New drone user. Come help me out?

[TYFighter01]

The Typhoon H is my first drone. My dad helped me pay for it so I can use it to look how is crops are doing in his fields. I also want to get into some cinematography like filming weddings and doing promotional videos for companies. Is there anything I can do to make my experience better? Mine came with an ST16 and the "Wizard Magic Wand". I just got it last week.

Also this was the first video I made with it:

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Any tips or advice I can use to improve?

 

[Niblett]

Spend some time flying first...you already have the basics it seems....practice practice. Nice footage!

 

[Graham]

Welcome to the club!
Read and re-read the manuals.
I'd keep it close, but not too close, until you feel comfortable flying. Buy a cheap quad to practise your skills. Keep clear of any obstructions. Keep well away from people and animals. Safety is more important than images. Buy spare batteries. Don't try to do too much and don't drain the battery.
Good luck!

 

[Rayray]

Holy Moly, you are off to a good start. What kind of crops?

The only thing I suggest is generally to aim the cam lower, no need for so much horizon. Keep up the good work. The Pic/Video area is a good place to show your work.

 

[Murray Martz]

Holy Moly, you are off to a good start. What kind of crops?

The only thing I suggest is generally to aim the cam lower, no need for so much horizon. Keep up the good work. The Pic/Video area is a good place to show your work.

I agree. A common mistake in video/photography, is too much horizon, unless there is a sky shot. There is a rule of 3rd's. 1/3 of what you see should only be horizon if the subject matter is on the ground. If it's a sky shot, with the subject matter being in the air, then it's 2/3 sky, 1/3 ground. With drones especially this rule is important to keep the blades from view. Forward motion momentarily tilts the H down exposing the blades in the shot. Just have enough height, so that when the camera is forward, it is not pointed to far forward showing blades. Remember, the camera is stabilized, but the H is not so the H will be constantly adjusting itself. Think of it like the head on an Owl. The Owl's head stays stationary, while the body moves creating natures original gimbal, except upside down to how the camera is on a drone.

 

[TYFighter01]

Holy Moly, you are off to a good start. What kind of crops?

The only thing I suggest is generally to aim the cam lower, no need for so much horizon. Keep up the good work. The Pic/Video area is a good place to show your work.

Corn and soybeans

 

[TYFighter01]

I agree. A common mistake in video/photography, is too much horizon, unless there is a sky shot. There is a rule of 3rd's. 1/3 of what you see should only be horizon if the subject matter is on the ground. If it's a sky shot, with the subject matter being in the air, then it's 2/3 sky, 1/3 ground. With drones especially this rule is important to keep the blades from view. Forward motion momentarily tilts the H down exposing the blades in the shot. Just have enough height, so that when the camera is forward, it is not pointed to far forward showing blades. Remember, the camera is stabilized, but the H is not so the H will be constantly adjusting itself. Think of it like the head on an Owl. The Owl's head stays stationary, while the body moves creating natures original gimbal, except upside down to how the camera is on a drone.

Thanks

 

[PatR]

Never, ever hurry a launch, and always land with reserves left in the battery.

 

[Christopher Philips]

If you plan on using the H to make some photography money, make sure your aware of all of the FAA regulations, and be sure to get your Part 107. Without it, flying for compensation could land you into some trouble.

Also, be sure to register your drone!

 

[TYFighter01]

Welcome to the club!
Read and re-read the manuals.
I'd keep it close, but not too close, until you feel comfortable flying. Buy a cheap quad to practise your skills. Keep clear of any obstructions. Keep well away from people and animals. Safety is more important than images. Buy spare batteries. Don't try to do too much and don't drain the battery.
Good luck!

Did you not see the video? I'm pretty comfortable flying.

 

[Ty Pilot]

Welcome to the forum. You may be the first person I've seen on this forum who puts a video into their first post, so well done there. Lots of great info on this forum, spend lots of time searching out these topics and others and you will pick up a lot. When flying make sure you're always aware of rules and regulations.

As for videos, shoot and edit as much footage as you can to help build a critical eye of your own work. Watch other videos and find out specifically what it is about them that you like or dislike, try dissecting them. Weddings are tough because there are no do-overs and brides can snap like a twig if you don't find their good side. I don't like weddings, can you tell? One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was being told that the audio, whether it was music, sound effects voice over or whatever, is very important, pay attention to the sound tracks. And after that don't fall in love with your footage, some of it has to stay on the edit floor, er in recycling bin, so to speak.

