Using drones to take backdrop photographs? Edit - and other backdrop photo questions

["JaBear"]

Gidday Dave, all I know about them is that they exist, but would a 360° panoramic camera be of more use?

Cheers, the Bear.

[carl425]

hon30critter

Another advantage of using a drone would be to be able to take shots some distance from the road without having to crawl through the bush

I think you have a great idea.  I wouldn't count on this added advantage though because you'll end up crawling through the bush to retrieve your crashed drone.

If you try to match the angle of the shot with the viewing angle on the layout you should get good results.

[BNSF UP and others modeler]

I have a tiny bit of experience with drones. More so the rules. Yes, it is feasible to do what you described, but the price for one that would take higher quality pictures is going to be AT LEAST $100. Then you have to follow all the FAA rules. No flying near power lines, airports, commercial structures, or anything else that could somehow run afoul of your 'lil flying machine. And you have to liscence it. Thats another $5 for non commercial use. If you are planning on using the drone to make money (which I doubt you are) that costs $50. You cannot fly the drone out of eyesight, even with a camera. You cannot fly it higher than 500 ft. And historically, railroads haven't been real happy about drones near their trackage...

If none of this is a problem for what you have in mind, I'd be more than happy to give you some drone suggestions from what I have seen from online reviews, videos, specs, etc are good models. Just let me know.

[hon30critter]

Hi folks,

The club would like to use actual photographs to do the backdrop scenes in a few areas on the layout. We are having a bit of a time finding good shots with the proper perspectives. Specifically, we want shots of northern Ontario with rock cuts and outcroppings, heavily treed hills, water or marsh scenes and farm fields with barns etc.

Taking a shot from the side of the road at normal standing height brings the bottom of the picture in too close. We want shots that would represent the view of a scene on the far side of a set of tracks that are already some distance away. In other words, we want shots that suggest depth and distance rather than shots that start right at your feet. The perfect shot would be one with actual tracks in the foreground but finding those isn't easy.

Would a drone allow us to capture better shots? I'm thinking that if the drone was 20 or 30 feet in the air it would reduce the impression that the bottom of the shot is right at my feet. It would also allow me to shoot overtop of hydro lines and poles instead of photoshopping them out of the scene. Any ideas on whether or not that would work? Would taking a distant shot from that height affect the perspective enough to make the picture look strange?

If it would work, any suggestions on which drone(s) might do the job for a reasonable price?

Another advantage of using a drone would be to be able to take shots some distance from the road without having to crawl through the bush, but that is secondary to the issue about getting the correct perspective.

Thanks,

Dave