Aerial View Maps

What products do I need for this photography job?

I was hired for aerial photos from a place for an event - which lenses, flashes, body kits, and accessories are best for this? Also - I need more equipment for indoor pet/owner photos. Black backdrop? Specific flashes? etc? Tell me everything you know! What you would recommend, etc! which studio lighting & backdrops would be best?

Public Comments

1. Uh...a flash is going to be useless for aerial photos. A good camera with a decent lens is all you need. Oh...use a polarizer...reflections off the canopy will play hell with your images. As far as indoor pets & people, google "studio lighting" for some ideas. You don't say whether or not you have a studio, so look into portable lights.
2. You did not provide enough information to really be able to provide a good answer. By "aerial", do you mean from a plane/helicopter or from a catwalk? What type of event is it? Since you are asking about "body kits", does that mean you need the camera body also? What equipment do you already have? Nothing personal, but why did you take a job if you don't know what you are doing? That normally is a quick way to wind up getting sued (or getting a bad reputation). As far as pet/people sessions, what equipment do you already have? For lighting, I use various types and amounts of light. I use constant (hots) and strobe (flash) lights together, other times it maybe natural and reflected light. It really depends on where/when you are shooting and what you are trying to accomplish. I would recommend that you take some beginner and intermediate college courses and then spend a couple of years assisting a professional photographer who does the type of work you are wanting to get into.
3. Flash on aerial shots - you really are kidding around I hope. As for everything else. Surely if you have been HIRED for this then it is because the client has seen your previous work in this genre and that would mean you already know. If you have no idea of what equipment you need then please do yourself and your potential customer a favour and tell them you do not have the necessary knowledge and skills to do this.
4. So you don't have a camera but want to buy one to get paid to use it. For one, after you pay the $3000 for all the stuff you need and get paid a few hundred if you're lucky, Do you have any clue how to take a picture?
5. You need to hook up with this other Yahoo photographer, ♥All I Wanted♥ (just look for the name under recent questions and a butterfly avatar). Together you two could be great. Like when you are up in the plane she could be holding the flash on the ground to get some great night shots.