Featured NewsTrending NewsDrone EducationFive Common Drone Photography Mistakes
05 December 2023
By Donald Laird, Santa Rosa Junior College Drone Studies Program
Owner, Sky Perspective Photos
In my experiences as both an educator and professional drone pilot, I've come across some recurring "errors" that drone photographers tend to make when composing, shooting, and/or processing images. You can enhance your reputation and book more jobs by producing visuals that speak with impact, dimension, clarity, and uniqueness. Here are five missteps to dodge that should help you impress potential clients.
[1] Focusing too much on the "dronie-ness" of the shot, and not paying enough attention to the details of the image, such as composition, lighting, etc.
[2] Shooting the same shots repetitively. Straight-down shots from high up are nice enough, but there needs to be a lot more variety of angles.
[3] Not knowing your target audience’s needs well enough. You need to provide the images your clients want and need—not just what you want to shoot.
[4] Doing too much work in post-processing. It’s way too common to overprocess images—usually over sharpening or increasing saturation beyond reasonability.
[5] Not valuing your work enough. There’s often a race to the bottom when pricing services, which don’t include consideration for time or risks taken.
