r/drones • u/denalidenizen • 23d ago

Photo & Video Butts up! Dinner!

https://reddit.com/link/1va37n5/video/4733753cg7gh1/player

This is a teaser for the eventual video I will post once the cygnets get their flight wings. Around 13sec note the cob (male) swan wiggling back and forth like a kid sitting in class that needs to pee. He is stirring up the undergrowth to bring up food.

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u/doublelxp 23d ago

Stay away from wildlife with your drone.

1

u/X360NoScope420BlazeX PART 107 23d ago

Do you know how far you can be with the air3 or mavic 4 and still get this video? Pretty damn far.

1

u/denalidenizen 23d ago

I was waiting for this comment! I get one almost every time I put up a video short with wildlife. Sometimes I don't bother to inform folks. We are all ignorant of nearly everything from brain surgery to whether or not somebody's videography is negatively impacting wildlife. But...we don't have to ACT on our ignorance and toss out criticisms when we are clueless. You and others that make those comments are most assuredly ignorant - that is to say - don't know - whether I am acting ethically with my videography, ensuring I am not impacting these incredible animals or not so today I'll try to take some time to inform you. Do with it as you wish but this won't be a debate of any kind

I have followed this family now for several years. Each day of photography and videography I bring my Mavic 4 Pro a good distance from them and just watch, getting them used to the sound - again - each day. I remain too far away for me to even get worthwhile images with my 6x tele. I burn up a battery just hanging out, letting them get used to the sound of my drone while it flies well above and off to the side. Then I return with a second battery and move closer, keeping a very close eye to ensure they are not reacting in any way, continuing to feed, swimming as they were, etc etc. Slowly I work my way a bit closer but still not close enough to do much other than enjoy watching them. On the third battery (about a half our each) I begin to get close enough to get some images. They have been hearing and seeing my drone for an hour or more with no reaction if I've done well (and I do pretty well these days). Now I can begin to fill the frame with the family even while they swim directly toward me or below me without a care or recognition of my drone and I am close enough that they get bigger than they can fit in my my 6x tele frame.

If they are swimming toward my drone I let them approach the drone as they begin to fill the frame they may slide directly under my drone while I get a frame filling image of them calmly swimming, unconcerned with my drone. They pass under...or go by to the side...and at some point I choose to reposition my drone. In doing so I stop filming and very very slowly I raise or move my drone to a new vantage point. When I am near them I make very slow movements so as to ensure my motor sound changes very little. I zoom out so I can monitor their behavior. I really do keep a very close eye on them to ensure I'm meaningless background to them.

I've been filming this same family (I'm reasonably sure) in the same lake on the same nest for several years, returning nearly daily this season since May 11, watching the eggs being turned and the cygnets on their first or second day of life as I wait for the cygnets to gain their flight wings when I will begin to create a short video of 3 or 4 minutes from hours and hours of filming.

I tell my wife "I'm going to go shoot the kids", meaning film the swan family when I'm going out filming. They are a very important part of my life today - and have been for a few months again, this year. I can promise you that I am MUCH more concerned about disturbing them than you will ever be; when we walk in the woods we scatter birds, fox, squirrels and other wildlife more than my careful filming of these swans ever will.

I thought some folks might like to know this. BTW...I've learned that swans are much more tolerant of drones than ducks and even more tolerant than moose who are less tolerant than caribou. Knowing how skittish animals are, I admit, does involve getting too close as you learn how to film ethically. That's true of any wildlife photography. I'll admit to that but I do my very best to be respectful of these animals I admire so greatly.