Welcome back everyone. So, I thought I would write about the latest experience in my photography world: I decided to expand my photo boundaries and get a drone! I have been looking into drones for a few years now, but I had conflicting views as they can be annoying to those who are not in the drone universe. I remember paddleboarding in the Gulf of Mexico, and someone flew a drone right over me and they kept it there for some time. I felt that it was invading my privacy, and it seemed a little creepy to be honest, especially with that buzzing noise hovering over me.
Now, over the years, I have witnessed some beautiful drone photography, especially during the fall and winter months. Capturing the vibrant colors from above as the summer abandons us and introduces the next season of fluffy white sparkling snow over the trees, making that winter wonderland that we dream of as a child.
I thought how I would love to capture these moments and share it on my website, but I didn’t want to be the person that people send the evil eye to as I am bothering their silent content. I decided that if I get a drone, I will use it for nature, and leave the humans alone. So, after months of researching, I got a DJI Mini 2 Drone for my birthday. It has a 4.8 star ranking on Google review, it’s compact, has 4K quality video (horizontal display resolution of approximately 4,000 pixels), 3 axis gimbal (which is that camera head the swivels around to take different angles for videos and photos), Ocusync 2.0 easy to shoot feature (transmission system that communicates between the remote control and the drone), and the price is right for a beginner.
Before flying a drone, it is the responsibility of the operator to make sure they abide by the laws and regulations. Since the DJI Mini 2 is under 0.55 pounds, this drone does not need to be registered. However, if one uses it for commercial purposes, then you must fly under the requirements of Part 107 FAA rules, pass the FAA test, and register the drone. Since I will be using the drone for commercial photography business, this is an absolute requirement that is needed.
So now that I got that out of the way, I had a few issues in the beginning, especially trying to connect this typical model to my Samsung Galaxy Ultra S21. For some reason the app from the Play Store is not compatible with this model of phone (due to Samsung updates). However, if you go to the DJI website, there is a direct link to download, which works well. Like most technical merchandise, there are no instructions on how to use the product (saves paper), so I went to a few YouTube videos to try and figure it out, that is, how to start it, what’s next, etcetera, and it seemed easy enough.
Alright, now if your attention span is anything like mine, you’re getting bored of the technical aspect of the drone, so let’s move on. I tested it out a few times in my backyard, and it was freaky in the beginning. It’s hard to explain, but I felt like I was doing something dark and evil, maneuvering it up and down, and around. Maybe it’s from all those Syfi and Spy movies I have watched over the years. After a while, I started to get used to it, but still a little green and nervous to fly it. A couple of weeks ago, I felt confident to take it to a local park close by and get some photos of the beautiful arch bridges that remind me of Europe. I have taken quite a few photos in the past of these bridges and was excited to get them from the water’s view. What I should have done, is to go to an open-air park, away from everyone and practice, practice, practice, as it did not go as I planned. I started off well, flying it around, keeping my eye on it, trying to capture some photos, but then some people started to walk across the bridge, and I didn’t want to bother them, so I went further away down the water’s path to get some photos from afar. As I did so, I was moving it back and forth, and moved it too fast to one side, and it hit a tree and plopped right into the water. Well, that was that. I had no way to get to it as there were trees and vegetation in the way. So, I decided to go home, get my paddleboard, and go back and look for it. I did, and it didn’t take too long to locate it, over 3 feet down in a canal off the Detroit River, but the bottom light was still lit, and it was submerged for at least for 45 minutes (there is hope). I had to jump into the water and retrieve it and try to figure out the next step (which was to Google for advice). The first thing was to remove the battery, then dry out the drone, which I did. I put it next to a fan for about 6 hours, then bought some DampRid and placed it into a bag with the drone for almost 24 hours. In the meantime, I charged the battery that was submerged, and it charged with no issues. Still hope! When I went to test the drone, the lights came on, but there were some funky blinking actions happening, and the camera head (gimbal) was not moving. I investigated more YouTube videos, and decided to take the saftest route, and send it in to DJI and see if they can repair it. Unfortunately, due to COVID, and lack of personnel, there was a disclaimer stating it may take some time to even look at it.
So now I wait patiently for the result to see if it’s repairable, or what next steps I needed to take, to get my drone photography photos happening. Oh wait………as I was writing this blog, I just got an email from DJI stating that is has been evaluated from the repair team. The listed repair cost will be $161.00. The price one pays for being unprepared and inexperience. Lesson learned. Moving forward, I will get insurance for the drone, and make sure I am a more experienced drone operator before I fly near any waterways. Until then, please check out my website.
