How To Shoot A Commercial Property Using A Drone In The Winter

When you are selling commercial property, ground pictures of the building and surrounding land don't always show the uniqueness of a large property. You may be using drone videography to showcase a larger building so clients can really get a feel of what the property is like. Commercial drone videography is great and works best in the summer months, but what if you are selling a property in the winter? Can you still use drone videography?

Drone videography can still work well, but you will have to keep a few things in mind while shooting. Here is what you need to know about using commercial drone videography during the winter.

The Drone Could Have Icing

When you are using commercial drone videography during the summer months, you don't usually have to worry about the surrounding air temperature, but that isn't the case in the winter. Depending on how high you want to fly the drone to really take in the property, the higher the drone flies, the more susceptible it is to ice.

Icing is when the water droplets in the air from ice on a surface due to the colder temperature. This could be a problem for a drone, as cameras and drones don't do well in icy conditions. Ice can also build up on the rotor blades, causing the drone to fly erratically.

There are some de-icing products you could use before you take your drone to the property to shoot it. You can also shoot the property in spurts, and then edit the pieces together later. This way, your drone isn't flying too long in colder temperatures, and you can take the time to de-ice it in-between shots.

Keep The Drone's Batteries As Warm As Possible

Cold temperatures in the winter can drastically cut down on your drone's batteries, so when you are doing commercial drone videography, make sure you have a way to keep your batteries as warm as possible.

Bring an insulated backpack or drone bag with you to protect the equipment as much as possible. Only do shorter flights around the property. This means that it might be easier to block off a smaller section of the property, take your drone shots, and then move to another part of the property to take the next shots. These shots can be edited together for a smooth look later.

You could keep the batteries wrapped in a thick towel or scarf to help keep them as warm as possible, too. Also, only shoot your commercial drone videography on warmer days, to keep your batteries and drone functioning properly.