Let me just get this out of the way quickly: Photography is an art. Some people are naturally skilled photographers, some can learn to be pretty good photographers, and some people will never quite ‘get it’ and won’t ever make a living selling pictures.
That being said, the accessibility and affordability of drones has given birth to a new type of photographer and there is still plenty of room for up-and-comers to make their mark and start a business.
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There is certainly a market for it. DRONELIFE recently launched JobforDrones.com to help people find aerial photographers for hire in their areas and we have seen far more traffice than we anticipated.
New photographers are added to the database every day and the flood of requests for services is constant. As we meet aerial photographers from all over the country, we have recognized a few pieces of recurring advice they all wish they had at the beginning:
1.) Solidify pricing packages so your customers understand exactly what you offer and how much it will cost. This makes it much easier to negotiate prices when a customer starts bartering. You can stick to strict flat rate packages, bill hourly for your time, or quote on a case-by-case basis but it’s important to have some benchmark price points for customers on a budget.
2.) Take a flight safety class and really become an expert in worst case scenarios. At the very least you should shadow an experienced pilot to learn some tips and tricks. Know every button on your controller and have a plan in place for if when something you get yourself in a jam. At the same time, you may want to turn jobs down if they are in hazard-prone or populated areas like cities or busy roads. Besides the FAA’s request that people refrain from flying over crowds in general, it also lowers the risk of interference from local law enforcement. DRONELIFE’s own Christian von Stackleberg only flies over his customers’ own property, never over roads or other peoples homes and never above 400ft or near an airport.
3.) Use the right hardware. Just because so many people are buying a drone and starting a photography company does not mean all drones are created equal. Your rig needs to at least have a gimbal and/or built in image stabilization software so the video and pictures come out as clear as possible. It doesn’t matter how skilled you are as a pilot; a DJI Phantom 1 with a GoPro just isn’t going to compete with a 3DR Solo and a 3DR IRIS isn’t going to compete with the DJI Phantom 3. If you are serious about starting this business you need serious hardware to keep up with your competition.
4.) Control your spending. The goal of starting an aerial photography business is to make money, right? And while it’s true one must spend money to make money, it is easy to get carried away buying stuff you don’t really need. For example, propeller guards are a smart investment if you plan on flying indoors and some kind of ground station may be advantageous if you are planning to cover great distances, but if these types of flights are not in your wheelhouse, that money could be better spent elsewhere. Also if there is a winter where you live there will be an off season so plan finances accordingly.
5. Consider insurance. Nobody is required to have drone insurance… yet. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a good idea. UAV technology is still imperfect so fly aways do happen. A wayward gust of wind can blow send your drone to Never-Never(found again)-Land. Angry birds can attack. There are plenty of forces beyond your control that can bring your drone down and put your business on hold – or worse, damage a person or property. Getting hull and liability insurance for your drone often costs about as much as a second drone so it may be worth getting some coverage if you are going to aggressively pursue new opportunities.
6. Find a niche. After you have done a few jobs, ask yourself, “What kinds of projects am a really good at? What kinds of shoots interest me the most?”
There is currently a huge demand for drone photographers in the real estate industry. If you focused just on real estate, you could quickly find yourself as your city’s resident expert on using drones to sell houses. Other areas that will benefit from drone photography in the coming years include sporting events, weddings and parties, land surveying, building inspection, and 3D scanning.
The more specific your offerings, the more likely you are to establish yourself as an authority figure.
7. JobforDrones.com. Once you have your business up and running, be sure to register with JobforDrones.com! We want you to be successful so our team at JobforDrones is tasked with helping your customers find you. It costs nothing to join and we are constantly working to generate as many leads as possible.
Drone are an amazing new technology and we have only scratched the surface of their potential. If you decide to join this rapidly changing field, you business will change a lot in the first year alone. But, there is money to be made so get out there and fly!
What did we miss? Is there any other advice new aerial photographers should have? Let us know in the comments!
