FAQ

We have the DJI Phantom 4. It shoots 4k video and 12 MP photos.

Here’s the full specs.

Approximately an hour (60 minutes) in 20 minute intervals. We carry 3 charged batteries. Each battery lasts between 20-25 minutes and changing the battery takes 5-10 minutes. It takes some time to get to the drone with the battery and switch it. Then the drone needs to warm up the system that keeps the rotors and camera all in sync for several minutes. It makes it tough for events where there could be a delay while the drone is airborne.

High winds can take a toll on battery life as well making it drain faster as it works to compensate for the wind.

The Wright Brothers flew down here because of the reliable winds – which can mean a lot more days we can’t take off. Also, with exterior photography – ideally there’s great sunlight on the side of the house you’d like to showcase.

It makes it very difficult to commit to an event like a wedding, but it also impacts the real estate shoots. It can be great when we head out the door, but when we arrive the weather has changed and the photos will look gloomy.

Here’s some of the reasons we’ve had to reschedule a shoot:

• Rainy day
• High winds
• Cloudy during shoot time
• Too many trees around the house
• Power lines too close
• Too close to an airport (Wright Brothers & Manteo)
• Missed the sun on the front
• Drone hardware or update issues
• Drone software or update issues
• Cars, vans or trucks in front of house
• Workers fixing (or finishing!) the house
• Weekly guests arrive early
• Weekly guests leave late

Shoots in Corolla, Rodanthe and Avon are a great excuse to visit places we don’t get to every week. I love em! If everything goes as planned, they are no problem.

It’s the unexpected reshoots/last minute issues that cause a problem.

Unfortunately, there are so many things outside of our control that can cause a shoot to fail, it hasn’t been realistic to commit to locations too far from our home base of Kill Devil Hills. If something goes wrong with a shoot nearby, getting back out is no problem. Sometimes, we may not know there’s an issue until we’re back and downloading the photos from the SD card.

Also, the more travel time, the greater the turnaround time to deliver final photos. Most beach houses have the sun on the front during the later part of the afternoon so we may not know we’ll miss it until the evening.

We’ll keep reassessing everything and if we can make it work will continue to expand the area instead of contract.

Here’s our current service area.

No, we don’t offer special events as a service. There are too many things that can go wrong to commit to things that will only occur once in a lifetime. There are some talented wedding photographers who may offer drone services as well, so check them out.

Outer Banks Wedding Videographers

Outer Banks Photographers

Drones are loud until they get pretty high up – at least the Phantom 4 is. Around the waves you can’t hear them very much.

I started flying in June of 2016 and have shot over 25 homes for real estate agents and photographers. I’ve also produced several videos and photo shoots for business marketing in addition to capturing the beauty of the Outer Banks.

As far as photography skills, a professional photographer or videographer is always going to be better than us at post-production and potentially composition. There is a lot to be aware of when flying, so many times we work to get as much raw content as possible.

You can check out our work on the site and see if we’ve got what you’re looking for.