New technologies have opened incredible doors to photography and new professional opportunities to those who can utilize them. In this era of overabundance of supply and stimuli of every kind, it is more important than ever to set yourself apart and offer quality services at reasonable prices. in this regard, the ability to produce aerial or remote shots of equal quality to those shot from the ground is one of the most obvious aspects.

Be Original.

Let's start from a very simple assumption. Look at the two images below.
They were shot at Chateau Chaalis for the magazine FMR, featuring the recently discovered, beautiful frescoes by Primaticcio.
The first shot was taken from the ground, the second one at a height of 13 ft.
Four meters is not much, but look at how the perspective and the volumes of the different elements changed. In the first one, the different elements are all flattened together and the field in the front is very disturbing; in the second one the different planes are separated and, in between them, you can clearly see the field, the ruins, the dilapidated walls and the church.

To me, the second image is better than the first one, but this is not the most important part: the second image is original, never seen before.
Whomever looks at the picture shot from the ground will see the "normal" perspective seen so many times before. The second one, however, has a perspective never seen before, surprising in some ways.

New possibilities.

Look at the example below: we are in the Carthusian Monastery of Padula, in the Sala del Coro (Room of the Choir) divided in half by a transept. Just by raising the camera a few meters, I was able to obtain this very interesting image, never seen before, with the angels and the Saint in the front.
You can compare it to the more "normal" image shot from the ground.

Above and below.

This principle does not only apply to aerial shots but any shot taken from a different and original point of view. Already in the 1930s, the hungarian-american photographer Martin Munkacsi shot very original fashion pictures by shooting the models from above or below, obtaining surprising results. He became famous as the first photographer to the paid $1,000 for one picture.

Overlook Stand by Manfrotto

In the Manfrotto catalog you can find an extraordinary instrument: the 269HDBU-3U.
Originally a tall stand, I modified it (with the help of the engineers of the Manfrotto development department), to become a tripod.
It is light, easy to transport and affordable. It reaches a height of 21 feet / 7 meters.
You can easily level it, thanks to the adjustable legs and a spirit level.
At the maximum height, stabilizing cables (supplied with the tripod) will have to be used.

List of the stuff in the picture

Manfrotto Overlook Stand 269HDBU-3U
Hasselblad Tripod quick coupling H
For SRL cameras use Manfrotto 323 or 394 Plate Adaptor
Fire Wire: 32ft/10 mt Granite Digital Fire Wire Cable
USB: Hamlet Exagerate XUREP5 Extender Active Repeater Cable plus your standard USB cable

Manfrotto 190XB Tripod for the Laptop Plate
Manfrotto Laptop Holder 183
Self-made black cloth to shoot outdoor

An answer to a frequent question.

How can the tripod be stable? May I get a sharp picture?
The Overlook Stand is very tall and very light, but it's also very stable. According to the situation you may need to stabilize it.

Stabilizing cables are supplied with the tripod but, when needed I prefer to stabilize it putting the top of a light stand on one of the locking collars. At the maximum eight you must use cables.
Otherwise very often you will be able to work with any stabilizer.
Here below you can see five pictures taken at various heights without any stablizer. You will able to decide if they are sharp enough for your needs. You will notice also how few meters raising can produce very interesting or even impossible images.

 

See five examples in hi-res and full screen

10 ft / 3,5 mt

L'Aquila. Italy. A Church few months after the earthquake odf April 2009. The 10ft raise has produced a very interesting perspective.
This picture was taken with an Hasselblad digital back in multishot mode. This option requires an absolute stability.
You can see all the images in hi res and full screen clicking on the button on the right in the bottom of any image.
In most of the picture we applied our software ALCE to enhance the tri-dimensional effect of the pictures.

12 ft / 4 mt

Italy. A classic gruoup picture for a Marriage. Thanks to the elevation it was possible to shot with the camera at the height of the bride.
Navigating in hi-res inside the image you will be able to see any smaller detail

14 ft / 4,5 mt

Duomo di Orvieto, Italy. The temptation of Adam & Eve. With the Overlook Stand was very fast an simple achieve this image.
This was for an important books on great cathedrals. Notice the perspective  of the heads and the bodies. They were disegned to be seen from ground level, so the feet are smaller and the heads bigger

16 ft / 5 mt

Italian Alps. Taken for the advertising of Doppelmayr/Garaventa Corp. Five meter raising only have dramatically improved the perspective and the background of the mountains.

18 ft / 5,5 mt

A catalog shot Monier Inc, an important european tiles manifacturer, giving a big emphasis to the roof. Easy and quick to take.
You can see other pictures fronm this serie here >

All images are ©Roberto Bigano - www.bigano.com. It's permitted to snap the images for press purposes (or write us for a press folder).

Melden Sie sich bei unserer Newsletter an.

Melden Sie sich über ein einfach Formular bei unserem Newsletter-Service an. Wir werden Sie über aktuelle Berichte und Trends, Tutorials, Angebote und interessanten Beispiele auf dem Laufenden halten.