Rise of the machines
Drones have become an industry-wide obsession, but are they a good business investment, or just a fantastic toy? Amanda Copp finds out.
A wave has hit the photography industry in the form of camera-carrying, flying machines. What began as a trickle has turned into a flood of unmanned aviation vehicles sweeping across the photographic landscape. Everywhere you look there are photos and footage from new aerial perspectives only made possible by drones. They have become the industry’s latest obsession, and image-makers everywhere are scrambling to get their hands on the latest drone technology. The question now is whether they are here to stay. And are they a worthwhile business investment, or just a new-toy fad?
Popularity spike
No one can deny that the drone market is booming. Back in 2010, the US Federal Aviation Authority estimated 15,000 drones would be sold in America by 2020. In today’s landscape that estimate is laughable. Currently, real numbers sit at 15,000 drones sold every single month in the US, and while there are no official worldwide numbers, global sales of drones were expected to top one million in 2015. Peter Gibson is a spokesperson for Australia’s drone governing body, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). “Two, maybe three years ago we had a handful of commercial drone operators; less than 50. Today, we have over 500, and at any one time we have over 100 more applications in the pipeline. So the drone industry is growing very rapidly and is only going to get bigger as the technology becomes more sophisticated and more affordable,” Gibson says.
Rules of engagement
Until recently, Australia had extremely tight rules about who could fly drones commercially, but all that’s about to change. Currently, drones used for any commercial purpose must have be registered for a license under CASA. But soon-to-be-introduced law changes will free many drone users of these restrictions. In September this year, drones with a take-off weight under 2kg will no longer require registration – even for commercial purposes. Instead, people will have to go through a simple online notification process. “You will have to follow a set of standard operating conditions,” Gibson says. “But as long as you follow those standard operating conditions, you won’t have to go through the approval process.” Those conditions plan to mimic the current rules for remotely piloted aircraft (RPA).
Mistakes along the way
As frustrating as some photographers find the laws, there are certainly good intentions behind them. Drones are fantastically unreliable and prone to crashing, whether that is the fault of the operator or the drone itself. Talk to any photographer who flies drones regularly and it will become clear just how easy they are to crash. Edin Chavez is a Miami-based commercial photographer who has been using drones for years. He is an aerial photography junky, and even before drones became commercially available he was regularly strapping cameras onto kites in the name of photography. But even with years of aerial experience, he isn’t immune from crashing. “I was following a boat with my drone and I was really close to the water and somebody kept telling me, ‘You’re really close to the water, get a little bit higher!’ And I said, ‘Nah, I got this!’ The next thing I know, my drone is in the water.” Chavez says the problem is getting too comfortable. “You get cocky and it happens. A lot of pilots that I know crash and continue to crash, and that never stops. So, it’s a risk you’ve got to be willing to take if you want to get into this business,” he says.
Yet sometimes crashing a drone isn’t even a photographer’s fault. In the early days of drones, technical mishaps were common, and stories of drones just flying away, disappearing off the radar, or simply dropping out of the sky are common. While technology is improving, drones still have their limits. Chicago-based Reuben Wu describes himself as a visual artist who uses drones, and recounted how Chicago’s cruel winter felled one of his drones. “I was flying in very, very cold conditions and battery power is susceptible to the cold, so it went from sixty percent to five percent in a matter of seconds.” His drone ended up landing on an iceberg about 500 metres from shore. Wu, with the help of a friend, even tried swimming out multiple times in the freezing conditions to retrieve it.
Learning to fly
But the problem with drones being so accessible is that now plenty of people out there who simply don’t know how to fly them. Wu offers some advice to drone-happy newbies. “I would learn how to fly before you even try and get into the thick of it. It sounds patronising, but they are so fun and exciting to use that it’s really easy to just get lost in the experience, and to crash. I know because I’ve done it many times.” Wu’s advice is to start small, even something as tiny as a little indoor drone. “Learn on that before you start on something bigger, because the worst thing is crashing a $1000 investment,” he says.
Chavez says as well as knowing how to fly, photographers need to figure out whether flying drones is actually something they enjoy. “I can’t emphasise that enough. Get an inexpensive toy, fly that around. See if you really get a kick out of it, and if you do then go get yourself a nice expensive drone, but I know a lot of people who fly a drone and they don’t even like flying it,” Chavez says. Sydney local, Gabriel Scanu only started using drones a year ago but has managed to create incredible images in that short time frame. “Drones have always been floating around the industry, literally, but it’s only now with the evolution of smart technologies that drones are becoming more compact, more affordable and more easily accessible. This is making them a more mainstream piece of equipment that I think the majority of people within the industry will be using in the future,” he says.
Hardware
Once photographers have the basics figured out, then comes buying gear. There are two major options for photographers getting into the drone industry. The first is drones such as the 3DR Solo, Parrot’s Bebop 2, and DJI’s Phantom series that come with a GoPro-esque camera attached. Photographer and cinematographer specialising in drones at Sydney-based company Droneheadz, Andy Willmott says this option is the easiest and the cheapest way to get into the industry. “The smaller ones are a lot easier to fly. You can fly one by yourself and take some pretty decent footage.” If, however, your aim is for more professional, cinematography type work, then a drone that can carry a DSLR is a better option.
