By switching your DSLR camera to Manual, you'll be able to set the shutter speed, aperture and ISO, allowing you to tinker with
these until you get the perfect marriage of all three. This setting also prevents the camera from firing the pop-up flash, which
in this scenario, leaves you with photos of a bright window. It is important to familiarize yourself with your camera's controls,
so you can quickly adjust the various settings mid-flight.
Because of the lack of a major light source, the camera's shutter needs to stay open longer so light can reach the sensor. However,
when the shutter stays open longer, objects in motion blur. Because you'll be in a helicopter, the landscape you're photographing
will be moving. Ideally, you would want your shutter to remain open for at least 30 seconds, but the photos might turn out too
blurry aboard a helicopter. Try various shutter speeds as close to the 30-second mark as possible. A camera stabilizer can also
help to prevent blurring.
When it comes to night photography, the larger the depth of field, the better off the shots will be. This is especially true when
photographing lit buildings. Remember when altering the aperture, you’ll need to adjust the shutter speed accordingly. While an
aperture setting of f/11 with a shutter speed of 30 seconds would be ideal, in a moving helicopter, the images will turn out blurry.
You might try an aperture setting at f/8 with a shutter speed of 15 seconds. This could work well for photographing the length
of the Strip. Again, you'll want to quickly play around with the settings to find that perfect marriage.
If the adjustments you've made to the aperture and shutter speed still aren't producing the desired shots, you can try upping your
ISO. Increasing the ISO increases the sensitivity of the image sensor, resulting in better exposures in low-light conditions. The
tradeoff here is that a higher ISO adds noise to your image, particularly in the darkest portions of the image. Some noise can be
edited out after the fact. Use the lowest ISO you can without creating too much noise.
You've got an eye for interesting, so let your curiosity lead your lens. Look for unique shapes and colors. Try to find interesting
lines occurring in the cityscape, and photograph those. Water features, of which there are a few on the Strip, are also deserving of
your lens' attention. The water collects and softens the colorful lights. Don't be afraid to try out different focal lengths. What
looks bland at 18 mm may look striking at 55 mm.
By using these tips, you'll be sure to take professional photographs aboard your
helicopter tour of Las Vegas. Your Instagram followers will be extremely impressed.