Q&A with Pro Aerial Photographer Petra Leary
March 31, 2021
Image credit: Petra Leary
Drones have made life a lot easier for award-winning aerial photographer and videographer Petra Leary (@petraleary), who used to climb cranes to secure the perfect viewpoint.
The NZ-based DJI ambassador has since cast her unique eye over all kinds of places, from Brooklyn basketball courts to Australian salt deserts, capturing strikingly bold, geometric images that have attracted worldwide attention and clients such as Ford, Virgin Australia, and Conde Nast.
Here Petra shares some of her amazing work, a bit about her style and career, and a few expert tips for other drone photographers. Read on for more.
Image credit: Petra Leary | Shot on the DJI Inspire 2 Pro
Tell us how you got into aerial photography and video.
I've been interested in aerial photography for quite a long time now – before I owned a drone. I shot with a DSLR and would scale high structures like cranes and rooftops to get that perspective. Or I would take helicopter flights in places like Miami, San Francisco and New York to shoot aerial photographs, which was an amazing experience.
Following on from that, my first drone was a DJI Phantom 3, which I bought a couple of hours after having a turn on a friend’s. I was instantly hooked and had to get my own one that same day.
Image credit: Petra Leary for Vic NZ
How did you develop your style?
I think my style was something that I subconsciously developed after studying graphic design and just having a general interest in design and architecture.
I find that I’m just drawn toward particular aesthetics like symmetry, alignment and bold graphic locations and I like to have my subjects balanced within my compositions.
I feel that over the years my style has carried these same foundations but naturally developed as I am constantly learning technical skills, shooting different subjects, and working on new ideas.
Image credit: Petra Leary for Blunt Umbrellas
How did you get into doing commissioned work? What’s it like shooting for a client brief?
My commissioned work has come from companies, agencies and brands seeing my work via Instagram, my website or in printed publications.
I love shooting client briefs. It's great because you end up doing all sorts of different things, shooting such a mixed variation of subjects and traveling a lot. And it’s been great to make so many cool contacts and friends through these jobs.
I find working with clients a fun experience. Having someone else's input and eye while shooting is super cool as you get to work together creating the shots and the final results are always really interesting to see. I feel like I always come away learning something new.
Image credit: Petra Leary | Shot on the DJI Phantom 4 Pro
What kind of gear do you use and recommend?
Up until a few days ago, my gear consisted of a DJI Phantom 4 Pro, DJI Mavic 2 Pro, DJI Smart Controller, and DJI Inspire 2 Pro with the DJI Zenmuse X5S. I just sold my DJI Phantom 4 Pro as I got the Inspire 2 last month.
I use a variety of filters for the different aircrafts as well as the Lume Cube lighting kit for some shoots.
The DJI Inspire 2 Pro is my newest addition and so far I've found it a pretty awesome step up in quality, especially in lower light situations. The Inspire 2 is something I have more specifically for commercial use as some jobs require higher resolution video or larger photos.
I love the DJI Mavic Pro 2. The size/compatibility of it is so handy, and the quality of the images is pretty amazing. One of my favourite features of the Mavic Pro 2 is the way it keeps your settings linked when switching from camera to video, meaning you don't have to be constantly readjusting your shutter speed, aperture etc. if you want to take a photo in between shooting video.
For people wanting something compact and good quality for fun, the DJI Mavic Pro 2 would be my recommendation. Having the ability to shoot 4K on the Mavic is great too and combined with the DJI Smart Controller, it’s a great setup.
Image credit: Petra Leary
What are your go-to drone photography settings?
My go-to for a lot of the shooting I do is utilising Tripod mode within the DJI Intelligent Flight modes. Tripod mode reduces the sensitivity of the controls and the speed of the aircraft, which is really handy when composing shots that require centring the subject or getting close to objects. It’s also a great way to keep your motion nice and smooth with video if it’s not something that needs to be fast-paced.
Another go-to for me is the Multiple/Burst Shot mode when shooting stills. This is great when shooting skateboarding, sports or fast-moving subjects as capturing multiple frames per shot gives me the ability to select the best frame as the final image.
Image credit: Petra Leary for Destination Great Lake Taupo
What do your ideal aerial photography conditions look like?
Early morning or late afternoon light (low sun) with no wind are my ideal conditions.
Image credit: Petra Leary
Can you share some of your favourite locations to shoot?
My all-time favourite city to shoot is New York. I love photographing basketball courts and New York has an endless amount of courts that vary from the classic street courts to crazy custom-painted full courts by all sorts of artists.
Image credit: Petra Leary
Who are some of your favourite aerial artists?
One of my all-time favourites would have to be Costas Spathis (@Spathumpa). He’s someone I have followed for a long time now and his style and work have never disappointed.
Another favourite of mine is Tobias Hagg (@Airpixels). I’d say he’s one of the OG drone photographers and really paved the way for so many others.
Image credit: Petra Leary
What’s your advice to beginner and more experienced aerial photographers or filmmakers?
For someone new to aerial photography, I'd say finding your own style is the most important thing. It's what makes photography fun and interesting because your style will come more naturally than trying to copy someone else. It’s also how your work will stand out from others.
Another important thing is learning to shoot manual. Being able to understand the technical side of the camera is pretty fundamental to photography of any sort and allows you to shoot in all sorts of lighting and produce high quality work.
For the more experienced aerial photographers and filmmakers, I think just keep on doing what you do, haha. I love watching the community of aerial photographers constantly pushing new boundaries of what is possible with drones. It’s been such a cool experience to get to know some of the other prominent drone pilots from across the world over the years and watch how they have all continued to work in the field and grow their own styles.
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