My Introduction into Drone Photography

Throughout my career I’ve seen many opportunities missed for photographs because of not being able to get into the right position to take the photo. Aerial photography from the air has been very expensive, and even a helicopter can’t always get you in the right position. So, drone photography has filled a void in that kind of photography.

I was first introduced to drone photography in 2015 by a former student now realtor who deals with ranches and farms. They purchased DJI Phantom 3’s and 4’s to create short videos of the properties. I had the opportunity to observe them operating them and at times crashing them! I really was interested but the drones were out of my budget. Now, prices have come down and the drones are smaller and less intrusive. I purchased a DJI Mini 2 for business and personal use because of the cost and because it does what I need for the moment. The still and video quality is adequate for most kinds of thing I need right now.

Once I committed to purchasing the drone I then needed to prepare to get the commercial part 107 license. I began by researching on what I needed to know and looking for training materials. The best site I found for free was Altitude University which provided full video training. I also took as many practice tests as I could find. I scheduled to take the test in March and passed with a 93. About 3 weeks later the FAA updated the testing to include night flying and flying over people, so I took the renewal test to allow for this too.

It’s important to keep up to date with the changes the FAA makes so you can keep current and informed and out of trouble. While the FAA isn’t out looking for you there are plenty of public eyes watching what you do. I love flying my drone and use all of the photographic compositional skills I have to try to make my images strong. I have had enough work already to pay for the drone many times over already. For today’s photographers it’s another tool you can use to expand your business.