There is as much diversity in drone operators as there are drone designs. And just because someone owns a drone does not mean they are qualified to take the pictures or video you require. Here are 4 questions you should ask when hiring a drone photographer so that you can vet them for the skills, technology and expertise that you need.
How Much Professional Experience Do You Have?
You don’t want to hire drone video services Dubai from someone who just purchased their drone and now calls themselves a drone photographer. Nor do you want to let someone claim the time they’ve operated drones for entertainment purposes as having professional experience. You need to ask how much professional experience they have taking video or images with drones. Take the time to ask about prior projects and clients, since someone who had one big project a year ago and hasn’t had anything since might claim to have more than a year of experience.
What Industries Do You Serve?
This question allows you to determine if someone understands the type of images or video you need. For example, someone who focuses on the wedding crowd probably possesses high quality video equipment as well as a sense of place. However, the event photographer may not have sufficient memory or live stream connectivity to let you see anything and everything at a construction site.
If you need to capture smooth video of high speed sporting events, you may need to seek out drone photographers whose drones can literally keep up with the participants. If someone routinely works with companies that demand movie quality 4K video, you know they capture high resolution video.
What Services Do You Offer?
When shopping for drone services, people tend to focus on the technology. But you should also ask what services the person offers. Do they simply capture the video or images? Or can they set up a live-stream of events for you that you can distribute to your social media followers or paying subscribers? Does the drone photographer edit the videos to create a polished presentation you can use to show off a home for sale or apartment for rent?
What Are Your Contingency Plans?
What is the drone operator’s plan if the scheduled date isn’t an option due to weather? What will the drone operator do if the drone itself is malfunctioning or damaged? What does the drone operator do if they are out sick on the planned date for filming? Can the drone operator send a replacement with similar skills and technology? This is a good lead in question to asking about the technology behind the drone as well so that you can ask about a drone hired for landscape photography that may not be able to fly if winds are too high because it is a small, cheaper drone. Don’t forget to ask about legal liability and insurance at this time as well.
Now that you know what questions to ask a drone videographer, you can start vetting potential candidates. Either way, try to go for a reputed operator with a solid reputation that will be ready to cater to your specific needs.
