Shooting from a helicopter

<p>Hi,<br>

I am actually an artist by trade, and I paint aerial views of the rocky coasts of New England and its islands. So I paint what you see looking straight down from the sky. But so far I've been relying on the photographic work of others to see my subject. I have some great books and there are photos on the web if you go searching. Now it's time for me to see my subject for myself. I am going to hire a helicopter for a couple hours to take me to some of the beautiful locations of Maine. I am choosing a helicopter because I want to be able to stay and get close to a particular subject if I want, and also be able to hang out a bit to take photos.<br>

But I need a camera. I have a Nikon Coolpix 995 but I suspect it won't do the job. Will it? I am an average photographer and only take pictures to use as examples or inspiration. The perfect shot is not a requirement. But I don't want blurry, out of focus shots either. I would like to be able to set it and forget it if possible before I go up.<br>

If you have any advice on hardware, or in general, I would be very grateful.<br>

Thank you,<br />Rick<br>

<a href="http://www.rickgreenart.com">www.rickgreenart.com</a></p>

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<p>Take more than one camera....just in case... Try to use a camera that does not have shutter lag as you will be moving fast. </p>

<p>[[as you will be moving fast.]]</p>

<p>I must question Steve's familiarity with helicopters...especially rented ones where you're directing the pilot... :)</p>

 

<p>Helicopters, if you take off the doors, can give you a great deal of access that is more difficult in a plane, however, it isn't quite as easy as it sounds. I always get frustrated with the pilots not being where I need them when I need them there, but I do have high expectations and most of my work is chasing things that are moving--and sometimes very fast! I think for what you are doing, you might find the incredibly disparate fees of using an airplane versus a helicopter more palatable and maybe not all that less convenient, as they can make several passes for you. (I was paying about $150/hr for planes while the helicopters around there, east coast, 4 years ago were about $12-1500/hr. The small R-22's, if you can find them, are certainly cheaper, but that is a ride you will remember! R-44's aren't bad for what you want to do, take the doors off, harness yourself in and it is much easier getting from side to side than in a Jet or Long Ranger--but not as easy to position within it. Since you are working at sea-level, most of these birds will do the job, but don't expect them to be able to hover in place, especially the smaller ones, and less so the higher you go-- that is a bit of a misnomer, they just don't have the power to do it like you think--if you haven't flown them before, that is.</p>

<p>I suppose most any camera could get some reference shots, but generally you want a fairly high shutter speed to quell the vibration--better a gyro, but I have heard that camera image stabilization that many lenses have does not work well--better results without it. I didn't do the tests, I have a gyro, but was told this by someone I know is technically savvy.</p>

<p>The secret to getting the higher shutter speed is being able to control ISO and your aperture, something dSLR's do far better than point and shoots. I always tether my camera to my harness using mountain climbing grade carbiners (with the locks) and the more thin nylon rope, which I attach to the camera straps. If you are going to have the doors off, a waste of money if you don't, IMO, you need to either use a harness or be sure to tape shut the buckles on the seat belts--finding them open and undone on the ground is certainly better than the alternative, however, not a very pleasant discovery!</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

<p>The biggest problem is avoiding the vibration inherent in a flying aircraft - especially with a helicopter. Don't lean against the airframe while shooting, and <em>never </em>brace the camera against it either.<br /> The late Galen Rowell had some excellent advice on shooting from aircraft. He always used a fast, wide angle lens. This sounds counter-intuitive, as most people would think "telephoto lens" when shooting from that distance, but sharpness really suffers with a long lens unless you have a gyro-stabilizer (a very specialized and expensive piece of equipment). His preference was a Nikkor 35mm/f1.4 set wide open, and pre-focused to infinity, since everything you shoot from an aircraft is at "infinity", and you don't need much depth of field for these downward-looking shots. The wide open aperture gives you the fastest shutter speed to minimize blur. Today's Image-stabilizing lenses may help with vibration problem too (not all of them work well to combat aircraft vibration), but it doesn't sound like you want to make that kind of investment either.<br /> I would get a newer camera than the 995 for this purpose, as its capability are very limited. While a DSLR would be best, a modern point-and-shoot that has a fast maximum aperture and offers some manual control so that you can preset the widest focal length, widest aperture and infinity focus should give you acceptable results for your purposes. I would lean toward a Canon model, one that also has IS to help further with image sharpness. I have seen some amazingly good <em>night</em> photos of cityscapes taken from an aircraft with the Canon S90.</p>

<p>Rick<br>

My experience is based on flight time in a Bell 47 [Mash] helicopter with the big bubble. It has panoramic views and is not unacceptable even shooting through the bubble. For more fun and adventure definitely go with the doors off. You need to keep everything close and handle your equipment deliberately or it will be out the door before you know it. The Bell has a cruising speed of about 80 mph. And it can hoover and it can bank. Pretty much any good pilot can put the craft in any position you request. You will be able to communicate easily enough through the radio headset. That said my ride is noisy and full of vibration.<br>

The basics are really about vibration and movement in 3D. For that you need a shutter speed of at least 1/250 and I prefer 1/500. I have shot at 1/1000 without much more noticeable difference. You will generally be at an altitude of about 500 feet. That means your lens will be at infinity. I have used everything from wide angle to telephoto. It's your preference and your choice based on subject and whether you want detail or patterns. If you don't have a DSLR, consider renting. You can get lenses and even bodies from various places. I have used rentglass.com with success.<br>

In Maine there are many options. The lighthouses are many, although spread up and down the coast. Flight time can get you about 80 miles in an hour, or 40 miles on a round trip. I have always wanted to get the view from the sea looking in on the lighthouses rather than photographing from land. And then there are many lighthouses not accessible or visible from land. Otherwise the topography is worth photographing for the patterns. I can't speak to availability or cost of the ride. There is an airport in Lewiston where I know small helicopters fly. Otherwise Portland is probably the biggest airport in southern Maine.<br>

Best of luck.</p>

<p>Hello Again...<br>

Thank you all very much for your advice and suggestions. Not surprisingly, there are many considerations I hadn't...considered. I suspect this is a onetime event so it's good to hear about what does and does not work before I go up. I'll be using your suggestions to help select another camera.<br>

I'm looking into Coastal Helicopters Inc. The main purpose of this endeavor is just to be up there, looking down and experiencing the view for myself. I want there to be as little between me and the ground as possible. So I want to integrate the camera into that experience and record as much as I can for future reference without spending too much time looking through a lens. Also, I think it'll be a blast!<br>

Rick</p>