Aerial footage is a booming industry. It used to be that you’d have to hire a pilot to do fly-bys with a professional photographer shooting from the sky. Now, things are a little bit different. Thanks to drone manufacturers like DJI, photographers are now able to get those impossible shots. Drones have had a bad rap as they are commonly used as war machines that seek and destroy. So naturally, the term quadcopter fits to deter that stigma. I personally love the name drone, and it gives you the understanding that something which can fly autonomously can be classified as such.

DJI makes the Phantom 2 Vision Plus, which is a hell of a quality drone quadcopter. But, it isn’t just a drone. It also carries a 1080p HD camera onboard a gimbal. This coupled with the radio transmitter, a wifi extender, and your smart phone, can make having eyes in the sky a breeze when shooting the photos and videos that come out clear as crystal.

Of course there are other drones out there in the market which are on a more expensive grade. Octocopters with professional DSLR cameras have been used in filmmaking and produce up to 4K resolution. Still, there are some unanswered questions out there which could discourage consumers from getting into the drone game. For instance, the FAA has some regulations that have not made it into law just yet, and those seeking to get a drone for business may hit a brick wall or two.

In my experience in just the past few weeks of piloting, I have been approached by curious bystanders and fear mongering people making positive and negative waves. I was at a little league football game where I put the drone up to get some video of the game in progress. Now mind you, there are ways to pilot the drone unsafely, and then there are ways to pilot responsibly. This is a flying craft after all, so I kept a very great distance from the playing field. The way the camera is designed, the lens does not zoom in, and the perspective is beautiful the further you are away. So as I am piloting the drone, I am definitely impressed by the video feed of a birds eye view of the football game. Parents and children watched from the field with curiosity. I had a few people hand me business cards and asked if I could shoot video of their kids playing the following week. The prospect of future business is pretty awesome, but then two upset ladies started yelling at me. They were rather irate that I had a drone in the air because everyone (including the football players) had their eyes on the aircraft and were not paying attention to the game at hand.

One lady told me to put the drone down or she would call the police. Of course there was nothing illegal about what I was doing, and the drone was nowhere near the football field, so I didn’t acknowledge her. She asked if I even spoke English and continued to berate me until she finalized it with a question of, “Why don’t you go back to your country?!”

I couldn’t believe my ears, but it was to be expected I guess. People fear what they do not understand, and the ignorance will spread like wild fire if you let it. I kept at it, and as soon as I ran out of battery, I landed the drone. The beauty of these air crafts is their battery life. With each cell, I get 20-25 minutes of air time which was just enough to have a police officer come and ask the common questions of who, what, where, when, and why. Police showed up within minutes, and one even tried to get me to leave the public park because I had a camera on the drone. Stating that it was illegal to film in the public park if I didn’t get permission from the parents. Luckily, there were several other photographers out there, which I pointed out. I really doubt they had their permission slips signed by mommies and daddies. So, even if you are not doing anything illegal, you may have someone trying to strong arm you away. Stand your ground, but definitely try to avoid any conflict if you can. These are just some of the cons of piloting in public. However, the reception has been mostly positive. This is an amazing technology that is already showing positive benefits. One instance has been with the use of a drone aiding firefighters. I am pretty sure we will see these drones at every sporting event soon anyway, so try not to let anyone spook you away.

As I venture in the business of aerial photography, real estate seems to be the industry eagerly awaiting these services. Brokers and agents definitely benefit from the footage as they give their clients a new perspective on buying a home. So if you’re interested in learning more about drone aerial photography, there are several youtube channels out there to get you started. Just make sure to do your research, exercise caution, and always go through your pre-flight checklist. Look towards the skies!