All pictures courtesy of DronebytheHour.com
Alan is serial entrepreneur, active angel investor, and a drone enthusiast. He co-founded DRONELIFE.com to address the emerging commercial market for drones and drone technology. Prior to DRONELIFE.com, Alan co-founded Where.com, ThinkingScreen Media, and Nurse.com. Recently, Alan has co-founded Crowditz.com, a leader in Equity Crowdfunding Data, Analytics, and Insights. Alan can be reached at alan(at)dronelife.com
I truly appreciate this article.Much thanks again.
We admire your idea
The aerial imaging industry is expected to expand at a CAGR of 12.5% from 2015 to 2022, reaching US$ 2,705.0 Mn by 2022.
http://www.credenceresearch.com/report/aerial-imaging-market
Great article. Someone mentioned getting your 333 Exemption. That advice is now outdated. If you already have a 333 Exemption, you can still operate under it, but now you need your Part 107.
This article is almost two years old and back then, the 333 was the only option to LEGALLY operate commercially
I am looking at starting a drone entertainment venue, where people pay to view an FPV flight in real time. Any advice?
Hello, Adrew! Thank you for a great post! It raises really important and actual points.
I think it is also possible to mention the legislation restrictions that may be available for a specific country where the drone business starts – different countries provide a bit different requirements for the drone pilots and business owners. So it would be nice to touch the base with the law in advance 🙂
Another point is if the new business would require any specific software. Variants are possible here!
Some interesting points are described here as well:
https://itechcraft.com/drones-photographer-choice-start-ups/
Good advice Andrew thank you for sharing, I’ve bookmarked your blog, please subscribe me. The comments about “under-pricing” are interesting to me, aerial photography is is a highly competitive market IMHO thats a good thing for the consumer. If you can sell a print cheaper than your competition and still make an good profit on it then go for it but make sure all your costs are covered.
You also have to offer value to the customer, many customers will have a different budget and idea as to what the value of an aerial photograph has so it’s essential to be flexible with prices or find a USP that creates value in your aerial imagery.
Getting your name out there is very important, marketing plays a big part in finding customers and a listing in niche specific directories like http://jobsfordrones.com, http://dronesuavuas.com or http://airvid.com are important.
I would reitterate what others have mentioned regarding training, certification and Insurance these are essential to operate commercially, you need to check the laws in each country of operation, it’s more complicated than some might think!
Safe flights to all!
Don
Hello Andrew,
Thanks for your valuable advice. It gives me great idea what i am looking last 6 months.
A little about me : i am planning to provide aerial photography services throughout Australia.
Your blog gave me right direction and some cool advice.
Cheers Mate
You just wanted to write “Cheers Mate” didn’t you!
Nash, if you’re serious about being the safest and best UAS pilot out there, you should check out the courses offered by DART drones. They can get you up in the air from a zero time pilot to a knowledgeable, informed, and well trained pilot in ONE full day. Their cost is very reasonable for the all – day 8 hour session. I strongly recommend it for everyone getting into this industry. http://www.dartdrones.com
Hi,
Thanks for sharing. It is very helpful.
http://goo.gl/jzaTIZ
Make sure you get your FAA 333 Exemption……
Yes, and I am unaware of any of these that have been issued exempting the pilot from having a sport pilot license or better.
Many applications are filed requesting exemption from this rule, they are approved. When you look at the conditions and terms of the approval a license is still required though.
Alex,
I’m just starting out with my Drone and filming farms sounds like I great Idea. Can I pick your brain about how to get started. I live in North Georgia.
