Drone Aerial Photography and Videography

Congratulations, your small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) – drone - is a marvel of modern technology. This book was written to help you collect high-quality drone aerial photography and videography and then accurately interpret the imagery. It was written for 1) recreational drone enthusiasts who know very little about flying their drone, 2) high school and college students studying drones, and 3) professionals who use drones in their work. This multi-touch book uses specially-prepared drone aerial photographs, aerial videos, and interactive diagrams to explain important principles. Most references and Internet sources of information are hot-linked in the text. Chapter 1 introduces the exciting, new “unmanned aircraft era” and the fact that you are actually doing “personal remote sensing.” Chapter 2 describes the anatomy of fixed-wing and multi-copter (e.g., quad-copter) drones. Chapter 3 summarizes the updated FAA rules and regulations as of December 12, 2017, you must follow when operating your sUAS in U.S. National Airspace and the importance of using a logbook and a pre-flight checklist. Chapter 4 describes how drones collect single-frame aerial photography and multiple-frame videography, and the special sensors that can be used (e.g., RGB, near-infrared, thermal-infrared, LiDAR). Chapter 5 describes how to use the “Elements of Image Interpretation” and “Methods of Search” to visually interpret your drone aerial photography and videography. Chapter 6 presents fifteen real-world drone applications. Chapter 7 reviews the requirements for becoming an FAA Certified Remote Pilot if you are going to use your drone for work or business. Chapter 8 discusses timely topics that are of great interest to drone pilots-in-command. Chapter 9 identifies societies, organizations, and journals interested in drones. Chapter 10 provides formal references. An interactive Glossary defines important words and phrases. Reading this book will help you become a much better aerial photographer/videographer who understands how to safely collect and interpret drone aerial photography and videography.