The Tourist Who Brought a DJI Drone: Balancing Being Present vs. Getting the Shot

Hello fellow pilots! A new day, a new article. Today I wanted to talk to you about something that could be very common when you try to combine life as a photographer, videographer or commercial drone pilot with your family life. Especially if you are planning on going on vacations to some beautiful place.

The famous G.A.S.

And the thing is this: usually we buy the best cameras, drones, gimbals, lenses and… did I mention drones? And most of the time it’s top-notch tech. The latest, best sensors, highest dynamic range, most expensive glass… what for? To have the best equipment for capturing moments… and places. It’s like having a superpower, except instead of flying yourself, you make a little machine fly for you while you stand there looking like you’re deeply focused on your phone screen.

So the most logical thing is to use this stuff we bought (mostly, thanks to G.A.S. – Gear Acquisition Syndrome, the most expensive disease that doesn’t actually require medical attention) is to be in gorgeous places and capture the essence of the moments there. Because, let’s be clear, it’s not the same sun outside your house at 5 am than in a beachfront, or a mountain range or a mysterious forest… Though try explaining that to your credit card bill – it doesn’t care how pretty the sunset was.

But you have to ask yourself: “Hey Rafa, did you come here to record the views and show them on your channels and social media OR to spend some time with the ones you love and create new memories for the next years?” OF COURSE for the social media and the views and the likes… said no father or husband who wants to sleep in his own bed ever again.

I know the feeling. Even once in a New Year’s Trip to a beautiful island here in Ecuador with my wife and kids, I brought the camera, the drone (with 6 47-minute batteries – because apparently I was planning to document every single moment including bathroom breaks) and the GoPro. Because the FX30 and the DJI Mini 3 Pro wasn’t enough. I looked like a one-man expedition team crossing the Sahara, not a dad on vacation. And yes, I did shoot a wonderful video.

The “wonderful video”

You know how much it paid me? Zero bucks and a few angry looks from my wife. Those looks, by the way, have a much longer flight time than any drone battery on the market, and their range is infinite.

But at what cost???

It’s not just the angry faces at me. It was the opportunity that I lost those days to create memories for me. Because my audience cares about me, but no more than my wife and daughters. The irony is that I was capturing memories I wasn’t actually part of – I was behind the lens, not in the picture. Like a ghost photographer haunting my own family vacation.

The worst part is knowing that I was in a wonderful place with them but at the same time, without them. And it was my fault. My daughters built sandcastles while I built my drone’s flight path. My wife pointed at dolphins in the distance, and I pointed my camera at the sunset. Two completely different vacations happening at the same time.

But what taught me all this? That if you put priorities, you can get the best of both worlds. First, the family. Enjoy life and time. Behave and keep the drone and camera away from you. Think that the kids will grow and maybe later you’ll only keep the memories of these trips. If you prioritize the family, you can wake up real early and get some great takes without bothering anyone in your group.

You know something? They love you and want to see you happy. But if you abuse being happy doing what you love but not spending time with them, they won’t want to see you happy. So, put the priorities where they belong. Your drones nor your subscribers will take care of you in an emergency or when we are getting old. I’ve yet to receive a “Get Well Soon” card signed by my DJI Mini, though it has crashed into enough things that it probably wishes me the same courtesy.

Make an offer they can’t refuse

My best advice is this: watch for risks and mitigate them. How so? If you know how many days you will be in that specific vacation spot, negotiate with your family: if it’s a week, you can have half a day. If it’s less, wake up early and steal a couple of hours for you. You deserve it. But more important is that they deserve you. All of you, not just the part that isn’t calculating exposure settings or checking wind conditions.

I remember one family trip to the mountains where I was so focused on getting the perfect drone shot of our cabin with the sunset behind it that I completely missed my youngest daughter’s attempt at roasting marshmallows. Instead of helping her, I was muttering curses at the sun for setting too quickly for my timelapse. By the time I landed the drone, she had given up and gone inside. That memory hit harder than any drone crash I’ve ever had.

Another time, we were at this gorgeous waterfall, and I spent almost an hour trying to get the perfect orbit shot. When I finally got it and turned around, my family had already swum, dried off, and was eating lunch without me. The footage was spectacular – silky water flowing over ancient rocks, perfect exposure, buttery smooth movement. But I wasn’t in it, and neither was my family. They had moved on without me, literally and figuratively.

I’ve learned to set strict drone time: 30 minutes in the morning, maybe 30 in the evening during the golden hour. The rest of the time, the drone stays in its case. I’ve discovered that my kids actually like to help with the drone occasionally – my oldest daughter has become quite the spotter, with eyes like an eagle for potential obstacles. Involving them transforms the solitary activity into a family one. Plus, they provide brutally honest feedback on my flying skills.

You are the one that’s going to fix this

What’s the best solution? Like most things in life, it’s about balance. Capture the moments, but live in them too. Get the shots, but don’t let getting the shots be all you get from your precious time away. Remember that the most important memories aren’t stored on SD cards – they’re stored in the hearts and minds of the people you love.

How was your most disastrous family trip? The one where your spouse threatened to throw your drone into the ocean? Or perhaps when your toddler decided your expensive camera bag was the perfect place for an ice cream cone? Let me know in the comment section.