Ron Shoots

Sydney is even more amazing from the air. There’s dozens of bays, beaches and small harbors. With the third day in a row of beautiful weather, I set-up a quick 2 hour helicopter shoot to photograph the city from a different perspective.

Good pilots are key!

The pilot I worked with today was excellent. He was extremely knowledgeable of all the local sites as well as the permissions we would need to get from Air Traffic Control to accomplish the shots I wanted. For example, the scene above is shot from “restricted” air space and needs to be cleared by the tower before entering- this space is set aside for approaching jets to the Sydney International Airport. We were allowed to “pop-up” for a few minutes before having to clear the airspace.

When shooting aerials, a good pre-production meeting with the pilot is essential. We made a basic route plan and he showed me, in advance, areas where we would need clearance. Working our the details on the ground is far better than trying to figure out things in the air when time is money.

Always looking for a different angle!

I’m always looking for a different perspective on the classic shots. While the classic may have more staying power for most audiences, having an alternate angle is not only fun to shoot, but gives the client more choice.

In this case, the 1,000 ft tall Sydney Tower dominates the skyline. The pilot was able to get us clearance to move through the business district. I then saw my opportunity for the different angle- why not shoot straight down on the tower! Most of the time, we spend our time looking up, so let’s have a look down. I had the pilot fly sideways so I would have plenty of time to set up the shot.

Thanks Pete, for helping make this shoot a success!