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Client wants aerial pics for 80 cents each

Kristina Fowler

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This was recently posted on a drone dispatch service website: "Budget: $40 in total. 50 photos; Requirements: Licensed, insured."

There are no words to describe how opportunistic this client is. It reminds me of the old "dragging a $100 bill through a trailer park" joke. I'd like to think that no self-respecting Part 107 pilot would even touch this, but the sad reality is that there are a few that will prostitute themselves. Not sure why I'm posting this other than to say it concerns me a great deal and it does not bode well for shoring up the pricing integrity of the market. It's also highly insulting. Seems like the dispatch service could at least impose a minimum for gigs they advertise. Mobilization cost, etc.
 
Where was this posted? Unfortunately, I think it's becoming more the rule than the exception. I warn a lot of new "commercial" pilots that they're not going to make a lot (or any) of money because of this "race to the bottom" mentality. You're right that someone will take this job because it will be close to home, it gives them a reason to take part in their hobby, and they pay for a new set of props, etc. Those sound like pretty good things to a new pilot (and they are), but then that's all it will be, a hobby, not a business.
 
"race to the bottom" mentality.
This is a good way to describe it. Objectively speaking, I don't think it's unique to the Part 107 world. I think you'll see the industry go through a "shake out" period - separating the wheat from the chaff.
 
Some clients would rather just go buy their own UAV and take pictures/video, rather than pay someone else to produce a quality product.
2 issues I see here...

1. The OP is about someone who obviously does not own their own drone and is low balling some poor sap who's willing to do it for a song. People seeking out Certified drone pilots will never go away.
2. Many business owners think they're exempt from Part 107 regs because they buy their own drones and fly for themselves. That is a widespread misconception and in clear violation of Part 107. That is a scenario that repeats itself all too often. Ignorance of the regulations. Real Estate agents are frequent perpetrators.
 
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This whole industry is in a "revolution" and unfortunately it is a race to the bottom. We have people with little to no "Skin in the game" who are happy making "Beer $$" for a photo shoot. I see it almost every day and I just look the other way and beat them day in and day out with excellent Customer Service and a phenomenal end product.

John-Boy flying the drone his parents bought him for his 16th birthday can take "ok" pictures from the air but most of the time he knows nothing about composition, composure, editing, etc. For $50 a shot he can't spend much time on the project.

Also (please don't take offense) we have a large population of retirees and soon to be retirees who don't need to make much $$ and are willing to work for pennies on the dollar. I saw this first hand about 3 weeks ago when someone approached me (on a job) asking for advice and guidance about his new "Retirement Adventure". He said he wasn't doing it to make $$ he just wanted a hobby that paid for itself and kept him occupied.

It's genuinely a race to the bottom and NICHES make RICHES!!
 
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Al - well said... especially the part about "...and beat them day in and day out with excellent Customer Service and a phenomenal end product." That's definitely where I can separate myself from the pack. The big challenge is to find customers that understand and appreciate the difference. I have one client who mentioned their entire IT department looks forward to getting my pics because they all look like postcards (subtle brag).
 
I am a retiree because I cannot work anymore. One job I had to give up,was photography where we saw this thing happening cheapsters coming along and making believe they know it all. We fixed many of their problems with their wedding images when the bride had nowhere to turn.
But I also worked as a clinician, and I was setting up,in private practice and needed advice on pricing. A colleague said to me always remember the patient (client) will,be paying for your time AND your training, experience and many other things including customer service. With that in mind work out how much the 50 pilots are actually worth. We made our business not only on good photography but also charging prices that we would pay ourselves if we were looking for a photographer. It worked for us. By the way, so far all the cheapsters failed and faded away. We remained. The business is finding its feet still. It will settle and then real pricing will prevail.
Now being an oldie I have my PfCO and fly so I can take images but also I fly for charity. That is rally good and cheap advertising as we did much of that when a professional photographer.
 
Sadly these are the reasons I had to downsize our business. I get requests all the time to drive an hour away and take a set of specific (sometimes 30+) photos/videos for $50-$80. Don't see how that is profitable if it was off my back porch? We offer professional photography and you get undercut there too.

My main issue is with the illegal (next to the airport runway) car lot commercials with terrible drone footage. Anyway, if you can stay in this business long enough, the cheapsters will disappear.

Build your business on quality and integrity. There is hope!
 
There will always be the cheapskate clients that want something for nothing. Avoid them like the plague. Realtors are the worst.
Hey, some of my best friends are realtors; but you're right. They were the worst when I was a photographer, the worst when I did web development and even worse when it comes to drone media!
 
It is so inexpensive to enter any kind of imaging business that, unfortunately, there are two new market-killers for every idiot who goes away.

What Al says is correct - niches are where it's at. And in this business, new niches are developing all the time. Go find'em!

That's why I have stuck to shooting architecture for all of these years. And along came drones to enhance my offering.
 
I am one of those retirees who likes to make a little money on the side, I have been doing real estate pics for a company that has been reducing payouts to an average of $75 per job. For the time it takes and they want no editing, maybe not a bad deal. I just WON'Tdo a job that pays less than $100
 
I'm a home inspector and every year a new group comes along offering inspections at half the cost. I loose potential clients regularly to them but they run themselves out of business within a year or two. Their inspection reports are often unprofessional and missing key information.

