Sit back and make some money

Why consider stock photography?

As most remote pilots already know, drones can be incredibly fun to learn about and fly. However, one of the main attractions is the ability to shoot photos and video from perspectives that were once out of reach. Today, we have drones priced well under $1,000 that are capable of shooting incredible 4K video and bracketed HDR stills, and that generally offer a wide range of impressive image quality.

For those just entering the industry, after earning your Part 107 Remote Pilot certificate from the FAA to fly commercially, you may be thinking about the low-hanging fruit such as real estate photography, roof inspections, and similar applications. These are all great options, but don't overlook stock photography as an option that you can pursue without having to chase a client.

Shooting stock photography has so many “pros” and so few “cons” that it is worth consideration as an additional outlet for your aerial photography, if not the main focus. Shooting stock allows you to use your creativity while keeping mindful of what clients are looking for. There are many good outlets to sell your work through so you already have platforms to bring your photography to the world. Another nice benefit is that it allows you to experiment more with flying and camera settings, which is always excellent practice for expanding your skills.

What customers look for

As I mentioned earlier, there are a number of good resources for selling your work. Adobe Stock, Getty Images/iStock, Aerial Entertainment Studios, and OverflightStock are all in the business of connecting designers and TV and film production teams with their libraries of submitted work.

I am a contributor to OverflightStock and recently spoke with CEO Peter Chigmaroff about this growing industry. Chigmaroff offers a wealth of information and works closely with contributors to ensure the product meets the needs of their clients and everyone is happy. Typical buyers are TV and film production end users so it is important to understand their specific requirements very well for the best success with your contributions.

To get a better idea of this, try a little experiment: log on to Netflix, Hulu, or a similar type of of studio with in-house produced content. Find a few movies or series produced by them and watch the first 10 to 15 minutes or so. I bet you see a bunch of drone shots. Just look for them as you should be able to recognize the angles and characteristics if you have some aerial photography experience already.

Chigmaroff points out that there is an art to getting good stock with a heavy dose of subtlety. While those sweeping, dramatic shots of flying and spinning past a waterfall with the sunset in the horizon are great, they are also a bit specialized and don’t always fit the broader need. Much of stock videography needs to be controlled and subtle. Surprisingly, the content very often in demand is somewhat routine and dare we say, seemingly unexciting: 20- to 30-second clips of a small-town street, traffic passing by on a highway, or cityscapes. Different natural environments also can be good subjects if shot properly. Nothing too jarring is good advice here.

Another thing he pointed out is that the photographer needs to have a good grasp of using his aerial camera. You don’t necessarily need to have a $20,000-plus drone and camera rig for shooting stock photography as many contributors do just fine shooting with something like Mavic Pro or DJI Phantom 4 Pro models. Obviously, the higher end the system, the better the overall quality but for just beginning to venture into this world of photography, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that you can use many affordable and popular models to get rolling—as long as you understand how to shoot and take advantage of camera settings (see our previous articles “Give Your Drones a Cinematic Touch” and “Capture Color Like a Pro”). For example, shooting in 4K is preferable, but you must also know the reason for shooting in different frame rates such as 30fps (TV) and 24/25fps (film). Shooting in 4K gives the post-production editor room to crop or scale down if needed. Shooting in 1080, on the other hand, makes it virtually impossible to scale up if necessary. Color profiles can be tricky to understand too and while we like D-Log for many of our our own purposes, D-Cinelike is a safe option for stock. It captures a wide tonal range, which will allow for good post-production editing without looking so flat right off the SD card. Remember to be mindful of your exposure as well and avoid auto exposure settings since they can dynamically change as you move through a scene as the camera tries to adjust for quick lighting changes. Also, don’t get too consumed in doing post production editing yourself. Most times, the end user will handle that part as they see fit for their final project. Give them a clean, minimally altered product to work with.

Movement is also a key element too. Remember, this is not your personal flight skills show-off reel. Try to avoid compound movements, such as panning and tilting in the same shot. Very slow tilt-up/tilt-down can be a good way to expose the subject of a shot. Top down while flying forward is another good example. Panning (horizontally), though, needs to be considered carefully. Without going into all the details here, save panning for a lesser-used option. Due to frame rate, flying speed, and other factors, panned shots can sometimes look jittery with a strobe-like effect. As part of your homework, look at some drone videos on YouTube or social media and pay close attention to the panning quality.

Lastly, pay attention to details. For example, when flying forward at speed your drone tilts forward. This can cause the props to appear in the upper corners of the frame. While you are setting up your shot, look for any distractions that can take away from your scene and adjust as necessary. Another good practice is to shoot about 20 or 30 seconds of static video before you begin moving and after you come to rest. This portion of the video may be exactly what the client is looking for without any movement at all. Remember, just because you are flying a drone does not mean you have to be in motion all the time. Being static at the right height can be just as effective for the right type of scene. And you also don’t need to be hundreds of feet up in the air for every shot. There are plenty of amazing stock videos shot at relatively low height. Remember, you are showcasing your subject, NOT how high your drone will fly.

There are so many other types of shots such as a tracking shot (where the drone follows along beside a moving subject, say a race car) or pedestal shot (this is where the gimbal stays static with no movement at all and the height of the drone is the only motion) and the typical flying orbits around a subject. These all come with practice and familiarity with your drone, camera, and techniques.

What you should (and should NOT) be shooting

Now that you are looking through your drone’s camera with a new set of eyes, you probably see many more potential subjects than ever before. It is important to know what you can, and cannot, shoot for commercial use.

A general rule is that if something—or someone—is identifiable you will need a model release or some sort of documentation allowing you to use it in your shot. While there are some exceptions to this rule, say if it is part of a cityscape shot and not the main focus of the shot, there can sometimes be some wiggle room, but it is always best to err on the side of caution. Adobe has published a really nice summary here of things and locations and how permission should be handled. When in doubt, ask for permission and get a release.

As always, be careful with your flying and don’t get too caught up in the photography and let your flight safety be compromised. Similar to your preflight checklist, you should also prepare a shot list before you go flying to be sure you efficiently capture your scene without running out of battery, daylight, or any other window of opportunity. Be absolutely confident of your flying skills before attempting higher levels of photography so you can manage and be in command of the demands of both tasks while in the air.

Taking it to the bank!

Building an online library of your work is something that takes time. It is the long game. While different stock photography services' royalty payments vary quite a bit, another option is to build your own website to sell your work and keep all the profits. The thing to remember, though, is that you also have to do all of the marketing and promotion to get the word out there whereas the established bigger names in stock photography will give you a better platform for distribution. Plus, the established sources have already made plenty of good, professional contacts that you will have a hard time getting access to.

The important thing is to get out there and shoot! Don’t feel that you have to plan elaborate day trips just to get some good stuff. When you look around your own town or even your neighborhood, you will likely find interesting subjects that would be perfect for stock photography. Just get out there and practice your skills and learn all you can about your camera and software. Then, establish yourself with one or more outlets, as I have with OverflightStock, and continually add to your gallery.

Adding stock photography to your drone services can open new doors both financially and with professional recognition as well as further sharpen your skills. As always, have fun and fly safe!