How to make money off of drone photography

Flying drones was a hot trend a few years ago. Some people think drones, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles UAVare pohtography toys. That statement is true to hhow extent because you can do a lot of fun things with it. For instance, you can create beautiful pictures with your family and friends during your vacations or getaways. You also can create stunning videos and capture events from unique angles. And if you look at drones, they can be more than a plaything that you fly with remote control. When used correctly, you can generate a steady stream of income from operating a commercial drone. In this post, you will learn how to make money with a drone.

1) Pilot Training

Perhaps you want to make a few extra bucks or possibly build a thriving business out of your aerial photography. Drones have become so accessible and inexpensive that just about anyone can afford to do aerial photography today. Something that was once limited to the professionals is now available for photo amateurs, enthusiasts, and entrepreneurs. Aerial photographs are quite impressive and are sought out by event planners, art collectors, and by a variety of industries and businesses. It has become easy to sell your aerial images and make money with your drone. The first thing you need to know before you want to start selling photos or videos taken with your drone is that the images have to be top quality. Nobody will purchase blurred images that look like they were taken with a cheap drone or by an inexperienced photographer. As you take on more contracts and start making money, you can buy more gear and gadgets for your drone like a gimbal and other items that will give you the opportunity to take better photos. Now that you have the proper equipment and are ready to take on that first gig, you have to do some groundwork before getting started. First, research the regulations regarding operating drones in your country and in the areas you predict that you will be flying your drone. Different laws are in place and they are adapting to this new activity regularly.

2) Airspace charts & apps

Some countries, like the USA, now require you to register your drone before taking it to the skies. Next, you need to practice and you have to get to know your drone to make it a lucrative activity. Before you start taking on gigs, make sure that you are very comfortable with your drone and that you have enough flying experience to be productive. Make sure you have the necessary knowledge to capture the images that you get hired to take. If you intend to make a business with your drone photography, you have to treat it as such, a business.

I’d love to learn about…

The former could use the photos to help give their potential buyers a better view of the property from different angles. I’d love to learn about Please try again. If you can master flying a drone and getting comfortable with its features, then the suggestions below will be right up your alley. As a failsafe feature, most drones will let you know you via remote control to recalibrate it. In most urban areas where signal interference is rampant, the specs can only be around half of the advertised range. Video surveillance 1. The 10 best camera drones in If you open up shop for businesses looking for better video surveillance services, you can definitely drum up a fortune. Providing your target audience with all the information they need to know about drones will help you sell more and earn more. That statement is true to some extent because you can do a lot of fun things with it. If you have some photography skills and you own a drone, you could make some extra money or even a full-time income as a wedding photographer. There are other aspects of being a wedding photographer that you need to learn — most of which you can read in this post at Digital Photography School.

What You Need to Do Before You Start Making Money with Your Drone

Flying drones was a hot trend a few years ago. Some people think drones, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles UAVare just toys. That statement is true to some extent because you can do a lot of fun things with it. For instance, you can create beautiful pictures with your family and friends during your vacations or getaways.

You also can create stunning videos and capture events from unique angles. And if you look at drones, they can be more than a plaything that you fly with remote control. When used correctly, you can generate a steady stream of income from operating a commercial drone.

In this post, you will learn how to make money with a drone. Most of the ways listed below will require you to make money by taking photos or drone footage. The beauty of drones is that you can take pictures from unique angles and get nearer to your subject without being physically there to capture the shot. If you can master flying a drone and getting comfortable with its features, then the suggestions below will be right up your alley.

Also, some of the suggestions below will require you to possess specific and highly-developed skills to help add value to your existing services. However, you can still make money as long as you know how to capture good photos using a drone. As mentioned, taking photos using a drone is your best bet for making money with it. Before considering drone photography, you need to be mindful of who you plan your services in.

Two industries that need aerial photos as part of their job are real estate agents and architects. The former could use the photos to help give their potential buyers a better view of the property from different angles. The latter can use drones to take pictures of buildings, inspect the quality of construction, and survey sites, to name a. Mapping out a piece of land or property is common with a drone.

Some agents and architects are already ahead of the curve as they use drones as part of their line of work to do the things mentioned. However, for those who are in need of high-quality photographs to show their prospects, you must offer your photo- and video footage-capturing skills to.

If you have a profound interest in topography, cartography, archaeology, or any study that deals with surveying physical spaces, then you can offer your drone expertise in these fields. Back in the day, collecting geographic information such as aerial thermography and the like was done from a balloon, airplane, or helicopter. Nowadays, you can become a drone pilot and get photos from hard impossible and hard-to-reach places, thus providing better geomatics for people in these industries.

The size and mobility of unmanned aerial systems, as well as your skills in controlling one, are sought-after assets that can help you make good money. Wedding photographers are responsible for capturing the moments of couples celebrating their love for each. Taking photos before, during, and after the wedding will comprise most of their job. And in the competitive world of wedding photography, they need to do whatever it takes to stand out from the pack.

With the ability to take aerial shots and footages, you help your clients make their special event even more special! You can use your drone during the prenup pictorial and same-day wedding video to provide more value to their clients. Before starting out, you need to understand that being a wedding photographer is serious business.

While the ability to take beautiful photos will help you attract clients, closing them and getting in their good graces is another thing. You also need to learn how to deal with the personalities of clients to do a good job and get paid handsomely.

There are other aspects of being a wedding photographer that you need to learn — most of which you can read in this post at Digital Photography School. Sending over goods from one place to another can take time.

To provide potential clients with a seamless way to receive goods on the go, you can go with drone deliveries. The use of drones for delivering packages is not a novel concept. Companies like Amazon and AliExpress utilize drones to send the orders of users to their doorsteps.

