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Professional Photographers with Drones

Fred Garvin

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2019
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Location
DFW Metroplex
Website
orbisdroneservices.com
Roll Call:

So, who here is a Photographer first, who added a drone to their kit? Or has a history of Photography and now uses that with Aerial Photography?

I have a Photography Business and added drones for aerial photo/video capability, in order to extend my offerings to clients.

I’m a Nikon Shooter. My main kit is a D810 with all 3 Gold Ring 2.8’s: 14-24mm; 24-70mm; 70-200mm.
 
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Roll Call:

So, who here is a Photographer first, who added a drone to their kit? Or has a history of Photography and now uses that with Aerial Photography?

I have a Photography Business and added drones for aerial photo/video capability, in order to extend my offerings to clients.

I’m a Nikon Shooter. My main kit is a D810 with all 3 Gold Ring 2.8’s: 14-24mm; 24-70mm; 70-200mm.
Just the same as you to a point. Pro photographer fro twenty years until my condition stopped me holding the camera, a brand new D810 with Nikon glass. Ho hum. A drone now let’s me take images as that lifts the camera for me.
 
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Canon shooter here but started as a Sports Photographer then influenced to use drones. Well story goes from here.

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Sweet. I did a gig for the NHRA shooting start line launches for the crew chiefs. Kinda tedious but hey, that’s the gig sometimes. I caught this cool shot of Blake Alexander blowing a cylinder. You can see the unburnt nitromethane being ejected into the shock exhaust.

(Note: These images are greatly reduced and compressed to JPG for web export and fast loading. The original DNG’s available for purchase are phenomenal.)

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Roll Call:

So, who here is a Photographer first, who added a drone to their kit? Or has a history of Photography and now uses that with Aerial Photography?

I have a Photography Business and added drones for aerial photo/video capability, in order to extend my offerings to clients.

I’m a Nikon Shooter. My main kit is a D810 with all 3 Gold Ring 2.8’s: 14-24mm; 24-70mm; 70-200mm.
About twenty years as a full-time photographer, now part-time. As my main interest is shooting stock, the cost of drone photography seemed too high. But then I started reading about what these aircraft can do. Stopped into Best Buy and found a discount on a Spark F/M Combo. I'm really excited to see some new perspectives on old subjects. Passed part 107 test while waiting for Spring.

Started with manual focus Nikon stuff, changed to Canon when IS came out. I carry a 16-35L, 70-300 for my 6D, add a 50 Compact Macro or 40 pancake lens as needed. Spark is for learning mostly, planning to get M2P or something else with 1" sensor soon.
 
I have been an amateur photographer for years, my first camera was a that Nikon F3 that I bought in Japan. I now have the Nikon 800 and love it. I got into aerial photography as a hobby years ago (before drones). I live just out side of Yosemite Park so year round the photo opportunities are tremendous. I have taken numerous photography courses and always trying to learn. One of the professors said something to me, "It isn't the camera, it is the eye of the photographer that knows how to create great photographs" I think there is a lot of truth in what he said, I'm still working on creating that eye.
I love photographing the bears in Yosemite, they are amazing animals. My favorite lens is my Nikon 18 -300, it just seems to do everything I want to do.
One thing that really upset me, at the Reno Air Races my wife got the best photograph of the weekend, and did she rub it in.

I fly the Inspire 2 with the X5 camera and 15mm lens. It absolutely amazes me the quality of the photos that camera can produce.
 
I bought a drone to compliment my ground based photography. There was always a tree line, structure, or telephone pole in the way and the drone allowed for these things to no longer block the shot.

I got my license a month after it became legal. I spent a couple months building out my website prior to this and went live the day I got my license.

It has not only complimented my photography career (I do licensing work- some of my clients include Canon USA, Facebook, AutoZone, HSBC, and others), but also reawakened my videography roots. A fun fact, I worked in the Sony booth as a contractor at NAB in Vegas demoing Sony Vegas NLE and plugin integrations for the software.

