Set Your Shutter Speed Just Fast Enough

During my research, I found opinions varied greatly on what minimum shutter speed to use. The reality is, when you are flying, there is no hard and fast rule. Focal length, sensor size, aircraft type, weather conditions and more will all affect the minimum shutter speed needed for blur free images.

On the day of our flight the weather was poor, but our pilot did his best to keep the helicopter steady. My plan was to start at 1/250s and take a number of test shots to determine how low I could set my shutter. I used 1/250s most of the time, but made adjustments as required.

9) Take the doors off!

If you are planning on taking a charted flight, make sure you check that they do ‘doors off’ flights. Having the doors off may seem intimidating, but it is the only way you can shoot from a helicopter without obstructions. Leaving the doors on will limit your compositions and give your images nasty reflections.

10) Safety Comes First

When you take a helicopter flight with the doors removed, ensuring that all of your equipment is securely attached to you is paramount. Any objects that could come loose such as lens caps or lens hoods, must be removed prior to your flight to ensure the safety of not only yourself, but the people below you.

Making sure your camera is securely attached whilst still giving you flexibility to manoeuvre is very important and a factor you should give great consideration. I found the Black Rapid Dual Camera strap to be a great solution. As opposed to straps which hang around your neck or across your body, this system works similar to a backpack and the cameras hanging on either side of your body. One other great feature about this system is its Lockstar Carabiner Protector which provides another safety mechanism, further reducing the chances of the camera becoming dislodged from the carabiner.

About the author: Dylan Giannakopoulos is a professional photographer based in Melbourne. See more of his work on his website, Facebook and instagram.