Thanks
678-758-0196
I get it. You are all about business and money. Our aerial business is much different than what the drone industry is doing. You have no understanding of our business. We dominate the rural areas in the US by going farm to farm and there is a culture for it. So that’s our market. I made 6 figures no problem my second year working and I dont even care about the money….its the exact opposite of slavery and i can tell, you are the slave. I have freedom to work where i want, when i want, how much i want, how hard i want and every day is an exciting experience where you talk to up to 50 to 60 different ppl a day. I see a good majority of the actual country and have met thousands of ppl. I have more stories than youll ever know. You are a slave to the dollar and for you to talk down to me without even knowing anything about me or our business shows your true character… if you want to talk business, we charge 349 for a 16 x 24 frame and a photo that is already taken and we offer several other options, larger prints, dry mounts that get up to 999. Some of our sales can get up to 1500-2000 per stop… so yeah haha. I do see our business fizzling off a bit in the near future but as of now we are not harmed by it. (Plus, i live in a lower income area in minnesota where i can get a 600000 house in your area for 250000 here) Your business is great and i have been thinking about the myriad of oppourtunities with drones to make money and will eventually get one. I have an extremely genius idea and several other great ideas that drones can be used for i just dont have the experience with them. My “genius” idea is one that i dont think is being used yet and its been on my mind for the past month. If you want to talk business at all and listen to my idea(s) i would appreciate your input. Im actually kind of excited to hear from you because i could grow your business exponentially, potentially. For now Im going to stick with “Scenic Concepts” but i really would like to hear from you and I do plan on starting my own drone business in the future if nothing comes from this. my current cell is 5074590783 and would love to hear from you! This could be really really good for the both of us and im not just leading you on. Thanks. Oh and we pretty much started and defined the aerial photography business. With drones, you are just reinventing the wheel and using it in a COMPLETELY different way.
Alex, forgive my earlier reply (rant). I actually took some extra time and re-read your well-thought out and worded reply. There are many ways to run a business and how you run yours is well, your business and none of mine to control! As a photographer for more than 30 years, and an aerial photographer the last 20+ , I see many new photographers under price their work. When enough do that, it’s harder for the more established photographers to charge the rates they have been charging and stay in business. A vital rule of any business is the ability to change with new trends in technology and roll with those changes. You have a great gift of gab and it sounds like you are very talented in the sales department. I may very well reach out to you at some point and wish you a prosperous 2016. All the best, Kevin
the comments about others “Under-pricing their work” states a serious problem in your business that you will have to adjust too. I can take a better video with my 2k drone investment than a manned aircraft can. Those images are cheaper to produce and will sell at a lower price. Technology has changed. You will need to adapt or you will fail.
Thank you for your comment Joe. I certainly have adapted and when conditions exist to shoot with a drone, under 400′ AGL, I would consider flying a drone over a manned aircraft, especially for gimbal smooth 4K UHD video. However, do not kid yourself thinking that 4K f 2.8 aperture camera is the end-all be all. Sure, it makes for great wide angle shots, but not so much in the creative telephoto department. It has not depth of field. Just one shallow wide open fixed focus aperture setting. Also, a drone can not (legally) fly to high altitudes or shoot over massive bodies of water, such as in a geological survey of a coastline, or 3,000 feet above the Sports TFR of a stadium. There are certainly ideal places for drones, such as small acreage real estate, low level cinematography, etc. and other places where manned aircraft is the only other option. I love my drone! It keeps me from putting costly hours on my airplane, but I’m in a position to shoot almost ANYTHING. As such, the more expensive aircraft costs more to operate. Just like it will cost you a lot more to take a taxi from NYC to LA, than to fly, however one elderly couple scared of airplanes did just that when they moved with their cats from Queens to California. Everyone has their own business model that works for them. I have been a professional photographer since 1985 and people paid more for aerial photogrsphy THEN than they do now. When photographers go into a price war to the basement, then it is no longer a profession, but a hobby to earn some gas money. Photography has value, remember that. Thanks for your comments, which I also value.
