My name is Kyle Wells, I'm a photographer based out of Northern Utah. Over the last 10 years I have been very fortunate to work with several industry leading brands. I am also a "Stay at home dad" to an amazing boy of 5 years. He is my greatest accomplishment and my best adventure buddy.
Being in the media industry I'm almost embarrassed to admit that the Skydio 2 was my very first drone. It was something I always wanted to get into but just didn't feel like any drone on the market fit my personal needs. Being on a freelance schedule I am able to play during times that most are working, including my friends, but that is not going to stop me from going on an adventure. The problem is, no one is there to help capture the adventure and memories. I've tried all sorts of action camera mounts, cameras on tripods with remotes, you name it. Obviously Skydio changes all that.
I first saw Skydio on social media, I think it was some snowmobile tracking shots that really caught my attention and after taking a deep dive on social media and YouTube, I was obsessed with the idea of having an autonomous drone.
For me my favorite thing to do with the Skydio 2+ is to chase it around or let it chase me around in my RZR. Its so hard for me to pick a shot I've captured because every time I go out I come back with a new favorite. My current favorite shot has to be me blasting through this frozen pond in my RZR filmed autonomously by Skydio 2+ w the KeyFrame skill. It was so much fun to create, between timing the shot, and that rush of smashing into the ice. There was so much chaos and carnage while Skydio casually did its thing.
The first time I used KeyFrame, I honestly had no idea what to expect. My first attempt, I wanted to have it circle a tree low to the ground and close to thin branches while I drifted a RZR around the base of the tree. It took me a single attempt setting up the shot to nail it. KeyFrame is so easy, it almost feels like cheating, on the other hand it took me several attempts to nail the driving part.
KeyFrame isn't like any other filming tool I've used. The more I fly and design custom flight paths, and explore new ideas, the easier it gets to create mind-bending clips! My advice to everyone would be "Get out and fly!" Practice makes perfect, even with an autonomous drone, but once you learn its capabilities, you can accomplish so much with this drone. I would say, fly low, plan paths through and around obstacles, and again, practice practice practice!
I mostly share my Skydio content to my Instagram feed and on Facebook in several different user groups for 4x4, outdoor, and other related activities. If you're interested in seeing my photography portfolio it can be found here.
