{Most professional} drone photographers cease practising primary flight maneuvers as soon as they’ve mastered their craft. Joanna Steidle — with over 35 worldwide awards and options in Smithsonian Journal—flies round her ceiling fan at the very least 10 occasions every week.
“Even when I hit it proper as soon as, you simply preserve practising,” she stated, in an unique interview with The Drone Lady.
It’s a small element that reveals one thing essential about how Steidle has constructed one of the acknowledged portfolios in drone images. Whereas many photographers chase the most recent gear or probably the most unique areas, Steidle has constructed her success on what’s much less glamorous — spending time on participating on social media, technical mastery, deliberate constraints and an virtually obsessive consideration to craft.
What gear Joanna Steidle makes use of lately
When DJI launched the Mavic 4 Professional, Steidle wished to attend.
“I actually wished to attend and get the second within the sequence,” she stated. “I at all times discover that the second within the sequence is so significantly better.”
It’s an uncommon philosophy in an trade pushed by early adopters and kit evaluations. However Steidle has discovered that the latest expertise isn’t at all times one of the best instrument for the job — and that mastering what you have got issues greater than continually upgrading.
She finally bought the Mavic 4 Professional solely due to considerations about potential bans affecting future availability. However months later, she nonetheless hasn’t opened the field.
“I haven’t even turned it on but,” she stated.
As an alternative, she continues taking pictures all her award-winning fantastic artwork images on the Mavic 3 Professional — a drone she is aware of intimately. Most award-winning photographs in her portfolio have been shot on that very same platform.
Her full equipment displays this purposeful strategy:
- Mavic 3 Professional: For all fantastic artwork images work
- Mini 4 Professional: Reserved for instructing classes
- Avata 2: For FPV footage by bushes and fast-paced industrial work
- Phantom 4 Professional: An older mannequin she’s held onto for a “actually artistic” summer season undertaking (keep tuned!)
The technical calls for of aerial fantastic artwork
When Steidle says she will spend weeks modifying a single {photograph}, she’s not exaggerating.
“Folks need six to eight toes on their wall,” she explains. “I must get down into each little pixel so as to enlarge and nonetheless preserve that readability.”
That degree of element requires a basically completely different strategy than most drone images. She’s not simply adjusting publicity and saturation. She’s inspecting the feel of water, the readability of bubbles, the best way gentle interacts with natural surfaces, all at a scale the place any imperfection turns into instantly seen.
Her dolphin “Motherhood” sequence exemplifies this problem.
“It’s very uncommon to get that type of readability on bubbles transferring that quick,” she stated.
The bubbles needed to be sharp sufficient to enlarge dramatically whereas nonetheless showing pure. Every required particular person consideration.
Mastering gentle by repetition
One of the technically demanding points of Steidle’s marine life images is one thing that sounds easy: positioning the drone relative to the solar.
“As soon as I take the drone up and I see the situations when it comes to solar and lighting, I fly up, I fly out in the direction of the solar, I flip round, I maneuver the drone so I can see one of the best angles,” she stated. “Typically taking pictures somewhat extra into the solar is an efficient factor — you’d be stunned — and typically it’s not.”
That dolphin shadow falling completely on the mom’s stomach on the picture above? That required understanding precisely the place the solar was, how the shadow would fall, and positioning the drone on the exact angle to seize it. It wasn’t luck. It was technical execution based mostly on understanding gentle.
Equally, her “One other World” {photograph} — that includes cow nostril rays transferring by colleges of baitfish — benefited from solar rays penetrating crystal-clear water.
“There wasn’t numerous touch-ups on that as a result of the solar rays have been simply so excellent the best way they got here by,” she recollects. “Nevertheless it was only a matter of pulling out these greens and lights and highlights.”
Why Steidle doesn’t usually journey for her drone work
Whereas many drone photographers diversify their areas, topics and types (and spend 1000’s of {dollars} touring the world to take action), Steidle has intentionally constrained herself geographically — and argues it’s made her higher.
