Let us learn. Let us edit. Let Us Drone.

It’s been a month since you bought the new Phantom, and have since gotten the beginner pilot urges out of your system. You’ve flown the drone at top speed while jamming the sicks in various directions, performed aimless overhead acrobatics for your friends, and sent the drone to a distance where all you can see is a tiny spec. Now what, Maverick? Time to take advantage of the incredible camera your drone came equipped with. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could learn how to take/edit professional-grade photos without having to wade through the countless resources out there; all while gleaning bits of information here and there, constantly questioning the legitimacy of the source? Luckily for you, there’s a class (no, not an app) for that. Investing five minutes of your time into reading this post could yield a return of many hours saved.

How to Know that your Aerial Shots are Good Enough

DJI Aerial Photography Academy is a one day class that is intended for the advanced beginner to intermediate-level pilots, who are looking to hone their aerial photography skills. The class aims to teach you how to unveil your flying camera’s potential by giving instruction on optimal lighting, proper settings, Adobe Lightroom, how to monetize your work and more.

Image by DJI Aerial Photography Academy

I love to read. Books are an incredible way to learn in a few hundred pages, what it took the author years to learn. This class is no different. The instructors, Randy Jay Braun and Stacy Garlington bring decades of combined experience to the table. To learn in one day what two, spoken-for professionals think to be most important about aerial photography, is a truly invaluable opportunity.

[bctt tweet=”To learn in one day what two, spoken-for professionals think to be most important about aerial photography, is a truly invaluable opportunity.” username=”LetUsDrone”]

So where is this class? Everywhere! Well, kind of…Randy and Stacy haven’t quite gotten the omnipresent thing down yet. They are currently in the middle of a 54 city tour throughout the United States. Here is the list of cities they will be visiting in the coming months. Depending on when you register, prices range from $169 – $189, and they offer a discount if you bring a friend. Although not required, they prefer that you bring a computer with Adobe Lightroom preinstalled on it; and though this may cause separation anxiety, you can leave your drone at home as no actual flying takes place. DJI drones such as the Inspire, Phantom, and Mavic will be used as examples as this workshop is designed for someone with a DJI product.

Image by DJI Aerial Photography

Why do I Need a Class when all of the Information is Available for Free?

“It’s 2018, Trevor, why would I spend money on a class when I can learn about taking pictures with my drone on YouTube?” Well Maverick, I’m glad you asked. 1.8 million; that’s how many results my search for “drone photography” on YouTube just produced. With all those results we need a siphoning method. Should we go by the video view count, like to dislike ratio or the soothing quality of the YouTuber's voice? And, when we do find a highly beneficial YouTube video, we are often only receiving a few pieces of the puzzle.

We’ve all heard it before; the old adage “time is money” gets tossed around more than a drone under the command of a beginner pilot. Instead of spending an innumerable amount of hours accumulating all the puzzle pieces online, a class may be an excellent alternative for you. For the record, I am by no means bashing YouTube or the internet. I’m actually not exactly sure how I made it through life in the pre-YouTube days.

“But I can’t justify spending money on making my Instagram pictures look better.” Sure, maybe at this stage you’re not sure if you’d like to make money with your drone or how far you want to take this aerial photography thing. I get it. It would be nice if we could choose to take this class when we are ready and have decided that this investment would benefit us. Unfortunately, as we’ve discussed, Randy and Stacy can only be in one location at a time; and their visit to your area will likely be a one-time thing. My recommendation? Take the class when you have the chance, and give up Starbucks for a month if you really need to justify the expense.

But Why Take this Class when I can Take one Online?

To date, DJI Aerial Photography Academy is the only aerial photography class authorized by DJI. To be taking a course that is backed by the maker of your equipment should give you a peace of mind that you may not have elsewhere. We all learn differently, but being in a room with 40-50 other individuals who are just as passionate and have a lot of the same questions as you creates an environment that your living room just can’t match. Additionally, by attending the in-person class you will be given the opportunity to talk with an instructor one-on-one and ask them whatever your little heart desires.

Image by DJI Photography Academy

Trevor’s Take

If your friends are no longer entertained with your aerial acrobatics and you’re ready to get serious about learning to use that powerful flying camera you purchased, then I’d strongly recommend checking out DJI Aerial Photography Academy.

Now, here’s where I’m going to sound like a complete hypocrite. Yes, you probably guessed it; I haven’t taken the course. *Gasp*. I know, I know, but I wasn’t able to attend the workshop when they were in San Diego. And yes, I am just as appalled as you are about this. With that being said, let me assure you that I would not be promoting DJI Aerial Photography Academy if I hadn’t come across numerous positive comments/reviews while performing extensive research about their course. Writing fair and honest posts about topics that I see to be valuable to our drone community is my goal, so I hope some can seize this opportunity that I missed out on.

Disclosure: I am not receiving any form of compensation from DJI Aerial Photography Academy or DJI for this post. All thoughts and comments are my own.