What Do You Learn on a Drone Photography Workshop?

Buying a drone is easy. Learning how to consistently create strong photographs with one takes more work.

Modern drones are incredibly capable, but owning a flying camera does not automatically make someone a better aerial photographer. That is where a drone photography workshop can help.

At Akari Photo Tours, our drone workshops are built around photography first. Flying is part of the experience, but the goal is to help you use your drone as another creative tool in your camera bag.

We Help You Fly With More Confidence

For newer pilots, we work on takeoffs, landings, positioning and controlling the drone in different environments.

The goal is not complicated flying. It is controlled flying.

As you become more comfortable with the aircraft, you can spend less time thinking about the controls and more time thinking about the photograph.

You Will Learn to See From the Air

Aerial photography requires a different way of seeing.

From above, rivers become leading lines, rock formations become patterns and shadows become important compositional elements.

We often describe a drone as a tripod in the sky. You can move higher, lower, left, right, forward or backward until the elements in the landscape begin working together.

We Help You Improve Your Compositions

Traditional photography principles still matter in the air.

We work on:

• Lines, curves and patterns
• Simplifying busy scenes
• Using altitude to change perspective
• Straight-down and landscape compositions
• Abstract photography
• Negative space and scale

Sometimes moving a drone 20 or 30 feet makes more difference than flying another 200 feet higher.

We Help You Understand Light

Light remains the foundation of photography—even when your camera has propellers.

Low-angle light reveals texture, ridges and geological patterns while shadows can become part of the composition.

That is why our workshops concentrate on the best photography conditions, including sunrise and sunset, rather than simply flying during convenient sightseeing hours.

Hands-On Instruction While You Fly

One of the biggest advantages of a drone photography workshop is having an instructor like James Begeman, Kevin Lisota or Mindy Huston beside you while the photograph is happening.

They can look at your controller, discuss the scene and suggest another composition while the light is still good.

That is considerably more useful than trying to remember something from a YouTube video you watched six months ago.

We Help You With Camera Settings and Advanced Techniques

We also cover the technical side of aerial photography, including:

• Shutter speed, ISO and exposure
• Histograms and highlight protection
• RAW photography
• Exposure bracketing
• Panoramas
• Video and smooth flight movements
• Hyperlapses and automated flight modes

We also spend time reviewing and processing images so you can understand why one composition worked better than another.

Small Groups Matter

Drone instruction works best in small groups.

Our workshops are intentionally limited so instructors can spend meaningful time beside each participant—looking at images, troubleshooting problems and suggesting compositions while you are actually flying.

There is another important reason we keep our groups small: fewer drones in the air.

When the light is at its best, we don’t want a dozen drones competing for the same airspace or photographers waiting for their turn to fly. Smaller groups mean less congestion, fewer distractions and more opportunity for everyone to have their drone in the right position when the conditions come together.

Because sometimes the best light lasts five minutes. You shouldn’t spend three of them waiting to take off.

We Handle the Logistics

Finding great places to fly takes more planning than most photographers realize.

Locations need to be visually interesting, legally accessible, practical for launching and positioned correctly for the light.

We scout the locations, plan transportation and timing, and provide charging solutions where needed.

Your job is largely to arrive with your drone and concentrate on photography.

The Goal Is Better Photography

Ultimately, our drone workshops are not really about drones.

They are about photography.

We want you to return home with more confidence in your flying, stronger technically and better at recognizing photographs from the air.

Stop simply flying your drone and start photographing with it with Akari.

Check out our drone photography workshops at Akari Photo Tours.