It’s hard to give advice on how to choose a drone photographer without first looking into the history of drones and why they’re becoming so important to the commercial market.
Drones were originally created to be used by the military. An interesting fact is that the first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was actually invented way back in 1918 during World War I. These UAVs were the predecessors to cruise missiles.
Fast forward to post 9/11 and we find the military using drones to scout targets in the war in Afghanistan. These drones were light, cheap, and sophisticated enough to allow them to be tightly controlled. It wasn’t long before companies began to realize the usefulness of drones for everyday purposes.
Types of Drone Photography
There are endless uses for drone photography which is why choosing the right drone photographer is important.
Currently, the real estate industry has adopted the use of drones to feature properties for sale. The use of drones to show the exterior of a home and the surrounding neighborhood can help a potential buyer quickly determine whether the property would be worth looking into further.
Drones can also be used to photograph or record sporting events, in landscape photography, or for marketing purposes. Drone photography is such a new aspect of marketing that its full potential has yet to be realized.
There are endless uses for drone photography which is why choosing the right drone photographer is important.
Choosing a Drone Photographer
When choosing a drone photographer, we suggest you ask whether your candidates have an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate (FAA Airman Certificate). This ensures they have acquired the necessary knowledge and training to operate a UAV commercially.
You’ll also want to select a drone photographer who is properly insured. If your drone photographer is serious about their equipment and the quality of photos or videos they plan to produce they will have liability insurance. Some drone photographers go a step further and choose high liability limits to protect themselves and their clients. Other types of insurance can include:
- Hull. Protects the business from physical damage to the drone.
- Payload. Protects the business from physical damage to cameras or anything the drone is carrying.
- Ground equipment. Protects any equipment needed to operate the drone from the ground.
- Non-owned. Protects the business from liability if they do not own the drone they are operating for a project.
- Personal injury. Protects the business from libel, slander, violation of privacy, and copyright infringement.
Feel free to ask your drone photographer which types of insurance they possess. This ensures you will not be held responsible for any accidents which may occur while the photographer is working on your project.
You’ll also want to think about the type of aerial photography or videography you’ll require. Shooting landscape or real estate photography is different from shooting sporting events or anything with moving objects so you’ll want to make sure you drone photographer is capable of meeting your needs.
Ask About Equipment Used
Along with choosing a drone photographer, you’ll want to make sure the photographer has the necessary equipment to handle your project. With an increasing amount of drones and cameras on the market, having the most expensive equipment doesn’t necessarily mean the photo quality will be better. That will depend on the skill level of the drone photographer you choose.
Once again, it’s important to keep your needs in mind to ensure your drone photographer’s equipment can handle your project.