I got a gig!

[Photo guy]

Not a high paying one, just something from a person who works at the local public library. She wants to know if I can take some drone shots of the library's garden, and her personal garden. It's pretty simple, but anyone got any idea about what something like this would be a reasonable price? Taking into consideration the time, number, and work involved in editing the pictures. $20? $30? more?

 

[FLDave]

Lots of variables to consider.
Is the funding going into proper business financial account or an "under the table" account?
How will your business be structured?
Do you have business liability insurance (extra costs to consider)?
You should consider the cost of your FAA Part 107 certification.
As for pricing, you have no portfolio to show; I assume you have no references to show what you are worth in photos.
Is this photoshoot to be profitable or not?
Do you have any work to show your expertise in aerial photography?
You could start as almost free or charge like a real business. It depends on what you want for your business.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

No idea about what to charge but congratulations.

 

[michaeldallen1]

Are going to provide 'Hard Copy' Prints? Or just JPEGs on a flash drive / uploaded?
One way to consider, is to do a complete Video of the properties, multiple angles.... all rather simple.
Shoot 4K 30fps and give her the video, and have her download VLC Media Player.
VLC has a simple option (with just a click of the mouse) go 'Frame Grab' as many images that she wants.
A Simple setup of destination folder and change the default 'png' to JPEG and she will have thousands of
amazingly clear photos at her fingertips, only limited to the footage you give her. That way you won't have the
chore of selecting images.
OR... you can do the frame grabs for her. Attached is a 'frame grab' with VLC from a random flight.
This is just a thought for you to consider.
If nothing else, you now know how to do a frame grab.
Congratulations on your 'gig'..... sounds like it could be fun and rewarding.

 

[Photo guy]

Lots of variables to consider.
Is the funding going into proper business financial account or an "under the table" account?
How will your business be structured?
Do you have business liability insurance (extra costs to consider)?
You should consider the cost of your FAA Part 107 certification.
As for pricing, you have no portfolio to show; I assume you have no references to show what you are worth in photos.
Is this photoshoot to be profitable or not?
Do you have any work to show your expertise in aerial photography?
You could start as almost free or charge like a real business. It depends on what you want for your business.

I'm not interested in making a business out of this. The person said she would be willing to pay for the images. I'm planning to talk to her and see what she has in mind...probably the best solution to this. Thanks for your input.

 

[Photo guy]

Are going to provide 'Hard Copy' Prints? Or just JPEGs on a flash drive / uploaded?
One way to consider, is to do a complete Video of the properties, multiple angles.... all rather simple.
Shoot 4K 30fps and give her the video, and have her download VLC Media Player.
VLC has a simple option (with just a click of the mouse) go 'Frame Grab' as many images that she wants.
A Simple setup of destination folder and change the default 'png' to JPEG and she will have thousands of
amazingly clear photos at her fingertips, only limited to the footage you give her. That way you won't have the
chore of selecting images.
OR... you can do the frame grabs for her. Attached is a 'frame grab' with VLC from a random flight.
This is just a thought for you to consider.
If nothing else, you now know how to do a frame grab.
Congratulations on your 'gig'..... sounds like it could be fun and

 

[Photo guy]

That sound like a good idea, and could be helpful in the future. I'll certainly take it into consideration. Thanks.

 

[Photo guy]

No idea about what to charge but congratulations.

Thanks. It'll be interesting where this goes.

 

[FLDave]

I'm not interested in making a business out of this. The person said she would be willing to pay for the images. I'm planning to talk to her and see what she has in mind...probably the best solution to this. Thanks for your input.

Whether you consider it a business or not it does give you compensation for your actions, so it would be a commercial operation with business income as you would be charging fee for your services.

 

[Sky Pics]

One thought is to find out what an amateur photographer who sells photographic images at a local art fair in your area charges, it may offer a starting point.

I agree with michaeldallen1 above, how much depends on what she wants you to deliver at the end, hard copies (framed or unframed?) or digital files.

Congrats on the gig!

 

[Photo guy]

Well, it turns out that the person interested, never contacted me, so I'm afraid that my little 'gig' went by the wayside.

 

[LoudThunder]

Well, it turns out that the person interested, never contacted me, so I'm afraid that my little 'gig' went by the wayside.

Now that the job has fallen to the way side, you have time to breath, but make it short, you have received a lot of advice thus far, did you learn anything from it?

First off, my Part 107 is for fun so I can fly where Rec Flyers cannot… so my advice is limited…

Assuming you are Part 107 licensed, you need to consider what you can provide. Do you have a computer that can process 4K imagery, not everyone has one. Do you have the software to process that imagery, do you know how to use that software?

Have you reviewed the web sites of different Drone Service Providers, Some post past projects on line so you can see what a particular job provides and they might even give specifics (DVD, Flash Drive, Web Hosting, etc…) and their price…

Have you even gone out and tried to build a whole video like a Real Estate video? You might not be able to do this, skill, knowledge, eye for framing, etc…

I think you are putting the cart before the horse. You definitely needed to talk to the customer and find out what their expectations are as compared to your ability to meet those expectations…

Good Luck, now the real work begins…

 

[Photo guy]

I've been concentrating on improving my skills just flying it. I have no interest in making a business out of it. I do very short video (15 seconds or less) for the non-profit I shoot for. Nothing fancy or complicated. Software wise, no. I have no software that processes 4K imagery. This is an area I do not want to explore. I appreciate your input and suggestions, though, and I'll keep it in mind if I ever do go that way.

 

[LoudThunder]

I do very short video (15 seconds or less) for the non-profit I shoot for.

First off, I am not a Kevin Drone Cop, I just want you to know you have "stepped over the proverbial Gray Line…" when you shot the 15-second videos for the non-profit… It's like driving your car faster than the speed limit… It doesn't harm anyone until you are caught…

Below is the FAA Web page on recreational flying… You can read it or not, but ignore it at your own peril…

Recreational Flyers & Community-Based Organizations | Federal Aviation Administration

Did your drone registration expire or does it expire soon? The DroneZone is the FAA's official website for registration. If you are having trouble logging into the DroneZone, you may need to reset your password (PDF).

www.faa.gov

You may not receive any money for the videos but you are receiving "Goodwill" and that's the trap…

 

[Photo guy]

Thanks......actually I am being paid.