Drones can be controversial as a subject. Understandably people have privacy issues with them, and now sub 250g drones can be flown closer to people and buildings there is a chance they could become even less unpopular. I tend to fly mine only when I know I’m a long way from other people and I’m not going to get hassled. Also, I pretty much exclusively use mine for stills photography. It’s very rare that I use them for video. Of the three I own, one is a DJI Mini 4 Pro which I would call my ‘main’ drone. The tech packed into this tiny package has come so far in the last ten years. It can pretty much fly itself, and the avoidance and safety features make it fool proof. Even I, with one eye can safely operate it. The other two are a DJI Avata 2 which is just used mostly for fun as it’s a racing drone, and lastly a DJI Neo, a new model that’s ridiculously small and I’m still figuring out. It’s classed a as a ‘selfy’ drone, but can do quite a lot more.
So, why am I writing about drones? Well, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Landscape Photographer of the Year had added drone photography as a category over the last few years (although sadly, they have left it out this year). It’s something I’ve dipped my toe into, but never fully got stuck into. As someone that tend to go tp the same place for photography I’m always looking for new angles and perspectives. So, what better way to do that than from the air?
I’m always looking for a new way to view a familiar place because most of my photography is done in one location, so as big as that space it it can be a challenge to find something new. Using a drone has massively increased the number of options I have, especially because I photograph in a wetland. For example, the image above is a location I regularly walk by, but I’ve never been able to find a good angle until now.
I particularly enjoy the types of shots shown above. Straight down with contrasting terrain (in this case marsh and scrubland). Again, it’s something that isn’t possible with a normal camera.
There are some downsides to drone photography. Firstly, I feel very self conscious. Despite a relaxing of the laws around flying drones under 250g (which mine is) which allows them to be flown closer to people and buildings, I still feel incredibly uncomfortable flying anywhere other people might see me. I think that is a me problem. Luckily, the kind of photography I enjoy generally means I am nowhere near other people anyway.
The other issue is that you can’t just take the drone out of your camera bag and go. So, it’s no good for something fleeting. By the time you’ve taken it out of the bag, unfolded it, taken off the lens protectors, turned it on, turned the RC on, got a satellite signal and a return to home point locked in, you’ve lost a good few minutes.
I also worry about the wind taking the drone off too, but I think that isn’t really a risk. They’re quite wind resilient.
The drones have a lot of videos capabilities that I currently haven’t explored. I am quite keen to get more into video though, so it will be fun to get into that later on. Hopefully the more I get out there, the more confident I’ll become and the more interesting my drone images will become.
Shaun Madill Photography 