How to accept payment for aerial photography in U.S

[dbolner]

Since commercial use of Drones for aerial photography and videos is illegal, how do you get paid for real estate photos..?
I know people do it, I just need to know how others get around this rule and make money with these awesome quads!
Thanks for any help!

-david

 

[OI Photography]

I use a service called "PayPal" (look it up)

 

[Happyflyer]

Take several ground pictures. Take in air quad shots. Have receipt show they PAID for X number of ground pictures. Give them ground pictures and video of air shots. Tell them air stuff is free or a gift. You never got paid for the air shots. How can anyone prove otherwise?

 

[Nsrwholesale]

I dont understand... technically speaking and legally (my understanding), isn't commercial drone use legal? Can someone please explain this to me... The FAA “has not issued an enforceable Federal Acquisition Regulation regulatory rule governing model aircraft operation"... Please correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding is that until the FAA creates these "rules and regulations" on commercial drone use, it is LEGAL.

http://motherboard.vice.com/read/commer ... udge-ruled

http://motherboard.vice.com/read/commer ... -heres-why

 

[Wedeliver]

I am considering joining the AMA as they lobby on our side with govt. Part of the problem with laws concerning these toys is that even when used very professionally they are still toys. They are just plain fun and for some reason that triggers the baby complex. It is hard to fight the baby complex, what the baby wants the baby gets. I don't think this is a bad thing but a natural thing. So, to explain why I am jumping in to this post about getting some legal tender for efforts made with these toys is the difficulty I see in enforcement. Rather then advertising, just hand out cards and build real estate connections might be the way someone who does this type of project well enough that it has a real value. Some of you guys are great photographers and your work, your art should not be denied if there is no real glaring reason.

 

[FASTFJR]

Have them pay you for your travel time, enough said

 

[FedeVision]

Hi all, I'm out of U.S territory, but interested on this matter, because is a sure thing that when your laws get approved,
almost same laws will apply here, we have a copier goberment. I'm also interested about fees, do you apply a day fee, or
footage minutes fee, plus travel expenses, don't have a clue about (average) fees, with all due respect, hope you don't mind, thanks.

 

[chapsrlz]

here is an example.

photograph and video session (one building / house)
25 still images (still video images, not photography)
3-4 minute video in hd (.h264 compression) from selected material and basic edition (background music, supers, company logo) the 2-3 mintue video includes scenes from the building facade (general), details in roof gardens, gardens, special amenities, etc.

$1,100.00 us dollars
plus travel expenses if service is outside my area (bus/plane and meals, if a bus takes less than 5 hours getting to destination ill go on bus, if it takes longer by plane)

how about you guys, how are you charging?

 

[FASTFJR]

$1100.00??? You must be smoking crack :lol:

$250 a house, I've done four in four hours. I give the web guy for the real estate company the raw video files (about 10-12 minutes).

 

[ianwood]

I wouldn't touch anything for less than $2k.

BTW, clever labeling on your charges doesn't make any difference. In fact, it could be construed as a form of fraud if you're using it as a means to deceive. If you offered, discussed, agreed, performed and delivered aerial footage in exchange for money or value in kind you have made a transaction on that service regardless of what it is bundled with or how it is labeled.

The good news is that selling aerial footage is not illegal last I checked. The FAA is doing a great job of scaring people but they do not have regulations against it yet. They have proposed some. But even if they are approved, they can be challenged on the basis that those suggested regulations are entirely incongruous and unenforceable. The NTSB judge on the Pirker case has already made this clear and the appeal will fail.

I am happy to publicly sell aerial video. I welcome a cease and desist letter from the the FAA to which I will reply with:

Dear FAA,

Thank you for your kind letter dated ______ __, 2014. I have read and considered your suggestions in full. After much thought, my offer is this:

Nothing. I will continue to charge for filming services with my remote controlled RC model aircraft observing current National Airspace restrictions and regulations and applying common sense measures to maximize safety. In turn, the FAA will not make any issue of it until they have proposed, revised and enacted reasonable and enforceable regulations for the commercial use of small RC model aircraft. I trust you will find this approach reasonable.


Kind Regards,

Ian Wood

 

[Happyflyer]

WOW!You can really charge that much? I might consider going into business! Wow. :shock:

 

[chapsrlz]

WOW!You can really charge that much? I might consider going into business! Wow. :shock:

actually you can charge as much as you want, as long as you find a client who pays for it :lol:

i think 1,000 - 2,000 per video is fair, as long as you deliver a high quality video (minimum hd, properly encoded, no landing/props on scene, good audio, and specially great post production/edition)

for me this a perfect video. shot at the westin regina hotel a 5 star hotel in los cabos, méxico.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pwkSzsmZvE[/youtube]

im pretty sure the guy who shot this video charged at minimum 5,000 for the video + travel expenses :shock:

 

[ianwood]

$5k for that is a steal. $15-20k would seem more appropriate especially for a resort hotel.

I want to hear from the guy who made the crappy drone shots for American Airlines that I have to endure every time I get on one of their flights. Badly framed shots of the Grand Canyon, complete with yaw wiggles, vertical jumps and other less than smooth shots. Probably got a good $30k or more. And how ironic it is that an airline bought footage clearly taken with a drone.

 

[chapsrlz]

Wouldn't it be nice if the FAA would stop all importation of these darn drones? Then we could charge whatever we wanted cause we already have one!

cant find the like button for this comment

heres another 1,100 dlls example

[vimeo]99366286[/vimeo]-

sooner or later, any kid would be able to
a- buy a drone
b- film and edit using crappy editting software
c- sell his "videos" for a fraction, forcing "professional filming companies" to lower their prices.

 

[dragonash]

This is one case where living in Brooklyn, NY sucks.

No one wants drone photography of shitty brooklyn lol
Hell, It's me and one other person advertising on craigslist.

Only 2 people advertising on CL for that! Thats insane!!

 

[poostik]

Been lurking in here.
Recently started shooting for $. Curious to see how others are doing it.

 

[Kelso Kubat]

I'd be surprised if I ever got a letter from the FAA.
I might frame that
:shock:

 

[FASTFJR]

$1000-$2000 holy crap. I can't complain about making 250 per house. My record is 4 in 4 hours. Like I said before I don't edit the videos. I can and I'm pretty good at it but then I would have to charge more and their is no way the real estate companions, at least around here would pay it. I shoot it, and put it the file(s) on a USB drive and hand it over, easy and no sweat.

 

[chapsrlz]

i wouldnt mind charging $250 per property just for filming 20-30 minutes and hand raw material to the client.

i would just add a clause to the contract, that the client would never mention my name in the final product

 

[creativedogmedia]

Anyone have experience filming at golf courses? I have proposed fly-overs of each hole at my local club and aerial shots of each hole and the entire course. I have any idea on pricing but curious what your thoughts are on how much this should go for? Private course in Virginia. Thanks.