Geographically, she focuses virtually completely on the East Coast. Topic-wise, she concentrates on marine life, coastal patterns, marshes and top-down abstracts.
Her picture modifying software program
She began utilizing solely Photoshop, instructing herself by trial and error. Finally she added Lightroom, however reluctantly.
“It wasn’t till somebody stated, ‘You gotta do Lightroom now, sufficient’s sufficient, you’re a photographer,’” she recollects.
Just lately she accomplished a DaVinci course for colour grading and masking. Every new instrument will get added intentionally, mastered totally, then built-in into her workflow.
“If you self-teach your self, you miss loads,” she acknowledges. “There’s numerous these little basic items that may actually make your time, prioritize your time and actually put it to use to one of the best of your potential.”
That’s why, regardless of 35+ awards, she nonetheless takes programs. That’s why she nonetheless practices flying across the ceiling fan. Technical mastery isn’t a vacation spot — it’s steady refinement.
The flying abilities others overlook
When Steidle talks about utilizing the Avata 2 to fly by bushes at excessive pace or navigate tight indoor areas, she’s not simply exhibiting off. She’s sustaining abilities that straight enhance her wildlife images.
“I actually do prefer to fly quick,” she stated. “I’d reasonably fly as quick as I probably can at each given second. And I believe it was one of many main issues that I struggled with, was slowing down for cinematic footage. I used to be like, ‘That is so boring,’ however it’s lovely. And it’s what sells.”
That rigidity between her pure flying model and what the work requires compelled her to develop exact management in any respect speeds. Quick FPV flying builds reflexes and spatial consciousness. Gradual cinematic flying builds persistence and smoothness. Collectively, they create a pilot who can place a drone precisely the place it must be when a pod of dolphins seems unexpectedly.
The marine life images requires each ability units. She wants the persistence to hover in place for prolonged durations, awaiting habits. However when the second comes — when the sunshine hits the dolphin calf at precisely the fitting angle — she wants the reflexes to seize it earlier than it’s gone.
“I had my shutter proper, I had all the pieces in line, I had all the pieces ready,” she stated of the dolphin shot. That preparation solely issues for those who can execute when it counts.
Minimalism in her aerial images
Steidl describes a lot of her work as minimalistic, but it surely’s a technically demanding minimalism.
“I wish to deal with the coastal line, the marine life, sand patterns, marshes, top-down abstracts,” she explains. Every requires completely different technical approaches however shares that minimalist aesthetic — exhibiting simply sufficient to inform the story.
What’s subsequent past practising round her ceiling fan
“If you consider it, I’ve solely been doing images for 5 years. I’m actually solely in my infancy,” Steidle stated.
For somebody with 35+ awards, that assertion may sound like false modesty. However she means it technically. She’s recognized particular abilities she desires to develop: higher colour grading, extra refined masking, superior methods for managing large-scale prints.
“I positively don’t assume my work is so implausible it doesn’t want enchancment,” she stated. “We at all times must focus and enhance, whether or not that be simply flying abilities… you simply preserve practising.”
It’s that technical humility — mixed with confirmed mastery — that separates skilled craft from novice enthusiasm. She is aware of what she’s good at. She additionally is aware of precisely the place she will enhance and actively works on these particular abilities.
When she talks about her upcoming humpback whale lunge-feeding undertaking, she’s not simply fascinated about getting fortunate with a spectacular second. She’s fascinated about the technical problem of capturing one thing “you possibly can’t get from a ship” — a top-down perspective of whales charging open-mouthed by baitfish, with readability on each the whales and the scattering fish.
That’s a technical drawback requiring particular options in positioning, timing, publicity, and post-processing. It’s the type of problem that retains her practising across the ceiling fan.
As a result of even after 35 awards, there’s at all times yet another technical ability to grasp.
Observe Joanna Steidle’s work on Instagram @joannasteidle or go to JoannaSteidle.com to see her newest marine life images and technical approaches.
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