How many times has someone proudly shown your photographs from their vacations and left you underwhelmed to the point of being completely bored out of your mind?
That doesn’t happen so much anymore. Because of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) have transformed the world of amateur photography.
The most impressive holiday photographs I have seen were taken inside a volcano in Iceland. While it was erupting. It made a change from the usual portraits of red-eyed families with a decapitated daughter and Dad holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa with his index finger.
Once high-fliers drove Phantom Rolls-Royces or Ferraris and flew their own private Lear jets. Now, they fly their own luxury drones. Now status is determined by your hovering and loitering times, all-weather capability, flight ceiling, and chosen gimbal stabilization for stable footage. Nowadays, we are judged by our clarity, our functionalities, advanced image systems, and HNWI user-friendly interfaces. We all seem to own luxury a high-tech quadrocopter.
The design of luxury drones reflects changing trends in the fashion and automotive worlds. Eye-catching sleek lines and aerodynamic shapes. Which means that we are all seeking superior wind resistance. This means UAV showrooms have become almost as popular as luxury sedan showrooms. The Autel Robotics Dragonfish is the new Porsche, the Intel Falcon + is the new Ferrari, and the Freefly Alta the new Lamborghini. The UTify IGFO-S is the latest hybrid racer
Luxury drones have brought sophistication and style to the UAV market with features such as high-resolution cameras, obstacle avoidance sensors, and autonomous flight modes. The use of carbon fiber, titanium, and custom finishes such as gold plating and hand-painted designs, are available. A drone is not a gadget. It is a status symbol and the ultimate luxury toy.
Not all of us buy a drone to help us with our search and rescue operation, for surveillance purposes or to market real estate, monitor crop health, collect dates about soil moisture, or search for gas and oil. But many of us are keen photographers and videographers and aspiring moviemakers. Our is an increasingly visual world. More and more of us are in permanent Cine mode, recording everything that moves. And much that doesn’t.
The drone is part of our Insatiable Curiosity Culture. It has made tripods and step ladders largely redundant!
Program autonomous flight modes mean your drone performs complex maneuvers and flies pre-determined routes, making them ideal for capturing shots you would otherwise have missed or just not known about. Some models even have obstacle avoidance systems that use sensors to detect potential collisions and adjust the drone’s trajectory accordingly. Battery technology and efficient power management systems allow for greater flight time and therefore a better chance of better visuals. High-end UAVs are no longer just gadgets for hobbyists but family members. They have become as essential for a luxury lifestyle as a luxury home entertainment system.
Remote-controlled aircraft were first used in WWI and WWII for target practice. The late 20th century saw the introduction of drones for agricultural use. The luxury industry has embraced drone technology. The growing trend in luxury tech reflects an evolving consumer mindset. Drone cameras are the fruit of the storytelling universe. They demonstrate your affinity for innovation and, shooting on RAW format, allows greater flexibility in post-processing. Intelligent shooting modes like HDR, time-lapse, and panoramic modes allow users to elevate their photography game effortlessly.
Future luxury drones are likely to incorporate more advanced AI capabilities enabling subject tracking. Very soon Enhanced Imaging Technology with high dynamic range (HDR) imaging options will come along with integration with smart home technologies. One day you tell your drone where to fly, what to fly over, and what to photograph or video.
At the forefront of UAV technology is DJI. The best of the best is its new DJI Air 3s $1200 724g, 4- 4-minute flight time, 14 stops with panoramic mode, and Nightscape OmniDirectional Obstacle Sensor. The $2000 DJI Mavic comes with a 4/3 CMOS Hasselbad camera. The entry-level DJI Mini Pro has 20km FHD video transmission and 4k/60fps HDR True Vertical Shootin.
We can’t get enough cellular dongles, NextGen Smart RTH, D-Log Color, Dual Camera 4k.16frps, smother live feeds, memorable megapixels, and ultra-sharp aerials. There is a cinematic masterpiece in all of us!
Says a spokesperson for DII which is headquartered in Shenzhen, China: “Our platforms empower them to capture images that were once out of reach. Our flying and camera stabilization systems redefine camera placement and motion. Amazing photos and video, treasured personal memories, and high-end professional imagery are captured every day, in every corner of the world using DJI products.”
Now we all can be creatives and offer a never-been-seen before iews of the world.
And make the family photo album far more exciting.
