How can I plan the drone positions and angles for an Inception-style vertical perspective photo?
Asked 12/28/2016
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I want to create an Inception-style composite where multiple drone shots taken at different heights are stitched together to exaggerate vertical perspective. How can I work out the drone positions, heights, and camera angles for each shot? Is there a practical way to calculate this from a map or scene geometry, or is it mainly done by testing and matching frames afterward?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
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While calculation should be possible, I would rather recommend trial and error to begin. Start with your drone filming as it ascends. Then take screenshots from still-frames from the video. Do your stitching and see whether your image looks good to you. If so, make a note where in your video clip you took the screenshots. If your drone ascends slowly at a constant rate, then you can calculate its height from where you took your still frames: say it rose for 60 seconds and your first shots is taken at the 5 seconds mark in the video, your next at 10 seconds, your next at 20 seconds, your fourth at 60 seconds. Then your shots were taken at 5/60ths, 10/60ths, 20/60ths and 60/60ths of the way up.
Originally by user34203. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user34203
9y ago
0
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In theory you can estimate it, but in practice this is usually planned by trial and error.
A practical method is to fly the drone straight upward at a slow, constant rate while recording video. Then pull still frames from the footage at different times, stitch them, and see which combination gives the look you want. If the ascent rate is constant, frame time gives you relative height: e.g. frames at 5s, 10s, 20s, and 60s during a 60s ascent correspond to 5/60, 10/60, 20/60, and 60/60 of the total climb.
Exact calculation is difficult because real scenes are 3D, not flat. If the scene were mostly flat, you could compare the photo to a map, identify matching points, and estimate distances and viewing geometry. With known object sizes and map distances, you can approximate height and line-of-sight relationships using basic right-triangle geometry.
So: exact latitude/longitude, height, and angle for every shot are generally not solvable precisely from the finished effect alone. The workable approach is to use a map for rough planning, then refine with test footage and frame selection.
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