Who else does long days of filming?

[akdrone]

Yesterday I drove 470mi traveling from 6:30 AM till about 9:30PM filming various places along the way - mostly scenics and some swans in Alaska. Who else does long days of droning?

 

[mavic3usa]

I only wish I can fly more than 2 hours in a day. Nowhere I typically fly is void of people long enough to squeeze in more than a couple of hours.

 

[AeroJ]

I used to do them quite a lot, but I tend not to do too many big trips to potential new fly sites any more, unless I am very sure I am not going to get all the way there, and then find some recently erected sign or obscure local bylaw I didn't know about that means I can't fly any of the planned sites for any number of reasons that weren't clear beforehand - have had a couple of wasted trips like that, so I kinda gave up on that approach to avoid further disappointment.

So what I do that in a sort of pale imitation of that is 'drive-by flyings', where I leave my local area for a neighbouring one and just drive round all the country back-roads for an hour or 2 until I find a suitably photogenic bit of landscape. I quite like the spontaneity of that approach, and it has to led to me finding some decent repeat fly-sites that I wouldn't necessarily have found by perusing maps. Although I do a fair bit of that too, looking for interesting topological features in the 3D view of google maps and then exploring feasible ways to get to and fly them legally. Far too many of the things I want to film (epic viewpoints, ruined buildings, castles, Abbeys, historic buildings etc etc) are on land where drones are just not welcome (virtually EVERYWHERE of typical interest), so it remains VERY difficult to find places to fly, and increasingly impossible to find visually interesting ones that are anything more than fields and trees !! Sorry - seem to diverted slightly into rant-land there, but it really winds me up on a daily basis just how many amazing things there are to film, and how for 99% of them we are forbidden from doing so, and often for exasperatingly non-sensible reasons.

 

[akdrone]

I tend not to do too many big trips to potential new fly sites, unless I am very sure I am not going to get all the way there, and then find some recently erected sign or obscure local bylaw I didn't know about that means I can't fly any of the planned sites for any number of reasons that weren't clear beforehand - have had a couple of wasted trips like that, so I kinda gave up on that approach to avoid further disappointment.

So what I do that in a sort of pale imitation of that is 'drive-by flyings', where I leave my local area for a neighbouring one and just drive round all the country back-roads for an hour or 2 until I find a suitably photogenic bit of landscape. I quite like the spontaneity of that approach, and it has to led to me finding some decent repeat fly-sites that I wouldn't necessarily have found by perusing maps. Although I do a fair bit of that too, looking for interesting topological features in the 3D view of google maps and then exploring feasible ways to get to and fly them legally. Far too many of the things I want to film (epic viewpoints, ruined buildings, castles, Abbeys, historic buildings etc etc) are on land where drones are just not welcome (virtually EVERYWHERE of typical interest), so it remains VERY difficult to find places to fly, and increasingly impossible to find visually interesting ones that are anything more than fields and trees !! Sorry - seem to diverted slightly into rant-land there, but it really winds me up on a daily basis just how many amazing things there are to film, and how for 99% of them we are forbidden from doing so, and often for exasperatingly non-sensible reasons.

I feel for you. There were two Air Force bases on my trip and a new forbidden zone because of a fire. Other than that...free sailing and -most- of it was in an area where my Mav3 Pro could climb to 3000 feet. I only did that once up a hill staying at an estimated 400' AGL. Alaska is nice that way....

 

[Marty Markoe]

Being a serious photographer and sometime videographer experience has taught to be highly selective when choosing scenes and subjects, This is due to several factors among which include:
1. At the time of image capture asking whether the scene will have the potential for impact to connect to others or myself?
2. Is the lighting strong enough to enhance rather than detract?
3. If shooting lots of images will this lead to a waste of time and mental energy culling out the detritus?
4. Reminding that virtually any image (especially videos) requires many times the effort to achieve an impact full presentation that draws in oneself as well as others you wish to share with.
Marty Markoe

 

[Dale D]

Yesterday I drove 470mi traveling from 6:30 AM till about 9:30PM filming various places along the way - mostly scenics and some swans in Alaska. Who else does long days of droning?