 

[TYFighter01]

Welcome to the forum. You may be the first person I've seen on this forum who puts a video into their first post, so well done there. Lots of great info on this forum, spend lots of time searching out these topics and others and you will pick up a lot. When flying make sure you're always aware of rules and regulations.

As for videos, shoot and edit as much footage as you can to help build a critical eye of your own work. Watch other videos and find out specifically what it is about them that you like or dislike, try dissecting them. Weddings are tough because there are no do-overs and brides can snap like a twig if you don't find their good side. I don't like weddings, can you tell? One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was being told that the audio, whether it was music, sound effects voice over or whatever, is very important, pay attention to the sound tracks. And after that don't fall in love with your footage, some of it has to stay on the edit floor, er in recycling bin, so to speak.

The video I just put on YouTube because I couldn't send the video to everyone I wanted to do I just included all of my shots. Thanks for the advice tho

 

[Rayray]

Think of it like the head on an Owl. The Owl's head stays stationary, while the body moves creating natures original gimbal,

Say hoo, hoo, hoo. Are you sure?

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[Steve Carr]

@Ty Pilot is exactly right. The no 1 hurdle with video is the owners pride in authorship. You just love every minute of video you shoot and can't stand to leave anything out.
There are lots of Youtube videos that give you some tips on creating interesting video. Perhaps we should start a list. Others will add a lot more.

1 Stay low. The best video is not much higher than the treetops.
2 Never use the same scene more than once.
3 Use lots of short clips to keep it moving and interesting.
4 Decide what you want the video to show. What subject or message.
5 If you have a clip you really like but it's too long, then speed it up.
6 Never include the take-off and landing or shadows of the copter. Keep 'em guessing how it was shot.
7 Cut any parts that show the props or lights or the sun flutter shining through the props.
8 Limit the total length for general interest vids to 1:30.
9 Don't show pan shots unless they are very good and there is a reason to include them.
10 Don't show hover shots, starting or stopping.

 

[PatR]

Shorter version of that is always "cut on action".

 

[Murray Martz]

Say hoo, hoo, hoo. Are you sure?

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I got nothing....lol

 

[Bullhorn1976]

Corn and soybeans

That's the main reason I got my typhoon h pro also.. it's also amazing at helping my keep track of my cows..lol

 

[mbuten]

it's also amazing at helping my keep track of my cows..lol

Have you actually flown it over cows yet?? I did tonight in our pasture... I was over them at 150 feet and it still made them a bit nervous.. maybe they will get more used to it over time...

On another thought, I was morel mushroom hunting today.. I wish there could be a mushroom filter to put on the camera to point me to these little yummy guys hiding in the woods.. it would save me a lot of steps on the hillsides around here

 

[Bullhorn1976]

Yeh, the first few times mine were a bit nervous too. The first time I flew over them I was around 200 ft., and every 5 or 6 flights I'd lower it a bit.. now I can fly over them at 100, and they just kinda acknowledge it, it doesn't get them on the move.. .. but then again my cows are a tad different from most herds..lol, I go to the local bread depot each week and buy a truck load of old loaves of bread & snack cakes to feed them straight from my our hands.. lol, but yeh it did take several flights for the herd to accept the typhoon!!.. lol

 

[FlushVision]

Have you actually flown it over cows yet?? I did tonight in our pasture... I was over them at 150 feet and it still made them a bit nervous.. maybe they will get more used to it over time...

On another thought, I was morel mushroom hunting today.. I wish there could be a mushroom filter to put on the camera to point me to these little yummy guys hiding in the woods.. it would save me a lot of steps on the hillsides around here

I did a shoot for a farmer in December last year of his Belted Galloway cows on a bleak moor in North Yorkshire, U.K.
I was a bit apprehensive about it because he wanted some low-level shots. I finally agreed to do the shoot but in the end I curtailed the shoot because I felt I was distressing the cows. If asked to do a similar shoot again I think I may decline it.
Here is a vid from the shoot. You can see how bleak the moor is. Video is a bit 'stuttery' but shows what I mean.

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