Also, charities and organizations deliver supplies to places inaccessible by land. In fact, the trend of shipping services is going the way of drone deliveries due to its low costs and efficiency.

Not to mention, it is also good for the environment. Help them innovate their stores by providing a top-notch delivery system for items with a weight that can be carried by your drones. It will help if you have lots of drones on standby to help deliver the goods without queuing up a line. Therefore, investing in lots of drones from the onset is crucial if you want your drone delivery service to be a success.

Lastly, you need to hire a commercial drone pilot or pilots to help control your drones if requests for deliveries pile up. Drone delivery may not be ideal for beginners as it may require you a substantial capital to invest in drones.

Also, you need to have connections with store owners that deliver goods to their clients. However, if you have the cash and the experience to get this drone business idea off the ground, consider yourself as a possible pioneer in this field. Security is a vital aspect of a business. Aside from setting up firewalls to protect your online data, business owners need to protect their infrastructure with video surveillance.

Installing cameras on different parts of their property will help them spot intruders and thieves from the harm they will cause. While these cameras are capable enough to keep a watchful eye on your business, there are those that can pass through the cracks. Link Whisper is a revolutionary tool that makes internal linking much faster, easier, and more effective.

You can how to make money off of drone photography Link Whisper to:. Build better internal links with Link Whisper. The problem with security cameras is that they are fixed to their position. If you open up shop for businesses looking for better video surveillance services, you can definitely drum up a fortune. Most importantly, drones are difficult to spot and detect, which is important as to easily stop crafty intruders in their tracks.

To pull this job off, you need a drone that has a 4k camera and thermal imaging. Due to your research on drones, you fell in love with. You became obsessed with the drone culture by knowing the ins and outs of a drone like the back of your hand. You like flying them for a variety of purposes, mostly as a hobby.

Using your knowledge of drones, you need to purchase fixer-upper drones at affordable prices. You then need to fix and tweak the drones to improve its working conditions before reselling them at higher prices. You can also purchase the latest model of drones and sell them later on at increased prices. Providing your target audience with all the information they need to know about drones will help you sell more and earn.

I can imagine that quite a few people would pay you to take aerial pictures since the only other way to get these shots is by helicopter. As your reputation and business increases, you could make much. Consumer drones as a tool to help boost your income is an investment of sorts. But to understand better how drones work, you need to appreciate what they bring to the table for people who are drone operators by trade.

At the same time, there are legal hoops that you need to jump through to use UAVs in public legally. Price is just one of the many factors that you need to consider when getting a drone.

Below are other parameters that you should factor in when choosing the drone for you:. Ideally, you can buy consumer drones from Amazon and Best Buy, among other prominent brands. However, there are specialty stores where you can buy drones not available in most stores. Hobby King is one of those places where you can choose from trust brands as well as drones manufactured and designed by the shop. At the same time, you can potentially get great deals on the cheap.

Surprisingly, not all drones are ready to fly upon purchase. Some require additional set-up to make the drones work. Below are different types of drones based on their flight capabilities:. For beginners, RTF drones are your safest bet. It requires little setup, and you can get your drone up in the air sooner than later. The other types of drones are ideal for people who are already knowledgeable about drones and need a custom setup that meets their requirements and needs.

Once you have acquired specific tastes for the type of drone you want to use, you can eventually move away from your basic setup to a more specialized one. Controlling a drone to fly off the ground and maintain airtime seems simple. One of the major causes of drones crashing down is compass interference. The compass informs you which direction it is facing so you can control it accurately using your GPS. As a failsafe feature, most drones will let you know you via remote control to recalibrate it.

To do this, you need to land your drone in a spot where no metals are found so you can troubleshoot the problem from. Also, control range specs tell you how far your drones can go while still in control. However, the distance shown in the box is only applicable to places with no radio interference.

In most urban areas where signal interference is rampant, the specs can only be around half of the advertised range. Therefore, you need to be aware of your location first before using the data.

For example, a drone with a 1-mile radius control range specs will be running at 5x less than optimum level when at 1 mile away from you. Once you have a drone, you need to state yourself as the registered owner of the drone. If your drone weighs more than 55 pounds, you need to fill out the necessary paperwork for. If it weighs less than 55 pounds, you can register online. At the same time, you need to apply for a drone license to fly them legally. To profit from drones, you need to be at least 16 years of age to get a license.

One of the best things about a hobby like photography is the ability to take on a few freelance assignments and make the gradual transition to being a professional. Drones offer a similar route, but if you are going to make money from a drone there are a few rules and regulations that are unique to flying cameras. What professional pilots really have to deal with is checklists, regulations and communication.

2. Aerial Photography

In fact with all drones over g 8. By its nature this is bureaucratic and complex. A good trainer will put a human face on all this for you, and you should be looking for an organization you can build a relationship. They will remember you, and help you keep your paperwork up to date. Budget for annual renewals or re-training as qualifications are updated. This kind of change is happening in every jurisdiction, and you need to monitor it, or work with someone who handles that for you. Your training will tell you how to read the aviation charts, but you should still pick up a printed one for your bag. Great examples are. Commercial liability insurance is a necessity, and the market has got options for those working full time or operating more casually, with most offering the choice between monthly renewing policies and flexible per-flight protection. UK pilots look at Moonrock Insurance and Flock who have an app which can give you a live risk-metric and quote based on your choice of aircraft, location and time. With many professional aircraft shorter than the average blade of grass, a take-off and landing mat is essential, but avoiding dirt and sand is just as crucial. There is also an important safety case to be made for it. Your liability insurance will certainly require you to be prepared for possible risks, and an ever-present concern when working with Lithium batteries is fire. You need to have the necessary equipment to suppress a fire, whether that is a fire blanket or a fire extinguisher.