Using a Drone to Light a Long Exposure

Drone Photography  •  Long Exposure Photography  •  Photography Tips

Drones, in recent years, have been able to establish themselves as a popular addition to a photographer or videographer’s arsenal. The fact that they’re equally capable on the photography and videography front, makes them a rather handy tool. Then, there’s the unique perspective they allow us to shoot from, which is what differentiates it from other photography tools. However, today’s video covers a slightly different aspect. The team of photographers from TMS Productions demonstrates how you can use a drone as a lighting accessory and take a really cool looking long exposure:

The idea is quite simple. Mitchell simply sticks two Lume cubes, which are just your basic high-powered mini-LED lights, to a drone using some double-sided tape. With this, the drone now becomes an aerial light source that you can conveniently control and fly around. He then sets the drone to circle automatically around a subject in a dark environment and captures a long exposure. As you can see in the video, the team also adds another light panel behind the subject to create a separation from the background. This further emphasizes the subject.

You can easily try this technique in an open and safe place at night. However, before lifting off, make sure to check that the drone’s propellers are clear of any obstacles and that it can easily lift the load without losing balance. Also, you might need to experiment with your exposure settings to get a good-looking result. So, be sure to have some patience with the process.

Will you be giving this long exposure technique a shot?