A few years ago, I had the chance to try a drone—an undeniably fun and fascinating tool. But it left me with a question that lingers to this day: is shooting with a drone truly photography? The reasoning behind this seemingly simple thought has proven to be complex from every angle.
The allure of a drone is obvious: the possibilities it offers are endless, and its ability to capture an entirely new perspective is as captivating as it gets. It’s precisely this aspect that fuels my reflection. I’ve always seen photography as a way to freeze a moment of reality—a moment that, with skill or luck, others might recreate or witness by seeking the same conditions or simply observing as spectators. But with a drone, is that possible? Without wings, we can’t soar to verify what we see in those images. Aerial photography becomes almost a dogma, an image we must accept as it is, unable to experience it firsthand.
On the other hand, there are perspectives only a drone can provide. Evocative or purely technical images—breathtaking panoramas, details impossible to capture from the ground—come to life through these tools. It’s a unique opportunity that expands the boundaries of creativity.
From 2019 to now, I’ve kept asking myself these questions without finding a definitive answer. Is it photography or mere technology? In the meantime, I continue to marvel at the images these remarkable devices produce, caught between the allure of innovation and the desire to understand what “photographing” truly means.