Are you under a Dr care? Most retarded people are…
And what Doctor is looking after YOU m black? BTW: Drones are above your intelligence level. Leave them alone
Hello,
We are Canadians, and we are just starting a drone business, business plans, Insurance, safety, learn on how to fly. Any advise for newbies? Tks
I am currently an independent contractor for Scenic Concepts Inc out of LaCrosse, WI. We are the largest aerial photography company in the US. We shoot in 32 different states and as an independent contractor, I get to choose where, when, how long, and how hard I want to “work.” This is a “door-to-door” commission job in which we provide our potential buyers with the oppourtunity to purchase the most immaculate, framed and professional aerial shot of their property, acreage, business, farm or whatever it may be. The full price of our product is 349.00 and we offer a variety of other options that suit your needs or budget. We shoot mainly farmland and acreages but also shoot businesses, golf courses, gas stations, you name it. If you are familiar with aerial photography, you know there is a definite culture for it in the midwest and farming communities. My plans for my next work trip are to work 10 days in Nobles County, MN where we have just recently photographed 600 photos spread accross the county. I plan to profit 5 grand. Drones have not affected our company sales one bit due to the fact that we bring a fully finshed product to the door… This job has completely changed my outlook on life. I have every freedom you could imagine and I am in control of basically every aspect of the sale. I am unaffected by any type of rejection and I have learned that knocking on a stranger’s door and selling them a picture is incredibly simple and lucrative. More importanly, you are experiencing something completely new all the time without the need for a clock. I have met tens’ of thousands of people and have become fearless and open minded. I have come to realize that i experience for money instead of work for money. It is literally a dream job when you consider the physical formula of work itself Work =force x’s time. There is no time or schedule in this line of work and nobody is forcing you to do anything, furthermore breaking down the whole theory of work altogether. I started with no sales experiece, have zero liability when I am working and the only license I need is a driver’s license. If you are looking to sell aerial photography you can make 6 figures. I made 83k my very first year and didn’t have to invest anything accept my heart. I love this job and if you want to engulf yourself in a pure relationship with the people, their communities, and way of life, your spirit will truly be set free. This job isn’t for everybody but if you do end up taking a chance on it and become good at what you do, you won’t even care about the money you’re making. I’m not trying to promote the company, and I dont have a team of people I work with. I just truly feel that you would get more out the raw interaction from the scenic concept experience than you would with dealing with the troubles that go along with starting up your own drone company… I wonder as to why everyone isn’t working this job, sometimes. We are ALWAYS recruiting so If you ever want to take a chance, I would love to take you out for a day of training and then the next day you would be on your own. We hire basically everybody if they choose to stick with it after their first day of working alone. We need as many people as we can get. 5074590783 -Alex Modjeski ammodjeski@gmail.com
Alex, please STOP what you are doing immediately!!!!!! ONLY $349 for EVERYTHING????? YOU and Scientific Concepts are killing the Aerial Photography industry faster than Getty Images is killing editorial and stock photography. If you are charging so little, I will bet you do NOT have an FAA Exemption Certificate to operate so cheaply. If you do, then you are downright foolish and naive. Up until drones became popular in recent years, I have successfully operated an aerial photography business in the Northeast, utilizing helicopters and fixed-wing manned aircraft, and have charged up to $5,000 per job. Your flat $349 fee devaluates the entire aerial photography profession. It appears that you are seduced by the “fast money”, but it’s a one-time jolt and there will not be more as the public will think $349 is the “new norm” I’ll bet you did not figure into your rate the cost of : gas mileage traveling to and from each location, the time spent traveling itself, the hours needed in post production editing and transmitting, printing of still images and drone insurance covering life and property liabilities. Oh, and I’ll bet Scientific Concepts is taking a huge chunk of that pie while you are slaving as an “independent contractor” with no provided healthcare benefits, paid vacation or retirement plan from them. (BTW, they are saying ” Thanks Sucker!) If you saw the big picture, you would charge what are actually worth., which is more than double
$349 for an all inclusive still photos and video package. The public realizes the values of aerial photography and will pay a rate that is fair to both sides. Trust me, you will see the light before long this is a BAD business decision. If you don’t believe me, just google “Getty Images out of money” to learn how the largest image supplier in the world got so greedy to grow do big, so fast, they would sell stock images that world class photographers risked their lives making – some of them even dying in deadly war zones – to sell them online for as cheap as a nickel a photo. YOU are worth more than that WE the aerial photography are worth more than that. Lear how to sayNOto bad contracts. You say this is a door to door business? That means YOU are finding your own leads. Is Scientific Concepts holding the copyrights to your images? If so, they are making the Re-sales on your hard work and leaving you with squat. If you are going door to door, cut out the middle man and charge a far rate. People will pay for quality photography.
