Landscape Photography Tips from the Plane

Air flights can be a big deal for someone. If some people can get worried about their flight, others can’t wait to board the airplane. But no one can deny how beautiful it is up there. After looking at the gorgeous sky, sunset, sunrise or just some fluffy clouds, the idea of taking a photo can pass through your mind.  

Although some of the airlines don’t permit to take photos inside the airplane, you are free to take pictures of the stunning view outside the plane. And, no matter you bring into action the shutter from your camera, or your phone, the picture can be equally astonishing, if it’s taken correctly. So, here are some tips for you to get the best pictures while having your air flights:

Get the Right Seat

For the beginning, you need your camera, no matter if it’s a DSLR or a mirrorless camera. Or you can use a smartphone, but you should remember that the better the camera of your smartphone is, the higher the photo quality you will get. Besides that, you will need the window from where you will take the shoot. So, during the flight booking, choose a seat near the window. We advise you get it in the back or the front of the plane, as it will bring you a clearer view, and you’ll decide if you want to put a part of the plane in your photo or not.

It gets a bit more complicated in case you got a window seat near the wing. If this happened to you, you will get your picture with a part of the wing or the engine in it, no matter you like it or not.

You lose nothing if your seat is not right in front of the window. You still can take your photos and then cut them as you like, or you can even incorporate the window in your photo.

Do Not Wait to Get Pictures

The more airplane climbs up the sky, the colder it gets, and as always the windows get frozen. Therefore, we suggest you taking pictures early, unless, you want to incorporate the ice from the window in your piece of art.

In case you want to take some photos of the ground, you would want to take them earlier or later as well. The best time to take these is when the plane takes off or before it lands. You may think that you’ll have enough time to take lots of pictures, especially if you take international flights, but you need to prepare your camera or your phone from the very beginning, and try not to lose the moment.

Learn to Work with the Special Windows

The plane’s windows are thick, and luckily this isn’t an impediment. But, on the other hand, windows can reflect the light, they can have scratches on the surface, and they can freeze up sometimes. So, depending on the situation, it can get difficult at times to get good-quality photos. Don't get disappointed so fast, as you can certainly work with that. You just need to know some tricks to get things right.

Firstly, hold your phone or your camera close to the window, but don't get these in direct contact. This will allow you to focus on the landscape outside, and the picture will get sharper a bit. Secondly, you'd want to turn off the flash, and the reading light as well, as the light will reflect on the window.

Let Your Imagination Fly

Everything said above can be neglected. You are the master of your camera and your phone, so feel free to put your imagination at work. Sunsets and sunrises are beautiful, but you can also get some unbelievable shots of the roads, fields, water bodies, clouds and many more.

There you go, some tips you can use while onboard of your flying plane. Use them wisely and feel free to modify them to your liking to get the best photos.

Last Updated on September 5, 2019.