From Ground to Sky: My Unexpected Love Affair with Drones

What started as a curious hobby during the COVID lockdowns quickly turned into a passion that’s taken us to new heights—literally! Around five years ago, I began following DJI and bought myself a DJI action camera. That was my gateway. Soon after, I found a second-hand DJI drone, and before long, my husband Mark caught the bug too. We picked up another of the same model so we could share batteries and head out on aerial adventures together.

Drone photography opened up a whole new perspective for us. When we lived in Mount Gambier, South Australia for 12 months, we had endless opportunities to explore with the drone—volcanoe craters, sinkholes, rugged coastlines—you name it. The landscape was like a dream for aerial shots and video, and it became an essential part of our travel YouTube channel.

What surprised us even more was how practical drone photography became for Mark’s work in forestry. We used drones for early fire detection and to scout potential camera installation sites by simulating the pole height with drone footage. Who knew a hobby could be so handy?

Of course, drone flying isn’t without its challenges. Weather and wind can ground you fast, and flying laws vary between countries. To stay on top of it all, I subscribe to CASA’s Know Your Drone and receive their monthly e-newsletters for updates and safety tips.

Oh, and we’ve definitely had our share of “oops” moments! Once, in Mount Gambier, we were flying near a sinkhole. Both of us were watching the screen and not the drone... and well, Mark said “go back a bit” and we promptly reversed it into a tree. It took 40 minutes to get it down. Classic drone fail!

Below is the site we were on, so you can see I was afraid of losing down the sink hole not the tree behind. There was a lot of follage.

My tips for beginners?

• Watch heaps of YouTube tutorials before flying.

• Register your drone with CASA

• Start small—think budget-friendly, especially while you’re learning.

• Accept that crashes and mistakes are part of the journey.

• And practise, practise, practise!

These days, I use drone footage for my real estate photography and commercial site work. I edit everything through Lightroom like my standard photography work.

My favourite shots? Definitely the landscape around Mount Gambier and the sinkholes—because the drone reveals an angle and story you just can’t get from the ground.

So if you’re thinking about flying high with a drone, go for it! Just don’t forget to look up from the screen now and then 😉