AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO – Figment Design

AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY

What You Need To Know About Aerial Photography & Video

Info

Aerial Photography Video

Aerial photography and video, has been one of the most desired requests from many of our clients over the years. Before it used to be a mission to get the helicopter reserved, then mounting the equipment on the helicopter and then praying that the weather holds up for a good shoot. Today things have changed drastically, but what people don’t realize is that drone photography has been going on for the past few years. A lot of focus has been put on this “new” service because of the price drop in the “hobby” drone units. Today, kids can pick up a drone with a built in camera for less than $500 USD and it’s ready to fly.

While this is really cool, and should produce some new talent in the near future, you should know the difference. The smaller hobby drones are similar to comparing a go-cart to a BMW. They will both get you to the same location, but do I need to explain the difference. Our drones are state of the art. Each one is purchased individually, and customized with safety and reliability in mind. Our systems provide many safety features that are listed in the FAQ’s and explain how they benefit you as a client. When it comes to safety, we will ditch a helicopter any day rather than jeopardize safety, yes even the $18,000 units! And believe it or not, crashing a helicopter takes talent and preparation…seriously! You don’t just stop flying a helicopter and let 20 pounds crash wherever it happens to fall, serious professionals have a game plan, because what goes up, does come down.

All of our drones carry hi-resolution cameras that shoot between 18-32 megapixel images at larger formats, and our video cameras shoot hi-definition (HD) video that is movie quality. All are carried mounted on modified Gimbals that have shock absorption and stabilization to remove the vibrations of the helicopters. Take a look at some of our frequently asked questions, you will get a lot of answers and also find out how serious we are.

Videos

Video Samples

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

How Much do Drones Cost?

You can buy simple drones in the hobby stores for around $400. These have cameras and you can learn to fly them. Our drones range between $1,200 – $8,000 for the drone, then add another $5000 or more for the gimbals, cameras and safety features.

How High Can They Go?

We have taken them so high that you cannot see them anymore. It is not recommended and there really is no reason to go any higher than 1,000 feet. We find that the best height when shooting resorts is about 300-400 feet.

How Far Can they Go?

We have flown them up to a few miles away, and this is in controlled open areas. In these situations you can no longer see the craft and you must fly by FPV. We have a ground station and the pilot will fly with video goggles are with a video screen (similar to a video game). We do not do this on the job, on set we always have the craft within line of site.

Have You Ever Crashed?

Anyone that flies RC planes or helicopters has crashed. It is part of the learning experience and yes, we all have. Thankfully this usually happens when we are testing new equipment and we are on a closed airfield. We have ditched an aircraft into the ocean on set, this is why it is important to have a safety plan.

Can You Film Anything?

Pretty much. Send us your wish list and we’ll let you know.

What Happens if it Rains?

Usually the day is not worth filming or doing photography if it is raining, so this is a no-fly day. Not too mention these crafts have electronics and would most likely short out in flight, and you would get water all over your camera lenses and would not be able to see anything well.

Do You Travel?

We do travel all over. We have provided services all over the Caribbean and in other locations as well. You can view our rates or have us customize one just for you.

Do You Fly for Fun?

Yes, most of us do. We still like to play and see what new things we can do with these crafts. We also practice new moves that help us follow our subjects etc, so although we are having fun, we are also getting more skilled at our craft.

How Fast Do They Fly?

Most of the time we don’t fly any faster than 60-70 mph with the helicopters, and the hexacopter drones fly about 10-15 mph. It mostly depends on the wind conditions and what we are shooting. Top speed on the hexacopters are 30 mph and the 800 helicopters can exceed 100 mph.

Cameras

Cameras Used & Info

GoPro & Sony NEX 7 – These are great cameras for shooting photography and also video. The quality produced out of these cameras will stand up to most of the competition. If you are on a budget, but you really want to have aerial shots, then this is the best option for you. We can also package these cameras with underwater photography and video during the same shoot.

Canon 5D mark II – Along with the professional lenses, this is by far one of the most professional cameras on the market. Shooting photos at 300 DPI raw, the retouching ability is amazing for gaining the best quality and color. This camera also has the ability to double and shoot video in HD quality 1080. This camera also has underwater housing for shooting underwater images and video.

Sony NEX-VG30 – Hi Resolution video is a must. Every day something new comes out and today it is the 4K video…even though it is not widely used or adopted as of yet, we do have that ability as well. Right now it is imperative that everything be shot in 1080P so that you or your editing house has the ability to make any adjustments they need. Clean, crisp and colorful video is the reason we use Sony for our video shooting.

Full Editing and Retouching InHouse – Whether you need a full commercial, a nice 30 second intro for your website, feature clips to put on vimeo and you tube, we can provide everything turn key. Tell us what you want, and we deliver it all in one nice package.

Packages

Photography & Video Packages

We make it easy for you to order photography and video. The prices that you see listed are advertised rates to give you an idea of the cost, if your needs require more production days then the daily rate will be reduced. If you don’t see a package that meets your need, give us a call or fill out the request and we will provide a customized quote.

All Prices below include everything we need to perform the task, the only thing that is not included and is your responsibility is airfare, accommodations, transportation, meals and on location expenses. We can usually give you a good estimate of these prices, but some clients prefer to arrange this themselves (especially if you are a resort client).

We make it easy for you to order photography and video. The prices that you see listed are advertised rates to give you an idea of the cost, if your needs require more production days then the daily rate will be reduced. If you don’t see a package that meets your need, give us a call or fill out the request and we will provide a customized quote.

All Prices below include everything we need to perform the task, the only thing that is not included and is your responsibility is airfare, accommodations, transportation, meals and on location expenses. We can usually give you a good estimate of these prices, but some clients prefer to arrange this themselves (especially if you are a resort client).

PHOTOGRAPHY OPTIONS PER DAY RATE DJI 550 DJI S1000 Align 600E Align 800E

Aerial Photography #1(Small DSLR or GoPro III)

 X

Aerial Photography #2(DSLR Canon 5D Mark II)

 X
Aerial Photography & Video #C1
(Small DSLR & HD 1080P Video)
 X X

Aerial Photography & Video #C2(DSLR Canon & Sony 1080P HD)

 X X

Aerial Photography & Video #C3(GoPro III & Canon & Sony)

 X X X
The 600 craft are optional depending on weather conditions and location. This determination is made closer to the shoot date.

Quote

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NOTE: We are extremely safety conscious when it comes to aerial imaging. Prior to any trip, there will be a safety briefing describing the type of “emergency” landing procedures in place, as well as our procedures and protocols for weather situations. While we love our equipment, everyones safety on the ground is more important than any piece of machinery, therefore it is important for us to understand our location and surroundings so that we don’t have to “ditch” aircraft.

NOTE: All locations/destinations have different rules and regulations according to unmanned aircraft, we do not verify nor assume responsibility outside of the US for any rules and regulations. Please verify with your appropriate departments for lawful operation.

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