I took this aerial photograph on my last Florida trip.
Like I wrote in my free eBook “Trip Planning Tips for Photographers”, I tested the quadcopter before I left Switzerland and made sure it was up-to-date. Everything worked perfectly, the App version as well as the Quadcopter version was updated. Also the no-fly database did update itself. I also brought my FAA fly pass and the registration number that is required for the US. The registration was marked outside of my drone. Ready to fly in the USA!
Without any thinking, I updated my phone while I spent my time in Florida – and boom. The App of my quadcopter kept crashing. I was in Clearwater Beach and experienced an awesome and long sunset. But my quadcopter did not want to start.
I have tried to update the App – No update available.
I have tried to clear the cache of the APP – no effect.
I have tried to reinstall the App – No effect.
Since my drone was not properly operating, I only took photographs . During dinner, I did a research on the web and found out that DJI has an own download center. It seems like the Apps (by the way, all of them were crashing) are not anymore part of the google store. I had to download all the DJI Apps I had devices for and sideload them on my Samsung phone. Unfortunately, I had to redo all my settings…
Photography Tip:
I often get asked if all that “registration crap” for drone photography is needed? Yes! For two main reasons:
#1: If you fly without permission, then you might be lucky to get the shot that no one else will have – Bravo. But, if this happens more and more often, the authorities might ban this for good. I think it is unfair, only because other people do something wrong, I have to pay for it.
And common, those tests are really not that hard to administer!
#2: If you want to sell the footage, the correct permissions need to be granted. Otherwise, no any company will buy shit from you.
