Recently, I was hired to shoot several properties for a client, both day and night shots. Sure, no problem!

Of course, it’s not exactly that easy. Technically, as a professional Part 107 Certified drone pilot, you can’t just shoot a commercial drone gig without doing a couple things first. Here’s a quick recap:

Ever since returning from Hawaii, I’ve been going through my photos and remembering all the beautiful landscapes. The depth of layers brought back memories of staring into viewfinders as a kid.

One of my favorite excursions was The Road to Hana. Driving the 620 curves and 59 bridges that were often one-lane with hairpin turns was a white knuckle experience and truly unforgettable. The incredible scenery (captured by #DasDrone001) made me feel lucky to be alive, in Hawaii, and in that moment.

Ever try to take a picture of the sun before? Before you try, you better have some type of filter on your camera or lower your exposure.

Doesn’t matter if it’s film or digital, Sony or Nikon—you need to have a plan in place before you begin. If you try to shoot it, it will look blown out or not exposed the way you are seeing it.