Drones are super annoying. Drones are also super cool. This is the conundrum that faces anyone who wants really awesome photos and videos, but doesn’t want to be a jerk. Even a few years ago, drones were bulky and expensive – not the sort of thing you’d toss in your bag haphazardly. Nowadays though, ultra lightweight drones are affordable, easy to fly, and take up no more room in your bag than a pair of noise canceling headphones.
I don’t bring my drone on every trip, and I don’t tend to use it very often. But it can be a really amazing way to get a different perspective on your travel, and if used smartly, doesn’t have to have a negative impact on those around you. Here’s my philosophy.
Be Legal
First, don’t bring your drone somewhere with a blanket restriction. Sites like UAV Systems do a good job of tracking legislation all around the world. Some countries have total bans, and may even impose fines in addition to confiscation. Within the US, drones are banned in all national parks, and many state and local parks. Plenty of people ignore these restrictions, but if you’re posting any content online, don’t be surprised if you get contacted by the relevant authorities.
It’s also important to use common sense, everywhere in the world – don’t fly near airports, embassies, military bases, or anywhere that might provoke an awkward conversation with someone holding an assault rifle.
Be Respectful
Even when I’m somewhere with no restrictions in place, I tend to be conservative in my drone use. The sound of a drone can be annoying, and they can feel like a privacy invasion. I won’t fly my drone if there are people nearby trying to enjoy a peaceful view, and I try to avoid flying in places where I might end up capturing views through windows or other private spaces.
Every situation is a bit different though. On Reunion island, I got some great photos of the Cascade de Grand Galet. There were tons of people around, enjoying the view, so I normally wouldn’t have put my drone up. However, there were a few factors that swayed my thinking.
- The falls were really loud
- People were already playing music on bluetooth speakers
- There were at least 2 drones already flying around
Of course, nobody batted an eye when I put mine up.
Similarly, when we did our group hike to Trois Salazes, I gave a heads up to other folks in our group before flying, and waited until we’d gotten to know each other a bit. Since they were French, they made fun of l’Américain and his drone a bit, but everyone wanted to see the screen and asked for copies of the photos afterwards.
Be Judicious
There are only so many slow motion aerial panning shots you need from your vacation. You’re probably not a professional YouTuber, so you don’t need to capture endless “dronie” selfie shots or tracking shots that you can set to generic acoustic indie music. Using your drone can be a great way to get a different perspective, but it can also take you away from just enjoying a moment – you’ll be spending your time doing compass calibration or swapping batteries, instead of just taking things in. And your long suffering partner will eventually lose patience as well.
Travel Light
I suppose I need to make a tech recommendation before closing out this article. The answer with drones, for as long as its legal, is to buy something from DJI. Specifically, for tourists, you should buy the best DJI Mavic Mini you can afford – they’re all good, but the more expensive ones do have meaningfully nicer cameras (especially for video). Whichever you buy, I’d recommend buying a couple extra batteries – usually you can find a bundle deal which will get you the drone, controller, batteries and charger, plus a case to carry it all – DJI calls this the “fly more combo”. Oh, and don’t skimp out when buying an SD card to store the data either – the drone environment can be harsh, and cheap SD cards have a tendency to fail.
So what do you think? Are you ready to be “one of those people”?