This second option, while potentially producing higher quality imagery, still has its downsides. “They’re going be costing you ten grand plus, to get all the kit including transmitters and batteries that come along with it,” Willmott says. “If you were to operate one of the bigger ones, you need a crew. You have a pilot, a camera operator, and you need a spotter because you are operating a decent-sized aircraft and need to consider safety a lot more. There’s a lot more to consider with these bigger aircraft, and a greater level of skill required as well.” Both alternatives have their pro and cons, but before you shell out a whole lot of cash, you might want to think about whether you’re after a hobby, or potentially a whole new income stream.
Video killed the photo star
The question on every photographer’s lips these days is, ‘Should I get into video?’ And when it comes to drones, the answer is yes. People are watching more video than ever before, and great cinematography garners the attention of the masses. Perth-based photographer, Nick Cooper is just 23-years-old and uses drones to shoot stunning images of Australia’s coastline. He says stills photography using drones has its limitations. “At the moment, there’s definitely an oversaturation of the market. I think there’s a limit to what someone can do with one spot. Once it has been shot from a bird’s-eye angle enough times, people stop noticing it. I think video is a lot more progressive; there’s a lot more you can do, and it’s not so limited by that oversaturation of the market. A lot of people take photos, but not a lot of people can go out and create a nice, smooth video with a drone,” Cooper says.
Tim Sessler is an Emmy-nominated cinematographer based in New York City who creates unique and daring video content with his drones. Since buying his first drone four years ago, he has worked with companies including Apple, Toyota, History Channel, Google, and Facebook. He says that drone technology is still in its infancy, but there is a long and fruitful road ahead. “We are slowly getting over the first creative bump. For so long, people have used drones primarily with wide angles to get epic, wide, scenic shots. A drone shot for the longest time was nearly synonymous with being a wide establishing shot, but obviously this is a very limiting way to use these tools,” Sessler says.
New gear like the Freefly Alta 8 can now fly with longer lenses (80-100mm) and the technology is only going to get better. “Overall, the potential is amazing, and they have allowed even lower budget filmmakers to add new kinds of shots to their work,” he says. Sessler advises that good drone cinematography occurs when the person using the drone has mastered the tools. He says great drone imagery has two components: shots that take a little bit of risk and try something that hasn't been seen before; and that the element of storytelling must always be present. “They might not even be the most insane or incredible shots by themselves, but in the context of the story they go a long way and provide a deep emotional connection.”
Drone crazy
There is no denying that drones have whipped the photography industry into a frenzy, but will it eventually slow down or continue unabated? Chavez thinks the buzz is bound to die down once amateurs start to crash their drones, one by one. “Everyone is getting a drone because they think it’s fun, they think it’s easy, they think they can make a lot of money doing it. But I think it’s just a craze. Most people who buy a drone don’t really know what they’re getting themselves into, or know how to fly one. People think it’s just a toy and eventually you will crash the drone, and replacing a $1500 “toy” is not something everybody is ready to do,” Chavez says. Kristy Ryan is an established, Canadian wedding photographer. She works with her husband in their business, Blush Wedding Photography, and the pair have been using drones since the days when parts had to be ordered and drones were constructed from scratch. Ryan says after utilising drones successfully in their business for several years, the initial attraction has worn off. “I don’t feel like they’re the best bang for your buck or use of your time for photography. I find you only get a handful of good photos. From experience, I feel like drones are really great for videography,” Ryan says.
The future is looking up
Regardless of scepticism expressed by some photographers about the viability of drones in the longer term, no one can deny that the demand for drones is skyrocketing. With technology improving every day, the only direction for this industry is up. Ryan says that the reasoning behind many of their clients choosing to book Blush is because they use drones. “I do have to say, people love the photos. We have been able to get a lot of unique photos that you just wouldn’t have been able to get otherwise,” she says. Meanwhile, Scanu says drones were instrumental in his success. “Looking back on it, I don’t see myself being where I am now without drones. It allows me to offer a completely new perspective and achieve amazing results that reflect huge production values and quality when shooting,” he says. “I think whatever the intended purpose, a drone is a great investment to make for anyone in the industry. For the price you’re paying, you’re receiving a great deal of production value and the freedom or ability to achieve results you otherwise would not.” Wu says what we’re seeing is just the tip of the iceberg. Earlier this year, footage emerged of university students in Florida controlling drones with their minds. Technology continues to advance around drones and Wu says emerging markets like that will soon be the norm. The bottom lines is that drones are definitely here to stay.
CASA guidelines
- You must only fly during the day and keep your RPA within visual line-of sight.
- You must not fly your RPA higher than 120 metres (400ft).
- You must keep your RPA at least 30 metres away from other people.
- You must keep your RPA at least 5.5km away from controlled aerodromes.
- You must not fly your RPA over any populous areas. Beaches, parks, etc.
- You must not fly your RPA over or near an area affecting public safety or where emergency operations are underway (without prior approval).
- You can only fly one RPA at a time.
Contacts
Edin Chavez www.edinchavez.com
Nick Cooper apertunityproductions.com/about-us/
Peter Gibson (CASA) www.casa.gov.au
Kristy Ryan blushweddingphotography.org
Gabriel Scanu instagram.com/gabscanu
Tim Sessler www.timsessler.com
Andy Willmott droneheadz.com.au
Reuben Wu reubenwu.com