If you lower your pricing or agree to discounts to get the job it will come back to bite you. I learned that the hard way a few times.

Charge what you think your time is worth and give them a great product and amazing customer service. Being patient and always doing the right thing has worked for me so far.
 
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We were contacted by someone for a solar inspection and upon providing our quote we were told about someone else who bid at 1/3 of our cost. The client told us they were not after the lowest price and that we came highly recommended from somewhere else and that the job was an important one for them. This just re-enforces the good advice from everyone above.
 
I shot (photography) professionally for close to 30 years. I recall the advent of digital photography and the onslaught of newly self ordained "pro's". Shooting film was expensive, $30 to $40 from buying the film, to process and printing a roll. You had to make sure you had the money shots or you'd go bankrupt...you could not afford yourself if you didn't, lol. Come to current day, everyone who has a digital camera/cell phone can be a "pro". Shoot and manipulate until you get it right, the shot is "free". It created lazy non-educated in the craft photographers. Job market prices dropped like you would not believe. I see the same correlation here, almost everyone now can afford a drone and take pictures and video. Push yourself and perfect your craft to separate yourself from the amateurs, price yourself accordingly, don't sell yourself short and clients will pay for a professional made product. This is an extremely tough business market to make a living in. The issues most everyone has already stated here, are not going to go away. Just my old pennies worth...
 
I have been in customer service and sales in technical fields for over 36 years. There is always someone who will do it cheaper. But I like to remind my customers, price is what you pay, value is what you get.

I've been in the agronomy sales business for the last 16 years. It is hard to compare apples to apples on fertilizer. You have to know your product and your competitions' products and practices as well. I've seen people make bad decisions, find they received no support from the low price guy they bought from, and call me for help. Depending on the circumstances, sometimes I did. Other times, there just wasn't anything I could do, as bad as I hated it.

In addition to my UAV license, I am also a licensed auctioneer in the state of Georgia. And as bad as it sounds and distasteful as it might be to some of you, one thing you had better get used to doing is reporting unlicensed activity. Real estate folks are some of the worst as mentioned in an earlier post. But God help you if you try to sell a piece of real estate without joining the guild. I had what I thought was a friend. A fellow auctioneer who also handles real estate. They were going to hire me to handle their photography. I dropped by the office one day unannounced and met a new employee. A young lady in her early 20's. They had bought them a drone and she was going to take the test and get her a license. I asked a few basic questions that told me all I needed to know. I wish them the best. I am sure they are operating illegally now.

Car dealers are rabid protectors of their niche' as well. I ran an occaisional vehicle through my personal property auction, well within the law. But the owner of the local auto auction showed up to check me out one week. Just to make sure I wasn't getting over on him. In order to do regular auctions of more than just a few automobies per year, you have to be a licensed auctioneer, as well as a member of the Automobile Dealers Association and the Used Car Dealers Association, etc, etc. You have to belong to the guild.

And in cars and auctions in general your biggest source of complaints about your activities come from other operators. Its a jealous world.

One idea would be to start a register of unlicensed activity and post it online. It could be sort of an Angies List for UAV pilots. No legal repurcussions. Nothing but a list of suspected commercial activity where no licenses are known to exist. Thats one idea. And there may already be one, but an easily referenced index of licensed UAV pilots tailored for easy consumer usage might be another useful tool.

And never miss a chance to educate the consumer. I did a short video on a procedure to condition golf course greens. I used my Phantom, my Hero 4 with gimbal, my Power Director 15. All of my modest bag of tricks. It got over 2,000 views in the community. And on the opening screen I placed a cautionary statement about always using a licensed UAV pilot. I suggest any of you who have the opportunity to do this as well. Put your FAA certification on your business cards and letterhead. Say it loud and proud. We want the consumers to ask that question, "Are you an FAA licensed pilot?".

But ultimately, quality and professionalism will be your best defense. Second to that, a strong supporting association. That being said, if my nearly 40 years as a low level flunky in the business world can provide any help or insight to a fellow pilot, please let me know. I'd love to help.

OK, I will put the soap box away for now. Sorry for the rant. I will start another elsewhere...

Blue Skys and Fair Winds to all.
 
Has anyone ever posted what they consider to be fair and reasonable pricing?
 
Has anyone ever posted what they consider to be fair and reasonable pricing?


It depends on several factors which may be (but not exclssive):

  • Your local market
  • Your experience level
  • Your level of skills in composure
  • Your Editing skills
  • Your competition's prices
  • Your Cost of Doing Business

See the common factor in all of those items? The prices I get here in western NC are possibly night and day different from what you'll get in southern Florida. This is where a detailed Business Plan can make a huge difference in a company.
 
I think $225.00 for leaving the house with one's equipment to spend an hour and a half would be minimum. If employing technology such as drone mapping the price goes up. If flying in sketchy conditions; over large water bodies, in windy conditions, rain, snow... the price goes up.
 
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