I shoot destination weddings at the beach and love the footage our drone videographers get.
If I get a drone, I am just wondering how many aerial shots I can put in an album without it being redundant.
I also worry about the windy conditions. The drone I am considering is the Mavic Mini (no obstacle avoidance tech).
Not sure I am ready to spend over $1000 for a drone that has that tech before knowing if I can get a return on the investment. There are high winds and tall trees at the locations I shoot.
On top of the investment, you have to get a drone license, which involves classes and taking a test to get certification as there are regulations about where a person can and cannot fly a drone (e.g. controlled air spaces within certain distances of airports or various areas). One other thing is that there is special insurance for professional photographer DRONE photography. That's not to be discouraging but there's a reason that people specialize in drone photography. What I have been seeing regarding pricing for drone photography with weddings is that a lot of photographers have taken the attitude of "Oh, we just include it for free" - in which case, I was, like, "Nope." My husband went to the expense and effort of getting certified and investing in a drone for home photography - only to find out that people just feel entitled to get this service for free.
I've thought about drones, but more for fun, or maybe real estate if I care to pursue that niche.
Presently, no couple has ever asked for drone photos, although a few inquired about video. And video is easy to sub-out or refer.
More than half the weddings I do are at the redwood coast, and the best a drone could do for me down there is earn a fine. Maybe different at the beach. But with time being precious most of the time, I find the quality of photos from cameras and lenses can equally compensate for drone shots not being in an album.
I think that drone video is more cool than drone images, from what I've been seeing others share online.
We have a drone add-on and bring a licensed pilot. I think the Mavic Mini has the small sensor, so there's a bit of a quality gap between full-frame dSLR images and the drone shots. The MavicPro had a big sensor jump and the images are quite good - 3 foot canvases have clarity and pop. The images from the Inspire are super rich.
FWIW, I think the drone fad might be over for weddings. Doesn't seem to have the bragging rights (for grooms) it did 3 or 4 years ago.
The company I contract for has 3 videographers flying drones at the beach, so they are definitely not banned on beaches.
And, as long as I stay under 250g (Mavic Mini is 249g), I don't need a permit or licensing.
All good information from the postings, thanks.
I agree that there are limited shots I could do with the drone, so definitely don't want to jump all in with a pro drone, etc., but the Mavic Mini may be a solution.
I feel the same way about photobooths, and ... video.
From the customer's prospective, often they don't want amazing ... the just want professional. What most REALLY want is ease of booking and day-of management. Most couples would prefer just one media vendor to deal with, not a ton of freelancers with conflicting agendas.
gheller wrote:
The company I contract for has 3 videographers flying drones at the beach, so they are definitely not banned on beaches.
And, as long as I stay under 250g (Mavic Mini is 249g), I don't need a permit or licensing.
All good information from the postings, thanks.
I agree that there are limited shots I could do with the drone, so definitely don't want to jump all in with a pro drone, etc., but the Mavic Mini may be a solution.
Thanks
Greg
I think with the proliferation of drones, it's always good to be informed of pending policies and legislation.
If a client wants a drone, i hire it out. The client pays for it and I pass that over to a drone pilot. I do not need to make $$ off of an extra service like drone work. The client pays what the drone operator charges.
We discuss the images & video that i am looking for and need. Sometimes i use both, sometimes i just use the stills. At the end of the year, i write off those services as an expense, so i do not loose.
I personally do not want the $2k drone and the 5 - 10K headache of having it. Between classes, learning, maintaining it, license, etc, it's just easier to hire someone else to do that service for me. I'd rather spend that extra $$ on something that might improve the quality of my craft or the ease of doing it better and let someone else who loves drone work, do drone work.
I'd rather be amazing at what i do and hire others that are amazing at what they do....Show more →
5-10K of having it? where are you getting your info? aside from the rather cheap license and per job insurance, there is no type of yearly maintenance that costs that much, and a good unit costs about $1400. It's a one time investment for the most part.
njfantastico wrote:
Any of the drone professionals in my circle have invested 5 to 10 k of additional items and extras to make their craft a viable business.