I get it. You are all about business and money. Our aerial business is much different than what the drone industry is doing. You have no understanding of our business. We dominate the rural areas in the US by going farm to farm and there is a culture for it. So that’s our market. I made 6 figures no problem my second year working and I dont even care about the money….its the exact opposite of slavery and i can tell, you are the slave. I have freedom to work where i want, when i want, how much i want, how hard i want and every day is an exciting experience where you talk to up to 50 to 60 different ppl a day. I see a good majority of the actual country and have met thousands of ppl. I have more stories than youll ever know. You are a slave to the dollar and for you to talk down to me without even knowing anything about me or our business shows your true character… if you want to talk business, we charge 349 for a 16 x 24 frame and a photo that is already taken and we offer several other options, larger prints, dry mounts that get up to 999. Some of our sales can get up to 1500-2000 per stop… so yeah haha. I do see our business fizzling off a bit in the near future but as of now we are not harmed by it. (Plus, i live in a lower income area in minnesota where i can get a 600000 house in your area for 250000 here) Your business is great and i have been thinking about the myriad of oppourtunities with drones to make money and will eventually get one. I have an extremely genius idea and several other great ideas that drones can be used for i just dont have the experience with them. My “genius” idea is one that i dont think is being used yet and its been on my mind for the past month. If you want to talk business at all and listen to my idea(s) i would appreciate your input. Im actually kind of excited to hear from you because i could grow your business exponentially, potentially. For now Im going to stick with “Scenic Concepts” but i really would like to hear from you and I do plan on starting my own drone business in the future if nothing comes from this. my current cell is 5074590783 and would love to hear from you! This could be really really good for the both of us and im not just leading you on. Thanks. Oh and we pretty much started and defined “aerial photography” Drones have just reinvented the wheel and are used in a COMPLETELY different way that our cessnas and you market to a completely different crowd and operate in a completely different way. Scenic concepts is like a way of life where as drones are strictly business and id like to combine the 2. Please contact me. 5074590783
Thanks for the great AP advive!
Can you tell us which, if any, FAA approval, documents, permits, etc, are necessary to legally operate and conduct an aerial photography business?
Thanks for tips. They are very helpful.
Isn’t drone photography for profit/commercially illegal via the FAA?
Currently, to operate a commercial drone business you must possess a FAA 333 Exemption. The major hurdle to this is that you must possess a pilots license (minimum Sport Pilot).
You can get an exemption from having a pilot license if you explain in detail why you feel you should be exempt. Section 61.113(a) and (b), entitled Private pilot privileges and limitations
How do you interpret any part of 61.113 to allow for exemption from having a license?
Just in case anyone is reading this even though it is an old post. This comment is dead wrong. There are no exemptions from needing at least a Sport Pilot’s License. The section you are citing has nothing to do with needing a pilot’s license to fly a drone for commercial purposes. You can get a Section 333 exemption without having a pilot’s license, but you will need a licensed pilot to act as the PIC.
Tim is correct. Part 107 makes this much less important for most operators now, of course, but to operate under section 333 a license is still required and cannot be exempted.
it is only illegal if you don’t have a 333 exemption. don’t think you can charge as a hobbiest and possibly get caught.
only illegal if you don’t have a 333 exemption AND a qualified PIC (at this time must have at least a sport pilot’s license and driver license).
Post production!!! If you are going to start a company that’s based on video there are a couple of things you need to know. Editing, color correction, image correction. Most of the drones that are in the sky right now are either using a gopro, a manufacturer camera, or some other super light and efficient imaging devise. While a lot of these are made to be easy to fly they sacrifice image quality to achieve it. This is while it so important to have a good grasp on post production. Even the inspire 1 doesn’t create flawless video and it’s important to know what what steps are need to put that final level of professionalism on a video. Good footage means nothing if it’s not handled properly
An excellent point. Some clients will only want the raw images, of course, but if you want to offer an end-to-end solution, you have to have some skill in post production.