With video quickly taking over still photography, one of the easiest ways to make content that stands out from the crowd is with the help of a drone.
Check out some excellent use of drone footage in this video from our friends at eGarage.com:
Aerial photography/videography used to be only reserved for professionals or elite hobbyists, but as cameras and technologies advance exponentially every year, these Hollywood-style techniques are well within reach, even for the casual enthusiast.
Arguably one of the best values in terms of video drones is DJI’s Mavic Pro. It’s been around for a bit now, and lots of professional filmmakers use it. You can usually find one discounted to around $900 if you know where to look.
I was able to get my hands on one for a few weeks, and had a blast filming along the coast. Remember when I told you car photography is all about the angles? Well, with the Mavic Pro, you can get really high angles!
The Mavic Pro’s gimble does a great job of keeping the camera steady while you’re flying, and it doesn’t take a lot of skill to get up a running. If you have just a little bit of experience playing basic video games, you’ll find the flight controls to be very intuitive.
DJI’s accompanying app turns your smartphone into the main control hub as well as a video monitor. There’s even a basic video editor in the app so you can quickly cut and share your videos on the go.
One of my challenges with car photography is rolling shots. Ideally, I’d need two additional people to help me — one to drive the main car, and one to drive a camera car while I hang out of the window. But with the Mavic Pro, it can automatically track and follow a subject, meaning I can launch the aircraft and have it film me as I drive the car. Talk about being a one-man team…
If you’re looking to step up your automotive content game, I’d highly recommend upgrading your gear set with a drone. There are many options already out there, and more are coming every day.
Mavic Pro photos courtesy Slickdeals.net