Here's my photography portfolio: Jeremy Rasnic Photography

Here's my drone site: TN Drone Services - Professional Drone Photography and Videography

I have a couple of full frame bodies I mainly use: 5ds and 5d mIV. The 5ds was a sponsor gift.
 
There was always a tree line, structure, or telephone pole in the way and the drone allowed for these things to no longer block the shot.

YES! I can't wait for a spring thunderstorm to go rumbling past, now that I can climb above the trees and omnipresent power lines.
 
I've been a photographer for a long time as well as a helicopter pilot. Bringing a drone into my photography business, well how could I not?

I combine both when I can.

AMA Supermoto West Series at Sturgis Motorcycle Rally 2017

 
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I think a lot of us amateurs could learn a lot from you professionals. I posted one of my videos a while back and got some excellent advice. I'm very new to aerial video so it has truly been quite a learning curve, but I sure enjoy it.
 
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Over 40 years of making my living with photography. One year now, with a Phantom 4 pro, has been fascinating. I worked eight years with medical photography at The Ohio State University College of Medicine documenting surgeries and anything they asked. Thirty years today, with my own business, with an emphasis on advertising and architectural photography. With the experience of producing aerial images from a small fixed-wing Cessna aircraft for decades, this brave new world ability of the drone has produced some of my best images in years. The first word from my clients when viewing the drone pictures now is, wow. Today, our culture is drowning in images. With a camera in every cell phone, this techno change killed Kodak and related industries. It's as challenging to earn a living with professional photography as it ever was, and maybe even more so. One has to wow every customer to remain in this business.
 
Several of us at Florida Drone Supply all started out as photographers 10-20 years ago as well. Went with helium ballon before drones and have been on multi rotors for over 10 years now. Technology moves faster every year.
 
I do all my videos with a UAV. I mix aerial with ground clips, using only my drone.
It took many trials to hand-hold the drone, while working the RC.
I plan on sponsoring a drone film festival that must use the techniques, I listed above.
 
I started out as a Real Estate photographer and added drones to my offerings. It doubled my business. Clients like having one person that does both. Makes for a consistent look and feel. Heres an aerial shot of an Estate in Ocean Ranch which is in Laguna Niguel California
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How do u market your services? Do people refer you, do u advertise, do u have a real estate connection, what do u charge, etc.
 
How do u market your services? Do people refer you, do u advertise, do u have a real estate connection, what do u charge, etc.
I'm currently under contract with TourFactory and they provide me with my clients. The beauty of it is I don't do any marketing, (well some word of mouth). They just schedule me and I go fly or shoot. The guy that owns the Riverside county territory knows just about every real estate agent in Southern California so he's help me build these relationships. I've gotten to a point now where I'm pretty much in high demand. Clients like that because I can come in and do the house and the aerial. It's sorta one stop shop, which gives them a very consistent look and feel. As far as prices go I can make anywhere from $95-$225 a shoot. I typically do 2-5 shoots a day and that can be a mix of both house and drone. Oh and one other thing, TourFactory sets the prices I never have to discuss it with my clients.
 
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I'm currently under contract with TourFactory and they provide me with my clients. The beauty of it is I don't do any marketing, (well some word of mouth). They just schedule me and I go fly or shoot. The guy that owns the Riverside county territory knows just about every real estate agent in Southern California so he's help me build these relationships. I've gotten to a point now where I'm pretty much in high demand. Clients like that because I can come in and do the house and the aerial. It's sorta one stop shop, which gives them a very consistent look and feel. As far as prices go I can make anywhere from $95-$225 a shoot. I typically do 2-5 shoots a day and that can be a mix of both house and drone. Oh and one other thing, TourFactory sets the prices I never have to discuss it with my clients.

Thanks for sharing, Riggs. Is $95-$225 pretty standard in Real Estate?
Reason that I am asking is that I might be going this route soon, but the rates seems kind of low... Or it could just be me, because am currently spoiled by how much construction operators make.
Do you also provide video footage for the same rate?

Thanks in advance.
 

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