Aerial Photography with Drones: Getting High With Your Camera!

Give your feet a rest and learn to fly your camera! Just think how cool it would be to get a gorgeous aerial photograph of a favorite scenic or vacation spot, or having a nice aerial shot of your company picnic, family events, birthday parties, wedding, anniversary, or just playing around at the local park. You can even take aerial photos of your home and property for maintenance and inventory purposes… The sky’s the limit.

All of this is possible with drone-mounted cameras, but you must be trained in how to set up and operate the drone and its camera, and you must be aware of applicable Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) guidelines when it comes to flying a drone outdoors in the National Airspace System.

So Washington Photo Safari is pleased to announce that it has secured the services of a professional FAA-certified pilot to teach beginner sessions on Aerial Photography with Drones for clients who already own, or are thinking of buying a drone for recreational (non-commercial) use. His name is Travone Sukie, an aerial photographer and videographer. He particularly enjoys taking his drone to scenic places and getting aerial views that just can’t be achieved from the ground. The course will involve the following components

1. Introduction to Drones and Drone Systems
2. Regulations
3. Applications for Aerial Photography
4. Basic Photography Theory
5. Basic Flight Theory
6. Safety
7. Preflight, Settings, & Operation
8. Post Flight
9. Demonstration
10. Student Hands-On

We will show you how to be compliant with FAA guidelines and how to fly your drone confidently so you can go out and capture some creative, one-of-a-kind shots with your drone!

Who should attend: Anyone who has an interest in using a drone for amateur photography. Basic knowledge of camera settings and photo editing is helpful, but not required.

Who should not attend: Those who want to learn to fly toy-grade drones or learn advanced drone photography.

This safari will focus primarily on learning how to operate consumer/professional grade drones and what you need to know in order to get the best shots possible. We will briefly discuss camera settings for the drone but will not go into photo editing- that will be covered in a future advanced course. This will be a basic-level class geared toward recreational users and most of the photo processing will be completed within the drone system itself.

Bringing a drone to this safari is not necessary. The students will learn to fly on the DJI drone platform which will be provided during the safari.

However, if you already have a consumer/professional grade drone and would like to bring it to the class, you may. Depending on the drone, the instructor(s) may be able to guide you using your own drone. If you do this, just be sure you have your drone properly registered and marked, your batteries are fully charged, and you have all necessary equipment needed to operate it. It is suggested that you contact us ahead of time if you plan to bring your drone so we can make sure you have everything you need.

Examples of Drone Photography Link: https://travonesukie.com/aerial/

Here is what safarians had to say about the Drone Safari:

Travone, the instructor, is an excellent teacher. He is very knowledgeable about drone photography (as well as photography, in general), professional, and personable. He even provided good weather. 😉 I highly recommend his class. Wendy G., Washington, DC

Travone was a friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive drone photography instructor. The venue, Saddlebrook East Community Park in Bowie, was excellent for beginners. We had a large parking lot to take off and land from, and a large racetrack with photography subjects and compositions to explore. There were six students participating in the flying. Four of us brought our own drones, and Travone loaned his. This worked out much better, I think, than if six people waited to try one drone. Travone provided a portable screen and tripod attached to his controller so that everyone could see what was on his drone’s control screen. Travone covered the basics of legally flying in the D.C. Metro area, drone flight basics, and use of the cameras on the drones. He worked with those who had little to no flight skills to become comfortable taking off, flying, maneuvering, and landing. He emphasized composition, and also treating drone venues as a storytelling opportunity, sequencing various image compositions to do that. After he got home he emailed us a drone photography book recommendation, and a pair of drone models that he recommends for beginners. This was an excellent introduction to drone photography. 

Dennis F., Kensington, MD