Drones: The Next Big Thing in Wedding Photography, or a Tacky Intrusion?

(Source: Washington Post)  

Inez Edwards had no clue what a drone was, but when the bride-to-be’s wedding photographer suggested it as a way to get some stunning aerial photos, Edwards was sold.

So in October, at a hotel in Washington, a drone buzzed overhead as she walked down the aisle.

“The drone captured every single person walking into the ceremony without them knowing. That was pretty cool,” Edwards said of being able to get candid shots.

The couple and their photographer first experimented with the drone at their rehearsal and found an altitude for it to hover at so the noise wouldn’t be a distraction. Edwards said she never heard the drone during the ceremony. Some guests told her afterward that the drone made them feel as if they were at a celebrity’s wedding.

Edwards is part of a budding trend. Drones outfitted with a camera are increasingly being used to document weddings as couples are drawn to the unique aerial perspective.

“Drones are definitely the hot topic in wedding photography and cinematography,” said cinematographer Justin Fone, who added that 50 percent of his potential customers ask about aerial footage.

Fone began filming weddings 14 years ago, and he started using a drone last year. He has witnessed a technology arms race to record weddings.

“When we first started, it was just a camera and a tripod,” Fone said. “But now it’s a camera and tripod, a slider, a jib, a crane, aerial shots.”

Photographer Chris Geiger actually had a couple ask him to use a drone to capture their entire ceremony, which was held inside a church. But the ceremony was 30 minutes long, and Geiger knew his battery wouldn’t last long enough, plus he was worried about the safety of it. So he turned them down.

“If there’s not an established area where I can crash, I’m kinda concerned with that,” Geiger told me. He’s careful to note that he’s just experimenting with drone footage at weddings. He says there’s no charge for the use of the drone.

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