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How I got my drone confiscated in Morocco (the most important thing you need to know about drones!)

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With drone photography, things right now are very fast-paced, both in the development of the tech and the implementation of the rules. There’s a lot I can tell you about drone photography. Overarching all of the creative elements the single, most important piece of advice I can give you is this:

Make sure you know the local drone laws, wherever you are and wherever you’re going!

As I mentioned, there’s a lot I can teach about drone photography, I’ve written a lot about it and I have a course live on KelbyOne all about it right now. The appeal of drone photography is huge. It’s been maximized by DJI, who are now the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer (true story) and camera manufacturer. Others such as Parrot and Yuneec are also cashing in on us photographers and our constant quest for new angles.

These new angles are the big appeal, and rightly so. Creatives have it embedded within them. Since our childhood, we have been scoping out birds-eye views. Think about it for a second, when we’re on a plane and we come into land we often stare out of the windows looking for a point of reference in order to see what is familiar to us from a new perspective, such as searching for our home or our favorite stadium, or simply a city skyline. Drones are here to stay. The rules are being implemented and enacted for everybody’s protection. But what does that actually mean for photographers?

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Travel bloggers flying a drone in Iran have been released from prison

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Travel bloggers Jolie King and Mark Firkin were arrested in July for flying a drone without a permit near Tehran, Iran. The couple, known on Instagram as T.W.O. – The Way Overland, was facing up to ten years in prison. However, they have now been released, reportedly as a result of a prisoner swap.

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Travel bloggers face ten years of prison in Iran for flying a drone without a permit

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Travel bloggers Jolie King and Mark Firkin, known on Instagram as T.W.O. – The Way Overland, have been arrested in Iran for flying a drone without a permit. They were detained in July after they were caught operating the drone near Tehran, and they are now facing up to ten years in prison.

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Proposed rule changes could make it easier to fly a drone at night and above crowds

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If you’re a drone pilot, you know that FAA doesn’t allow flying drones above crowds or at night, unless you have a special waiver. But a new proposed could make it possible to fly drones at night and over crowds in the USA without the need for the waiver.

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FAA restricts drones over Statue of Liberty and nine other major landmarks

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FAA has announced that they are restricting drone flights over 10 major landmarks in the U.S. As stated, they are concerned about unauthorized drone operations over these landmarks, so they are imposing restrictions. From October 5, 2017, drone operators will not be able to fly their aircraft over 10 Department of the Interior (DOI) sites. The Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore and Hoover Dam are some of the landmarks where the drone use will be prohibited from now on.

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Parkour team breaks tons of rules while shooting promo video at Joshua Tree National Park

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Sadly, it’s nothing new that tourists or photo and video enthusiasts harm natural parks and nature in general only to take the shot. But the recent rule violation in Joshua Tree National Park is pretty impressive – not in a good way. English parkour team Storror visited the national park to film promo videos for their team and clothing line. They didn’t only break one rule, but the disrespectful and wrongful actions kept coming one after another.

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Dear drone pilots, some tips from a private pilot

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I hold a private pilot certificate, as well as a remote pilot certificate; I am also a photographer. I just wanted to share with you some advice from a budding pilot who comes from the much larger world of flying that is general aviation. I hope this helps you understand basic components of what us normal pilots deal with, while also helping you understand how we operate and how to avoid us. Understanding is critical to safety in many instances.

This is not intended to be a know all be all to flying drones in the States. Most of this information is supplemental, and, again, is intended to help you understand how airspace works, and to help you find what you are looking for. As with anything else, do your own research.

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FAA releases commercial drone rules, they’re totally OK with your drone photography business

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After long drawn out speculation and worry, the FAA have finally confirmed and released the regulations regarding commercial drone use. The short version is that they’re fine with it and being able to do it is relatively easy, as long as you’re over 16 years old.

Posted to the FAA website, the new “107 to Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations” sets the terms for civilian operation of small UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System) devices.

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