5 Common (and Costly) Pitfalls of Drone Photography
The affordability and wide availability of drones have made them popular with the general public. But the rise of cheap drones has also lead to the rise of pitfalls the average person, business, and hobbyist tend to overlook.
Here are five pitfalls of drone photography and videography that both the drone pilot – and the business who hired them – can be held financially responsible for, along with mistakes that make for a poor shoot.
It Looks Safe
Most hobby pilots don’t carry any insurance for commercial operation. This is dangerous when they crash into a house, distract drivers, fly into a crowd of people, or any number of accidents that can cause serious injury/death. This doesn’t just open up the pilot to liability, it can also open the door to serious issues for the business owner that hired the drone pilot.
A License to Film
Many people don’t realize that a license is required to fly a drone for anything that generates money or notoriety. The FAA has started cracking down on un-licensed pilots, and this doesn’t just mean trouble for the pilot if they are caught during or after the shoot, it also mean trouble for the business that hired them. In fact, the drone pilot may only receive a $1,000 fine, while the business receives fines over $10,000. These infractions vary, but flying near an airport can have serious consequences and fines that reflect this; do you know how far away you have to be?
Quality is in the Camera
Quality seems obvious, but it’s not just HD footage that leads to high quality, it’s also the pilot and camera operators’ knowledge of video framing, movement, and storytelling. Shaky footage, choppy camera movement, etc, will lead to a video that just isn’t worth using in most commercial work.
It’s Easy
It can be easy, but anything easy is rarely worth your time. Many of the drone shots that catch attention, require some serious talent. Quality is one thing, but if you aren’t getting creative and innovative, then you aren’t exactly standing out. Whether it’s flying around Jake Plummer as he passes a football downfield, or flying through cars as they drift past each other, we have you covered for your creative needs.
There’s Always Somebody Cheaper
The cost of hiring the wrong person can greatly outweigh the cost of doing it right, but that’s not to say price doesn’t matter. Don’t overpay for drone work, we keep our costs reasonable while ensuring your business is insulated from hobbyists that are simply ignorant of the risks.
Here’s an example of our drone work:
