1. Explore New Places and New Perspectives

We are living in some exciting times when technology is opening up whole new ways for us to photograph the world around us with drones. No longer are we grounded with our tripods firmly planted on the earth beneath our feet. Our perspective is not limited to what we see in front of us or a few feet below of where we are standing. These days, we can fly with whirling propellers into the air and see the landscape like we have never seen it before. We can take our cameras to new heights and to places we would never be able reach unless we were sitting in an airplane or helicopter. Suddenly, the question comes up... What if? and we are inspired to try new things and experience new vistas.

2. It's More Affordable Then Ever

Whether you are flying with a GoPro, a camera that came with your drone or a DSLR camera on a heavy lifter, there are many different drones and budgets to fit almost everyone's needs these days, and the costs keep dropping as technology improves. A DJI Phantom 3 Professional for example that shoots 4K video with a 12.4M camera costs under $1,000 (which is less then many DSLR lenses). All you need to get this drone up in the air is a Smart Phone or Tablet and you'll have around 20 minutes to fly and explore!

3. Expand Your Circle Of Friends

You'll discover that you are not the only one that enjoys flying and taking pictures from the air! There are many meetups and groups that get together on a regular basis. Forums on Social Media are a great place to share your latest aerial photography experiences and to find answers to your questions. DJI has a website specifically for sharing your videos and still photos from the air, and to find inspiration at Skypixel.com. And what's more fun then flying your drone? Flying with a friend!

4. Your Photography Will Improve

As you become more comfortable with flying your drone, you will start to experiment with different techniques and post-processing options. Why not convert a color image into black and white, or use a filter for long exposures? How about panoramas, HDR, or create a video with music? Being able to move up and down, left and right, around in a circle gives you the freedom to position your camera and compose your shot just where you want it. Having a gimbal to steady the camera in the air has given us the freedom to get nice sharp images and super smooth video.

5. It's Like Being a Kid Again

If you watch the faces of the people that are flying their drones, they usually have a big smile from ear to ear! I still get butterflies when I start the motors and up she goes into the air. Perhaps it's brings back those childhood memories of when we would get lost in play without a care in the world. Being able to focus in the moment while our camera is free to fly and we are free to explore places that were never possible for us to capture with our cameras before is very liberating. Now that's fun!

Laurie Rubin is an international award-winning photographer, specializing in wildlife, zoo and aerial photography. Growing up, her parents were both private pilots and she would travel cross country in the back of a Grumman American Tiger 4-seater. So when she was introduced to drones 4 years ago, the combination for the love of flying with her passion for photography were the perfect match. Since then, she has been happily flying her DJI Phantoms whether it's 50 or 400 feet in the air. She is an evangelist for DJI and is an Expert on Skypixel.com