Making money in Florida doing photography

[Rally]

Can anyone give me any heads up on what it takes to do aerial photography as a business. Heres the situation. I have all the appropriate certificates to fly commercially. Two airplanes paid for. A C-170 and a C-172. I have a fairly decent camera 400-500 bucks (two of them) I happen to have a graphic design artist as a GF (who is highly intelligent) for image mods editing etc websites. I am in Central florida, what am I looking at to charge per site. Is this really profitable or not? (I know there is alot of companies that do this).

Thanks

 

[navigator72]

I have been flying aerials for a couple of years and my client base is growing. There is definite money in shooting aerials.
It sounds like you have a good base for the start of something good.
What kind of camera gear are you going to be using?
Have you figured out your costs yet? It's very difficult to figure out how much to charge customers without knowing your costs.
A simple Google search pulls up a lot of competition, what are you going to offer your clients to make you stand out above the rest?

Goodluck

 

[Kingairrick]

Can anyone give me any heads up on what it takes to do aerial photography as a business. Heres the situation. I have all the appropriate certificates to fly commercially. Two airplanes paid for. A C-170 and a C-172. I have a fairly decent camera 400-500 bucks (two of them) I happen to have a graphic design artist as a GF (who is highly intelligent) for image mods editing etc websites. I am in Central florida, what am I looking at to charge per site. Is this really profitable or not? (I know there is alot of companies that do this).

Thanks

If your GF is hot, think porn. It's a proven money maker.

 

[CrimsonEclipse]

If your GF is hot, think porn. It's a proven money maker.

Dammit, beat me to it!!

I was gonna say "Girls gone wild"...but close enough.

CE

 

[Rally]

Yea not one to bear it all, me on the other hand...................




Maybe

Better keep my day job though.

 

[Rally]

I have been flying aerials for a couple of years and my client base is growing. There is definite money in shooting aerials.
It sounds like you have a good base for the start of something good.
What kind of camera gear are you going to be using?
Have you figured out your costs yet? It's very difficult to figure out how much to charge customers without knowing your costs.
A simple Google search pulls up a lot of competition, what are you going to offer your clients to make you stand out above the rest?

Goodluck

Camera gear so far a 5.0 mega pixel camera, my parents might have something better. This was'nt a cheapo camera its about a $400 cam. For both planes as they are basically replicas of each other one a '56 and another a '54 except the '54 has a wheel on the tail. Same engine, same everything. '54 has a Garmin 430 though and is IFR capable not that it matters for photo stuff about $85 hr base cost as far as operating costs. I'd say $175 a hr for the shoot at least. What do you guys charge over base costs? Or are you just timebuilders and don't care as long as it pays for the plane?

Thanks

 

[navigator72]

You should plan on $300-400 hundred an hour at a minimum.

 

[Rally]

What types of markets are good targets. Construction and real estate are headed for the crapper. Highest rate of depreciation in 30 years. Maybe that means that real estate will have to be marketed more smartly. What else is there?

 

[navigator72]

Construction has been very good to me. Track down large construction projects and engineering firms and try to sign them up for a monthly construction progress photo shoot.I have had a few now since last October and it is nice to know that I can count on the extra $$$ each month. If you do a good job ,the word will spread and they will call with more jobs.

Here are a few things you should do.....
Visit Vistaprint.com and get some simple aerial photography business cards made.
Get a vinyl sign advertising your aerial photo biz and slap it on your vehicle.
Get a simple but effective website built. If you need a real cheap but quality site built, let me know and I will get you a 10 page site for $20.00 (really!!!).

Take one your planes and get out there and take photos, make sure the wing strut isn't in your photos. focus on large mansion style homes or construction sites. (be careful not to attract the FAA, TSA, NSA, FBI, DEA, CIA, or the NTSB).
Goodluck

 

[navigator72]

Signed another

Got a call from one of my clients today asking me to do another monthly aerial shoot for the next 18 months. The best part is....... I can fly the mission on the same flight to maximize profits.
All I need is 10 more and I can quite my day job.