Drone Photography For New Point of Views

Advancing technology continues to enable us to do things we couldn't do before. In these days when autonomous vehicles are undergoing test drives, discussions are held about whether robots will replace humans in the future, and applications constantly improve themselves with machine learning and artificial intelligence, undoubtedly one of the most fascinating areas of development is drones. Drones, which can provide even more added value in commercial fields, also pique the interest of consumers like us. They open up a whole new world, especially if you're a photography enthusiast. You can now capture shots that you could never have imagined taking before. However, you need to change your mindset because you no longer have to be physically present to capture a specific frame! As long as your drone's range allows and the laws permit, you can take remote shots with your drone.

I also bought myself a drone, thinking that living in California would allow me to capture both photos and videos of the Pacific Ocean. Normally, drones like the 3DR Solo drone used to cost around $1000, but I got mine for an all-inclusive price of $299 because the company is now shifting its focus to a B2B business model and discontinuing its consumer product. I was thrilled about this deal and got curious about this hobby. As someone who is curious about technology, I always try to research any product I purchase thoroughly. I wanted to share the knowledge I gained during my research and experiences, thinking that it might be helpful to you.

After briefly introducing the main components of drones, let's take a look at which drone to buy and what features to consider. First of all, I won't make a specific brand recommendation; I'll mention the important features I think are crucial. The decision is up to you and your budget.

• Weight and Size: As expected, this factor is the most important one affecting portability. If you have a drone as large as mine, you should carry it in your car's trunk; it's not suitable for hiking as a backpack. However, if you have a drone like the DJI Mavic Pro, one of the latest models, its foldable design allows you to carry the entire system in a small backpack.
• Camera: If you're a photographer, you'll pay the same attention to your drone's camera as you do to your camera and lenses. While most drones have their own built-in cameras, my drone works with an additional GoPro camera. This actually works well for me because I use the GoPro Hero 4 Black Edition camera, which offers excellent image quality. Most cameras included with drones are also good, but I trust GoPro's specialized cameras more. By the way, it's worth noting that nowadays, all cameras are capable of shooting in 4K resolution.
• Flight Time: Drones consume a lot of energy while flying, and their time in the air is a critical factor affecting your shooting. Most drones offer an effective flight time of 8 to 12 minutes. At the end of this time, you land the drone, replace the fully charged spare battery, and take off again. I recommend having at least two fully charged spare batteries.
• Communication Protocol with Remote Control: This is one of the most confusing aspects. Some drones communicate with the remote control unit via Wi-Fi, while others use radio frequencies. Wi-Fi connections have a more limited range, while systems that use radio frequencies can communicate smoothly from several kilometers away.
• Obstacle Detection System: In more advanced models, if there's an obstacle in the direction you're flying, the drone detects it and prevents a collision. My drone doesn't have this feature, but when flying a drone, you should always maintain visual contact. As long as you do that, the absence of an obstacle detection system is not a significant issue.

On the other hand, automatic pilot capabilities help you create creative shots. Each model has many different features, but the ones I use the most on my drone are the "orbit" mode, where you define a center point and the drone orbits around it while keeping the focus constantly on the center, and the "follow me" mode, where the drone follows you as you move. In the orbit mode, since the drone determines the orbit itself, it's important to check whether there are any obstacles on the orbit in advance. You can adjust the orbit radius and speed. In the follow mode, when you put your smartphone in your pocket and start moving, the drone follows you from behind. Especially when moving with a vehicle, you can capture great shots.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this article about flying drones, it's essential to comply with the laws. This is indeed crucial. When you shoot in the wrong places, the police can confiscate your drone, give you warnings, and in some cases, you can even be accused of terrorist activities and arrested, especially when flying near national landmarks or places of significant importance to countries and their brand value. There's no room for joking about this issue; please research whether it's allowed to fly a drone where you plan to fly it. Some apps show you where you can fly your drone on a map for some countries. For example, in the United States, where I currently live, I use the "Hover" app, which shows me where I can fly very clearly and simply. Check if there's such an app available for the country you're in; it will be very helpful.

After all this writing, I couldn't skip sharing a video I shot with my drone. Below, you can find a video I captured using the orbit mode of the Pigeon Point lighthouse near San Francisco. If you enjoyed the video and this article, don't forget to share using the buttons below. See you in my next post...