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Drone – Page 2 – Bill Swartwout Photography

Category: Drone

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First Still Image Test with DJI Mini SE

Night, indoors, low light, impressive results…

Yes, the weather outside is not conducive to me doing a first flight and, no, I did not try flying indoors for my first test with the new (to me) DJI Mini SE drone. However, I did activate it while it was sitting on a coffee table and, or course, had to take a couple of pictures. This indoor “practice” with the DJI Fly app on my (older) iPhone 6 should help me be more comfortable when I do launch my first drone flight.

drone image test bookcase

But – on with the first test – where you can see the initial test photo of a bookcase in our family room lighted only with a couple of room lamps. The lighting was certainly not ideal!

You can see the coffee table in the bottom foreground and one of the lamps used for lighting the room. There was also a lamp behind my wife in the chair on the right and a lamp behind where I was sitting.

A normal, daylit scene, flying outdoors, will have about 50 to 100 times more illumination. Our eyes are surprisingly adaptable to the difference in light between night indoors and sunlight outdoor. Camera sensors – not so much. With that said, here is a center crop of that full frame to show the detail captured under these poor conditions.

drone image test bookcase detail center crop

This is a 660×300 pixel section of the original full 4000×3000 px image. The only editing I did, besides the crop, was to run it through one level of Topaz Studio2 denoise. I am eager to see what this camera can do when outdoors flying on a nice day.

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Getting a New DJI Mini SE Drone

And adding a new camera perspective to my photography galleries…

My U.S. Pictures gallery will be gaining some new perspective in 2022. Several of my wall art photograph sales over the last few years have been taken from the high vantage point of my Ercoupe airplane and/or the top deck of a large cruise ship. I no longer have the airplane (it was a very expensive to maintain toy for nearly seven years) and we will not be cruising again for the foreseeable future (until the COVID protocols actually makes sense and work).

Here is a popular photograph that has sold multiple times. It was shot from the top deck of the Grandeur of the Seas at it left the Cruise Maryland terminal at Port Covington and sailed past Fort McHenry two days after the Baltimore Blizzard of 2016.

Fort McHenry Shrouded in Snow

Here is an image shot from my airplane a few years back of the Century I Condominium building in Ocean City, Maryland. A drone would be able to replicate this image – but they are (supposedly) not allowed to fly within the town limits of OCMD.

Century I Condominium Ocean City Maryland

There are several other instances of high-vantage-point images that have been purchased from one of my online galleries. A drone, once I learn to effectively fly it and become licensed to do so for commercial purposes, will allow me to photograph many interesting landscapes and seascapes from unique vantage points. This will offer a perspective that most people will never see from the ground and using their cell phones.

Related: The drone arrived and, of course snow was in the forecast. LINK

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The DJI Mini SE Drone Has Arrived

Now to begin the learning curve to fly safely and legally – with my TRUST Certificate in hand.

DJI Mini SE Drone Box

So the package arrived mid afternoon on the day before a predicted few inches of snow. Of course, the batteries wouldn’t be charged fully until after dark. LOL

I opened it immediately, checked all the parts, looked at the (basically) useless papers that came with it. I’m glad I had already downloaded the .PDF User Manual file, which is very useful. And, of course, I’ve been watching some training/familiarization videos on Youtube.

Meanwhile – yesterday I did study the online course for Recreational Flyers and received my “TRUST” Certificate so I can fly legally (when it stops snowing).

TRUST Certificate Obverse

And the info on the back of the certificate…

TRUST Certificate Reverse

Transcription of the Certificate Information…

For Recreational Flyers operating under the exception for limited recreational operations of unmanned aircraft (Title 49 of the united States Code (49 U.S.C) S 44809), this document is evidence that the holder has passed the aeronautical knowledge and safety test as required by 49 U.S.C S 44809 (a)(7).

  • Register your drone if it weights more than 0.55 pounds.
  • Fly only for recreational purposes.
  • Operate in accordance with or within a Community-Based Organizations (CBO’s) safety guidelines
  • Always fly within visual line of sight.
  • Do not interfere and give way to any manned aircraft.
  • Obtain authorization before flying in controlled airspace.
  • Do not fly higher than 400 feet in uncontrolled airspace.

Recreational Flyers must make this certificate available to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or Law Enforcement officials upon request. For more information visit faa.gov/uas.

I studied for the TRUST Certificate with the free course at the Pilot Institute. It was easy to understand and was not difficult at all to pass and obtain the certificate.

PART 107 Certificate

Once I obtain my Part 107 Certificate, which permits the drone pilot certificate holder to use a drone for commercial purposes. I will then be able to use the Drone as a camera platform, enabling me to add a new perspective to my landscape and seascape photography.

Let the Games Begin!