Photo Report flights allow you to capture consistent, high-quality photos of a specific point of interest (POI) over time. This mission type is ideal for documenting construction progress or conducting recurring inspections from the same perspective.
Availability: Who has access?
Photo Report flights are available for all DroneDeploy Aerial subscriptions.
Compatible with iOS and Android mobile devices.
Creating a Photo Report Template
To plan a Photo Report flight, you must first create a project. If you have not created one yet, please refer to our guides on Desktop Flight Planning or Mobile App Flight Planning.
Once your project is created:
Navigate to the Fly tab.
Select Photo Report from the flight template list.
On the map, you will see four white camera icons and a central grey location marker. The grey marker represents the Point of Interest (POI).
Drag the camera icons to the locations where you want photos taken.
Drag the grey POI marker to the center of your subject. The camera icons automatically orient themselves toward the POI.
To add additional photo locations, tap the grey Plus (+) icon. To remove a location, tap the icon again.
Customizing Capture Settings
You can move the POI outside the boundary of the camera locations if you cannot fly directly over your subject.
Flight and Focal Point Altitude
While the map view sets the horizontal coordinates, you must also define the vertical parameters in the settings panel:
Flight Altitude: Set the altitude for the drone during capture. A higher altitude provides a wider field of view.
Focal Point Altitude: Set the specific altitude of your subject to ensure the sharpest detail.
Note: The focal point altitude must be at or below the flight altitude, as the camera gimbal cannot tilt above the horizontal plane (0° to -90°).
Managing Templates
You can switch between different plans by clicking the template selector. To delete a specific flight plan, click the Three-dot Menu next to the plan name and select Delete.
Flight and Uploading
Before heading to the field, review the [Initial Setup for Flying Guide] to ensure your hardware is ready.
Arrive at the site and perform your standard pre-flight checks in the DJI GO app.
Close the DJI app completely.
Open the DroneDeploy app, select your Photo Report template and connect your drone to fly.
After the flight is complete, navigate to the Upload tab of your project.
Select Upload photos to create a report and drag your images into the upload window.
Limitations
The camera cannot tilt upward; therefore, the Focal Point Altitude cannot exceed the Flight Altitude.
Ensure the POI remains within a safe flight distance from the camera locations to maintain a stable signal.
FAQs
Q: Can I change the POI after I have already set the camera locations?
A: Yes. Moving the POI will automatically re-orient all existing camera icons toward the new location.
Q: How many photos can I add to a single Progress Report?
A: You can add multiple vertices by tapping the Plus (+) icon to capture as many angles as necessary for your project.
Q: Do I need an internet connection to fly?
A: You can fly offline if you have previously cached the map and template on your mobile device while online.
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