Similar to photo work. For weddings, i need at least two camera bodies, at least two camera lenses, 2 flashes, etc, etc. Could i shoot a wedding with one and hope for the best?
In the drone world, the guy i use has three drones, has three batteries for each one, replacement parts, cases, a few sets of VR glasses, a laptop, insurance, and a bunch of other items that i am not accounting for. It easily ends up costing 5 to 10k extra. ...Show more →
Well, we have 3 pro drone operators for the wedding company I contract for and I know them all very well. Some have more than one drone, but it is only because they upgraded and didn't sell the old one.
To say you need $5K to $10K is just plain silly.
A very good drone can be had for under $2K and even if you double it for accessories (unlikely), you are still well below your estimate.
njfantastico wrote:
I am disappointed that you use Walmart level drones!
The guy i use has DJI S1000+ units that carry pro level DSLR's to match my pro level DSLR's that we use for actual paid work.
Let's take it down a notch and look at what was originally posted. The OP was asking if it was worth buying a drone to add to his lineup of work. I simply pointed out, that i would rather have a professional use their own gear and their own business to compliment my business.
Your point is completely off track and has taken a complete right hand turn. You have three contract drone individuals, which supports my thought process to the OP. SO, thank you very much for supporting my thinking.
As for anything photo related, there will always be people at different price points. Your guys make money on less expensive drones, the guys i use try to separate themselves from the weekenders and have higher end drones. It's all great, thanks for supporting my direction....Show more →
I am glad you *think* we support your direction (whatever that means), but we don't (at least I don't). The Mavic Pro2 is more than capable of catching great video for our wedding couples. In fact, it is amazing.
Since we have 3 drone operators (also are pro videographers for us), I was just wondering if it were worth it for me to invest. Sorry if you got mis-directed in the conversation.
And we are the oldest and busiest wedding company in the state - so I guess that counts for something, haha
The OP asked if he should buy a drone? A drone that he himself would use and not hire out.
I pointed out, it would be best to hire a drone operator, JUST LIKE YOU DO! You are trying to argue the same point i made, HELLO!
Congrats for having a successful business as well!
Haha... you missed the point because *I am the OP*
I don't hire out drones, the company I contract for has 3 videographers that also have drones. I was wondering if I could justify getting one as well. I think it would be rare that we have so many weddings at the same time that my drone services would be necessary.
Drones are a total PITA for a wedding photographer
Raining/Misty? No flying
Windy? No flying
Unplanned location? Flight restrictions
Another piece of gear you have to account for (updates, servicing, education, etc.)
I suppose you could carve out a niche on Instagram for it. But for the rest of the day (and 99% of the deliverables) you're still going to have to be a traditional wedding photographer).
Not to mention, drone photos are just the new run-away-from-the-photoshopped-dinosaur trend from 2008-2010.
I am not a wedding photographer but have investigated a drone for other photography. I have decided against the investment because of the restrictions. For example, you cannot fly them in national parks. I will not enumerate other restrictions. A safe assumption is that the restrictions will increase in the interest of public safety and privacy. The only place you can reliably fly a drone is over your own property.
IrishDino wrote:
Drones are a total PITA for a wedding photographer
Raining/Misty? No flying
Windy? No flying
Unplanned location? Flight restrictions
Another piece of gear you have to account for (updates, servicing, education, etc.)
I suppose you could carve out a niche on Instagram for it. But for the rest of the day (and 99% of the deliverables) you're still going to have to be a traditional wedding photographer).
Not to mention, drone photos are just the new run-away-from-the-photoshopped-dinosaur trend from 2008-2010.
Great advice...
I had to laugh because I used to do lots of those dinosaur (and shark) photos - haha
BlueRidge wrote:
I am not a wedding photographer but have investigated a drone for other photography. I have decided against the investment because of the restrictions. For example, you cannot fly them in national parks. I will not enumerate other restrictions. A safe assumption is that the restrictions will increase in the interest of public safety and privacy. The only place you can reliably fly a drone is over your own property.
Luckily I shoot primarily in the same beach locations where the restrictions are minimal. Still, the lack of variety and wind conditions may make it not worth while
