DRONE BUX [Reposted from archive]
 

Waay baack in 1984 I moved to the mountains of Colorady As has ALWAYS been my life....I look for Opportunities rather than "J.O.B. s".

I was skiing in the Aspen area one day and got one of my "Hot Flashes". As I stood on top of that mountain I could see some nice homes and a thought shot thru me; "I'll bet the owners of those homes would like to see a photo of their home...FROM THE AIR!

So....the next day I went down to the airport and asked the person at the counter (in the Private Plane section) if she knew anyone who had a "High Wing Cessna". She replied; "I know JUST the right pilot....his name is Murray and here's his number!"

So....she let me use the desk phone (this was B4 Cells) and I got Murray on line and I told him I'm an individual and I'd like to take some Aerial Photos of Homes & Properties around Aspen. I understand you have a 150 Cessna, would you be willing to take me up for an hour and, if so...what would you charge?"

He comes back with, "$50 an hour!" I then said, "That's great! What time tomorrow can you take me?" He says, "How bout 8am?" I respond with, "Oops, too early. The sun is better at 11!" He says; "Meet me at 11 at the counter you're standing at".

So....(I won't go into the story of how I got a Minolta Zoom Package for $250) (Heck! I saw an ad in the local paper of a college kid needing cash to get home! I phoned him and whala!).....I met Murray the next day, he explained that I could open the window on my side and the draft would hold it open and....I would have to unloose my seat belt so I could hang out the window to get a straight down shot OVER the wheel!"

He had to stay 500ft above the ground, which was perfect for my shots. (However....once in a while, when I had to hang WAY OUT....I'd remove my seat belt completely and Murray would have to grab my belt with his left hand and guide the plane with his right)

So....I banged away for an hour...landed and gave the FILM to a developer. When I picked up the film I had my printer, print out some shots and...I wrote a note on the back that

"Here's an AERIAL PHOTO of your house. If you'd like more copies or enlargements....give me a call at 555-1212 and I went to the neighborhood and stuck the cards on the mail box posts of the houses I recognized.

I started getting calls asking what my fee was and I built a GOOD business from scratch. (Some of my photos are STILL hanging on Chamber of Comm walls)

So....update to 2014; One of my "students" emailed me some photos of what's he's doing with TOY DRONES. These are AWESOME! Nowadays, in the "Digital Age".... there are "toy helicopters" that can carry a camera, send a video photo back to and respond to "snap a photo"....without the need for expensive camera gear or airplanes.

Just rig the thing up.....send it out over whatever territory you'd like to snap a photo of and....snap away.

"Drones" can be BIG moneymakers.

Don Alm

Re: DRONE BUX [Reposted from archive]
 

I just remembered another BIG Payday I had with "Aerial Photos";

I was in a coffee shop in a small town downvalley from Aspen where I overheard 2 people talking about them getting ready to move into their New Drug Store.

As I listened I heard them discussing "Ways To Promote" their new store.

I got another one of my "Hot Flashes" and I thought; "Hey! There's a new housing development here and....what if I were to take Aerial Photos of most of the homes there and.....make postcards of them and .....watch this; "Stick them on 4 x 8 sheets of white board at the back of the store with a headline that says; "FREE Aerial Photos of YOUR Home!"

So....I ran the idea by the new owners and....they LOVED IT!...and, since the town paper was only published on Thurs (this was Sat) I told them, IF they'd buy a half page announcing FREE Aerial Photos of Your Home....I would provide the PostCard Sized photos.

They agreed....I took the shots and they ran the ad and.....on Friday morn at 10 am....I arrived at the street and started down to the new drug store when I noticed something; a HUGE LINE of people extending around the block.

I parked and went to the store (I went in the back door) The owner's wife saw me and ran over....telling me; "IT'S been like this since we opened at 8am!"

So....just from an idea....I was able to sell MANY Photo Enlargements and help a new business get "Introduced" to the town.

Don Alm.....thanks for letting me remember this

Re: DRONE BUX [Reposted from archive]
 

Anyone who decides to take photos with a drone needs to take someone along to video tape the photographer using the drone or he may get arrested like what almost happened to the guy in the video at: http://www.dailydot.com/technology/w...-public-beach/