AK- I think that is pretty much the scenario for many of us, who fly infrequently and make a day out of flying. I usually conceive of a 3-4 minute video, then drive to my target or targets, and try to complete my shots. I then return home to my editing which can last another day or two. For an example, you may recall my Everglades airboat episode, which took about 60 miles in each direction from my house, and multiple filming sites.

BTW- today!!! My wife and I leave for a photography workshop with a pro photographer leading 5 photographers on a 3 week trip to KYRGYSTAN! Welcome to Visionary Wild


Dale
Miami

 

[Pacefast]

Its all about light so one face may illuminate in the morning and the back of the same face in the afternoon so I may come back rather than stay oit all day '
I am rarely happy with my work so can often make multiple returns ! I even get better ideas or find a clip I thought wouu up ld be great only to find it wasnt

 

[MavicAir2Marc]

My best friend and I have been working on a car video for his Mustang GT convertible. We started out with minimal equipment just messing around and have since gotten better equipment. We both have odd work schedules (mostly him) so finding a day we are both free is few and far between. When we do go, it's an all day affair at multiple locations and a mix of ground and drone camera work. We joke it's a career job since we've been working on it so long and the shooting schedule is so spread out, by the time we shoot again, I have new equipment/ideas.
So yes, I do all day shoots once-in-a-while. We both enjoy getting out and creating.

 

[akdrone]

Being a serious photographer and sometime videographer experience has taught to be highly selective when choosing scenes and subjects, This is due to several factors among which include:
1. At the time of image capture asking whether the scene will have the potential for impact to connect to others or myself?
2. Is the lighting strong enough to enhance rather than detract?
3. If shooting lots of images will this lead to a waste of time and mental energy culling out the detritus?
4. Reminding that virtually any image (especially videos) requires many times the effort to achieve an impact full presentation that draws in oneself as well as others you wish to share with.
Marty Markoe

Can I hire you to tag along and roll your eyes and me and ask if I really want to spend time editing that??

 

[akdrone]

My best friend and I have been working on a car video for his Mustang GT convertible. We started out with minimal equipment just messing around and have since gotten better equipment. We both have odd work schedules (mostly him) so finding a day we are both free is few and far between. When we do go, it's an all day affair at multiple locations and a mix of ground and drone camera work. We joke it's a career job since we've been working on it so long and the shooting schedule is so spread out, by the time we shoot again, I have new equipment/ideas.
So yes, I do all day shoots once-in-a-while. We both enjoy getting out and creating.

Be very careful. On long projects like that you may find yourself getting better and better and then just when you think you're getting close to being done you look back at some of your early stuff and realize it's crap so then you have to either include the crap or go back and redo it with your new, much better technique and skill! Good luck and enjoy .

 

[mavic3usa]

Be very careful. On long projects like that you may find yourself getting better and better and then just when you think you're getting close to being done you look back at some of your early stuff and realize it's crap so then you have to either include the crap or go back and redo it with your new, much better technique and skill! Good luck and enjoy .

I've made a promise never to redo my old work and just look at it as history and a learning experience because too often I have thought about redoing everything.

 

[twickers14]

AK- I think that is pretty much the scenario for many of us, who fly infrequently and make a day out of flying. I usually conceive of a 3-4 minute video, then drive to my target or targets, and try to complete my shots. I then return home to my editing which can last another day or two. For an example, you may recall my Everglades airboat episode, which took about 60 miles in each direction from my house, and multiple filming sites.

BTW- today!!! My wife and I leave for a photography workshop with a pro photographer leading 5 photographers on a 3 week trip to KYRGYSTAN! Welcome to Visionary Wild


Dale
Miami

Have great time Dale. I remember that you have had this planned for a while and I also recall you have rather special leader with you to help spot the opportunities. Be safe, fly safe and come back with your wife and you drone!!

 

[MavicAir2Marc]

Be very careful. On long projects like that you may find yourself getting better and better and then just when you think you're getting close to being done you look back at some of your early stuff and realize it's crap so then you have to either include the crap or go back and redo it with your new, much better technique and skill! Good luck and enjoy .

That's precisely why it's taking so long LOL