10 Jan Shoot Amazing Drone Photo’s Without Experience!
Recently we travelled through Malaysia & Thailand and wanted to shoot extraordinary photo’s. Because we don’t own a drone we hired one without needing a flying course. So did we manage to shoot some good footage? You’ll be the judge.
I had never flown a drone before, or even held one. But damn, you can take the most amazing shots with them and drone photography inspires the hell out of me, so it was time to put my skills to the test. I was planning a trip to Asia, which meant tons of drone photo opportunities with beaches, palmtrees and crystal clear water.
Things you should know before flying a drone:
- No flying after dark or within 5 miles of an airport (unless you can get authorization)
- Near people’s heads, moving cars, a sports stadium.
- If you travel abroad, you should check the rules that apply for that country. For some you are required to register your drone and pay a small fee in order to bring it through customs. However, Thailand officially required such a document, but because I was traveling per boat to Koh Lipe, I took my chances and didn’t apply. Getting the document can take up to a few months and I was too late with that. It’s a small risk I was willing to take. Rules about drones change fast and regularly so always check what rules may apply to your country of choice.
Rent a drone
Because I didn’t own a drone, I came across a business in the Netherlands that hires drones without a pilot. You rent the drone per day and you pay a small deposit for safety reasons. The drone includes 2 batteries, charger and extra propellors. Me and my boyfriend opted for the DJ1 Mavic Pro, which is compact enough to fold up and pack.
First Flight
Our first opportunity and go was at Koh Adang, a Thai island across from the more popular Koh Lipe. In the beginning it’s a bit scary to fly because you are scared your drone will crash in the water, or the wind will take it down. This is the result of our first ever drone shot, not bad right? My boyfriend Jesse flew most of the time because I wanted to be in the picture. (such a diva!)
Our first ever drone shot!
After that more followed. We also shot some video.
Maybe I should work on my heart drawing skills a bit more though..?
This next shot was taken on Koh Lipe where we found a sandbank that was free of people, in order to take that perfect shot!
Koh Lipe
Pretending that I was on a deserted island in Malaysia. Truth is that 2 meters away there was a beach bar 😉
Verdict; Hiring a drone is such a good idea! As you can see, the images turned out pretty good (if you don’t mind us saying so ;-)). We hired our drone at www.dronehurenzonderpiloot.nl in the Netherlands and we can really recommend it. You just pick up your drone, and you will get an explanation how to use your drone. You need to figure out your color and ISO settings yourself so we advise you to watch a couple of YouTube video’s in order to get the best results. For all cost per drone check their cost sheet.
Are you ready to take your travel photography to the next level?
Love,
Elke
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