Drones are also known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) are one of the most advanced devices or tools you can use. They are operated by remote control, high-end drones commonly allow for the drone to be programmed, which allows the drone to safely fly on their own using special software that guides the drone on controlled flight plans with the help of GPS.

Aerial photography can be seen as the taking of pictures and video from the air without the support of a ground-based structure. Aerial photographs are therefore taken with the use of Drones or UAV's, Helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft among others. Most people nowadays use Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV's) or Quad-copter to do aerial photography.

What is the normal flight time of a Drone?

Flight time will differ between the type of Drone and weather conditions, an advance Drone can fly 20-30 minutes.

What is your turnaround time?

We think its great when clients give us one week's notice prior to a shoot; however, we often aren't afforded that much time and are happy to help you more quickly if you need it. We can deliver edited still photos within 24hrs following the time of the shoot.

How will I get my Files?

For most projects, we deliver edited photos to you via Google Drive within 24hrs following the completion of the shoot. If your project requires additional post-processing work including, video editing, image stitching, delivery time can take 2-4 working days. You will receive an email that includes a link to your online photo gallery where you can download all of these files to a local device.

Do I need to be onsite for the shoot?

It is typically not necessary for you to be on-site for the shoot; however you are welcome to join us on the shoot, scheduling times might be delayed as this will have to be coordinated with multiple parties.

We will share our project intake form with you prior to scheduling the project. This form allows you to describe your preferences, goals, and objectives in full detail. Most of our clients choose to communicate online or over the phone.

This depends on what you are trying to accomplish and personal preferences. For marketing photos, many professionals prefer partly cloudy weather because of the abundant sunlight along with just enough clouds in the sky to display texture in the photos.

It depends, although it is true there are some locations and areas that are either off-limits or additional height restrictions, we can fly near or even at most airports if we can obtain the necessary legal permission. If you are unsure of the viability of a particular location, shoot us an email or give us a call. We are happy to take a look!

Can you capture the entire property in one photo?

This largely depends on the nature of your project and the size of your project and property. Our pilots legally fly at heights of up to 400 feet in most locations. A good rule of thumb is to assume the drone can capture about 20 acres in a single, plan view (shot camera pointing directly down), shot from 400 feet. If you are not looking for plan view shots, and would instead prefer oblique shots (captured at an angle), the imagery can include a much wider territory and the camera will be pointing out into the horizon.

What kind of drones do you fly?

Dronesmith almost exclusively fly drones manufactured by DJI Enterprise. DJI is the industry leader and currently owns approximately 74% market share. The specific model of Drone that will be used on your project are equipped with cameras capable of shooting video in 4K resolution in almost all cases, the pilot will be assigned to your project with a DJI Phantom 4.

What file format will you use?

Dronesmith is committed to delivering the highest quality imagery possible; therefore, unless otherwise specified by the client, we shoot photos in RAW (DNG) format and film in MP4 format. The RAW (DNG) images are converted to JPEG when edited.

What is a RAW, or DNG, photo?

A RAW photo is an image produced by all of the raw data from the camera sensor. The image is large and minimally processed and is ideal for professional editing with applications like Adobe Photoshop.

What photo resolution can I expect?

We deliver only high-resolution imagery to our clients.

We can certainly share a single photo with you; however, for most projects, image quantity does not affect the price. We typically advise clients to look at all of the photos we capture and choose for themselves which ones they personally think are best.​

It can be challenging to verbally communicate the precise height, angles distances of preferred shots, so we always like to capture as many as is reasonable to ensure enough variety to provide the photos you have in mind.

We've found that most of our clients are more interested in us getting the job done than they are about how much time it takes us to complete. As such, we do not charge an hourly rate. Many independent drone operators will include travel time, breaks and more when determining a final price. We eliminate that uncertainty and unnecessary stress by billing only the amount you are originally quoted.

Can the weather impact the mission?

Yes, however, the weather dictates if the mission is a go or no go. If the mission is aborted due to rain, strong winds or another weather-related phenomenon we will issue a refund.