Remote Photography

I’ve been eyeballing drones for a couple of years now, and since DJI dropped the prices on their Phantom 3 Standard and Advanced models, I decided now was as good a time as any to pick one up.

The regulations that cover drones now are somewhat confusing, so after registering it I headed out into the mountains just to be safe. Not National Park mountains, just plain old mountains.

I wish I had bought one of these things a long time ago. It was a blast, and I can’t wait to see what kind of shots I can get. The Phantom 3 is easy enough to fly–be sure to read the instructions and watch all the videos if you pick one up. And do your best to read up on the regulations. The Pantom’s beginner mode was perfect for starting out–it doesn’t let you go too high, or get too far away from the home location.

I wrecked it twice the first day, but that was just because I was trying to get fancy. Baby steps. Some folks stopped by to watch, and I’m pretty sure the guy went back to Portland and bought himself a Phantom.

I brought the little RC truck out to test different GoPro mounts on it. The dog had different plans. He wore himself out chasing it around, and ended up trashing the body in the process. It’s now officially his toy.

I gave it a quick run in my neighborhood (I don’t live near any airports, etc.) Pretty cool to do once, but I definitely want to get out around Oregon this summer for more footage and photos.

If you have a drone, do you have any tips or tricks? Suggestions?