[Ken Rogers]

I'm struggling to get my business started. By "struggling", I mean that each day I say to my wife, "I need to find some customers".

In my other life I'm a commercial pilot. Recently I went up for a photo shoot of my neighborhood. The sky was a perfect blue and I managed to take some beautiful shots while carefully holding my camera out in the slipstream. 3.2 megapixels was enough to create some stunning 5x7 prints, and so I thought I might offer these prints out to neighbors for free, including my business card (as a method of advertising). My wife thinks I should sell the prints for $5.00 or $10.00 each.

It sounds like there is a lot of "running around" involved with photo enhancement/restoration. I might be best to focus my advertising on my neighborhood, which is why I like this idea so much. Part of me thinks I shouldn't do it in my own neighborhood.


Ken

[Photo678]

If you have acess to get up there and shoot on a regular basis, photograph buisnesses, estates, farms, etc etc...and offer them framed prints.

There is a guy in my town (small town) that does this and makes a pretty decent living from it.

Just a thought.

[Mike]

That market our here likes at least and 8x10, but really prefers at least an 11x14 and sometimes a 16x20. To really show the fine detail (which most of the customers like to see) I would think a bigger camera is going to be needed.

One thing I have noticed is that you do not cut off a corner of the property! Even a foot or so can kill the sale, even if the rest of the 80 acres is there!

Don't know where you are, but around here there is enough air traffic that I will only shoot this when I have someone else to drive the plane. Its way to easy to get ingrossed with the photography and then become a accident statistic.

Mike

[Ken Rogers]

Actually, I think the aircraft flies better without my efforts . But seriously, I have a volunteer "copilot" who holds a license of his own and will do the flying for me.

I've done a lot of this, but only as a pilot, not as the photographer. I'm sure it's harder to point the camera than it is to point the aircraft. The biggest frustration is communication. When the photo target disappears behind a wing or a strut, they must know how to communicate in aviation terms (i.e. "A little more left rudder please").

I'm buying a new camera next week (haven't chosen a model, but thinking of a 5MP Canon with at least 4X zoom.) and plan to go back up for another photo flight.

Ken

[Mike]

I know about the communication between pilot and photographer. I have had a few pilots that could really relate to what I was trying to do, but then again have had a few that knew better than me, after all they are the pilot!

I would suggest you look at the new Canon Rebel, I have one of the older versions and it is a great camera for the $'s. If shooting small lots or houses, I like the 70 to 300 zoom. Gives me the advantage to make up for the pilot not being in exactly the right spot Also look for a polorizing filter for the lens.

Mike

[Ken Rogers]

How I've drooled over the Canon Rebel. I just don't want to part with that kind of cash, though. I'm mostly just shooting for fun, and this camera will be our "family" camera. I'd like it to have enough quality to handle the occasional "business" project, if possible. I'm thinking of a Canon A95. Although slow, and only 3x optical, it's image quality is getting nice reviews (for the money).

However, I'm mainly interested in the computer-side of things (ie. photo restoration, manipulation, and so on). I have a modest goal of earning a few hundred bucks a month on the side as a photo restorer (something I enjoy). I'm tired of doing it for free all the time. I've set up a website (for portfolio purposes) Precious Effects but I need to get out there and sell myself. I thought I might offer free aerial photos to my neighbors, with a business card attatched, but I don't want to be a neighborhood nuisance.