The golden hours, the magical moments just after sunrise and before sunset, offer ideal conditions for capturing breathtaking landscapes. With a drone, you can immortalize these unique moments from vantage points impossible to reach from the ground. Here’s a complete guide to successful aerial photography during these periods of soft, warm light.

Why shoot at sunrise or sunset with a drone?

Sunrises and sunsets offer unique advantages for aerial photography:

• Soft, warm light: the sun’s rays are more diffused, creating subtle shadows and rich colors.
• Dramatic sky: Clouds illuminated in pink, orange or violet add depth and texture to your shots.
• Less wind: Weather conditions are often calmer in the morning, which improves drone stability.

Find out more about the benefits of golden hours.

1. Prepare your flight for the golden hours

Plan ahead

1. Find your flying spot: Use tools like Google Earth or specialized applications (DroneDeploy, Litchi) to find open spots with a good view of the horizon.
2. Check the weather: Make sure there’s no rain or strong wind. Applications like Windy or UAV Forecast are ideal for drone pilots.
3. Check sunrise and sunset times: Tools such as TimeandDate or photography apps (PhotoPills, Sun Surveyor) can help you plan your session precisely.

Prepare your drone

• Charge the batteries: Cold mornings or long sessions can drain your drone’s energy quickly.
• Update the firmware: Make sure everything is up and running to avoid in-flight bugs.
• Take along accessories: ND filters, spare batteries, and a cloth for cleaning the lens.

See a complete guide to preparing for a drone flight.

2. Capturing the perfect light

Camera settings

1. Manual mode: Switch to manual mode to control exposure.
2. Low ISO (100-200): Keep ISO low to minimize noise in your photos.
3. Shutter speed: adapt to ambient light. Use ND filters if necessary to avoid overexposure.
4. White balance: Set manually (approx. 5000-6500 K for golden hours). This ensures natural colors.
5. RAW format: Shoot in RAW to maximize retouching possibilities in post-production.

Frame your scene

• Include strong elements: a mountain, a lone tree or a river to guide the eye through the image.
• Play with shadows and reflections: use long shadows to add depth to your photos.
• Capture the sky: If the colors of the sky are spectacular, don’t hesitate to give it a large part in the framing.

Use automated modes

Modern drones such as the DJI Air 2S or the Mavic 3 feature modes such as :

• Automatic panoramas: Perfect for capturing the breadth of landscapes.
• Hyperlapse: Ideal for showing the evolution of light on a scene.

Learn more about camera settings for drones.

3. Mistakes to avoid

1. Flying directly into the sun: This can create reflections or damage the camera sensor. Orient your drone to play with light angles.
2. Ignore drone shadows: Be aware of the shadows cast by your drone on the scene, especially if you’re close to the ground.
3. Lingering after sunset: Drones are less visible in the dark, increasing the risk of incidents.

4. Post-processing of sunrise and sunset photos

1. Adjust color balance: Accentuate warm tones (orange, red) without overdoing it.
2. Increase dynamic range: Correct shadows and highlights to recover maximum detail.
3. Add local contrast: Use tools like Lightroom to accentuate textures in clouds or reflections.

Discover a tutorial for editing your drone photos.

5. Safety tips

• Respect local drone flight regulations, including maximum altitudes and prohibited areas.
• Avoid flying over crowds or sensitive natural areas, especially at sunrise, when animals are active.
• Always keep your drone within sight, even in changing light conditions.

Find out more about drone regulations in Europe.

Conclusion

Photographing sunrises and sunsets with a drone is a gratifying experience that allows you to capture unforgettable scenes. With the right preparation, precise settings and careful post-processing, your shots will reflect all the beauty of these magical moments. So get your drone ready and set off to immortalize these unique moments in the sky!

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Download photography apps to plan your flights.