Puff Drones LLC is an aerial photography business located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. We utilize drones to provide aerial photographs of real estate photography and cinematography of Minnesota nature. Ultimately, our goal is to help people see the world in a different way, and serve our customers by helping them sell real estate listings faster, gather aerial evidence for insurance purposes, and use our nature cinematography to create compelling advertisements for increased engagement and higher conversion rates.
We do this through drones (hence the business name). But there are so many different ways to use a drone, especially to capture inspiring motion. We’ll be discussing the best still shots and the best videography that we like to use.
- The cinematic lift with the drone focusing on the property.
For this shot, we do a slow upwards ascent with a constant gimbal rotation to help capture the subject in question. While this move is simple, it does a nice job of capturing the siding, windows, and roofing of a property to feature construction a potential buyer might not otherwise see. This shot serves well as an introduction shot for the property- we place the gimbal at 30 to 45 degrees (depending on property distance and angle), start with upward movement and break even around the gutter line. This gives a good display for a multilevel property or a property with a slanted roof, and we finish around 20 feet above the property with the gimbal at -30 to -45 degrees.
2. The overhead zoom out flight over a roof
To complement the cinematic lift, we add in an ascending aerial cross over the property to better display a roof. This move is perfect for showing off new shingles or metal roofing as well as the deck, pools, and landscaping surrounding the house. This shot can also be performed as a still photograph or a series of videos demonstrating property damage for insurance purposes. (For safety, we make sure to never fly over people or customers, capture a slow, cinematic shot, and confirm everyone near the flight path is aware of a drone in the vicinity. We do this to place the safety and quality of our customers first).
3. The upwards semi-circle spin to capture siding
For this shot, we start a good distance from the house, hovering around 6 feet above the foundation. We perform a backwards, aerial semi-circle ascent with the gimbal moving from 30 degrees upwards to 30 degrees downwards (60 degrees of total movement). This shot is perfect for capturing new vinyl siding, downspouts, and especially corners of the property. If an owner has invested in property improvement along the side of their house, this may be the perfect shot to realize some of that potential to sellers.
Of course, these aren’t the only cinematic drone shots we do, just our favorites. If you are working with us, looking for custom shots, or have an idea to capture a specific property improvement, we love feedback from customers and creativity. We’ll make a judgement call on whether the proposed maneuver is safe, and then we can work from there to engage with your original idea.