It's now not enough to get your wedding pictures taken in front of a wildfire or a tornado. These days, it's all about drone photography.
Once a staple of military intelligence, unmanned aerial vehicles — otherwise known as drones — are going commercial. Amazon is even testing drones as a way to deliver stuff to you faster than land-based methods, because your Friends box set just can't wait for two-day Prime delivery.
And the technology is now on its way to becoming a tool for wedding photographers. Because, why not? It looks freaking stunning.
There's just one little problem... it's illegal. The Federal Aviation Administration still outlaws drones for commercial use, though a Virginia judge recently threw out a fine for a drone photographer. Many — including Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney of New York — interpret this as a thumbs-up for these types of photo shoots.
Companies specializing in the aerial arts are now popping up all over. Iowa-based Picture Perfect Portrait and Design charges $300 and up to shoot 30 minutes of photos from the air.
"The greatest part of this aerial option, is that it is non-intrusive, and only last 30 minutes," reads the company website. All while providing five unbelievable images of your special day. Your day goes exactly as any normal wedding session. Our drone pilots are already on location waiting for the wedding party to arrive to our predetermined location. The five images are then captured in little to no time."
Other companies, including the one that shot Maloney's wedding, charge $2,000 or more for photos shot 150 feet up in the air. That's quite pricey, but it's better than strapping a GoPro to a remote controlled helicopter and giving your drunk uncle the controls.
"You could just get your uncle to do it... but then you’ll end up with footage taken by your uncle," Parker Gyokeres, owner of Propellerheads, told Refinery29.
So, are one-of-a-kind wedding photos worth it to risk breaking federal law? We're not sure, but the drone shots are ah-mazing. Maybe we can just budget the fine into the wedding budget... and look at a possible jail sentence as the honeymoon.
Tell us: Would you break the law to get drone photos taken during your wedding?
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