Semi-Professional Photos

[Desert Strip Basher]

With digital photography so now widespread and with many leisure users holding semi-professional kit, along with the draw of aviation and tendency for us pilots not to get photographs while practically involved in our pastime, I wonder if there is any mileage in trying to marry the two together. How much would you be prepared to pay for a good quality image of you arriving/approaching your local airfield in your trusty steed? By quality shot I mean with sufficient resolution to define you in the cockpit.

[piperarcher]

I fly and I also have professional camera equipment. At least where I fly from, and I suspect airfields of a similar size, I am not sure you will get enough takers really to make a lot of money out of it. Sometimes my Wife and I take the cameras and the big lenses down to the airfield, stand by the windsock and for fun take high quality photos of some people landing and taking off, but if I know them I just tag them on Facebook or something.

We do take some photos at local fly-ins or theme days, and sell them in the airfield café for very reasonable prices, and there are a few takers compared to the foot traffic, and it is not enough to even begin to pay for some of our equipment. For us, we just do it for fun.

However, where you are, it might be a different kettle of fish and if you can make it work, good on you.

[Old Photo.Fanatic]

For the fun of it

I photograph aircraft extensively at every oportunity.

I have passed on photos. to a lot of pilots/organisers of aviaton events.
Normally I give them my card and ask they send me their details etc.
Or, I take their details and e-mail them some Pics.
I do not ever ask/expect payment , my reward is the satisfaction expressed
by the pilots on receiving a good photo.

The only time any payment may follow is if there is a commmercial use of any of my Pics. Again I never ask/expect payment , though it is very much appreciated when an unsolicited cheque drops through the door!!! Does not happen too often, I normally only ask/expect name accreditation.
Overall now my satisfaction is the enjoyment felt by others as a result of my own efforts.
eg my recent pics Air to Air (My first flight in a Tiger Moth, (this Forum)

However there was a time when payment did help pay the bills.
In particular, many years ago I was connected to a photo. library in London which was very lucrative, my cut was 50% of the business/commercail payment on each single use of my Photos.(slides)
One photo. in particular, used many times was one of the old "Stampe" pair coming in over the hedge at White Waltham, paid for two long Photo. tours in the USA. Those were the days!!!

OPF

[Jan Olieslagers]

Small chance, I am afraid. Even without ever asking for anything, in the two years I have been flying my microlight there are plenty of high quality shots of it all over the www, several showing the pilot in recognisable detail. I have no doubt that most of the photographers would be glad to send me their original on simple request, and free of any charge.

[Armchairflyer]

How much would you be prepared to pay for a good quality image of you arriving/approaching your local airfield in your trusty steed? By quality shot I mean with sufficient resolution to define you in the cockpit.

Purely based on personal view, maybe you'd get more profit out of making these photos (or better yet: videos of approach and landing) and then asking for money in exchange for destroying them .

But seriously: another skeptical voice here, I surely do not need to see myself flying a plane as long as I am flying a plane from time to time. But then I refuse Facebook and all kinds of social media, maybe I am just too old for this kind of perpetual self-presentation and trivial communication. All the best though!

[Desert Strip Basher]

No problem all and I appreciate your replies and viewpoints. My thinking was that as an experienced pilot I've actually got very few photo's of me actually engaged in the activity so it would be nice to have a few shots framed in the study. As there are now plenty of semi professional photographers around it would be great to be able to find them and contact them

[Jan Olieslagers]

I can only suggest you fly into one of the more popular gatherings in the upcoming summer, and google your reg. in the subsequent weeks. Myself had the best success (if success you will call it) at Schaffen EBDT mid-August, the place is literally crowded with spotters and some are generous in sharing their photography.

[Talkdownman]

Originally Posted by Armchairflyer

I refuse Facebook and all kinds of social media, maybe I am just too old for this kind of perpetual self-presentation and trivial communication

What's this here, then, if it's not social media…?

[Jan Olieslagers]

It is social media with a plus.

[Armchairflyer]

@TDM, I stand corrected; social networks would probably have been the better term. Y'know, the sites where you put pics of yourself and talk not about a certain subject (like aviation) but what you've had for lunch, can make thousands of "friends" etc.

[piperarcher]

I can only suggest you fly into one of the more popular gatherings in the upcoming summer, and google your reg. in the subsequent weeks. Myself had the best success (if success you will call it) at Schaffen EBDT mid-August, the place is literally crowded with spotters and some are generous in sharing their photography.

Jan has it spot on. I occasionally Google my reg and see what other photographers or plane enthusiasts (trying to avoid the word "spotters") have uploaded. I once flew into the Little Gransden airshow a few years back and there were more photographers lined up at the runway threshold than photographers at a red carpet waiting for someone to pounce on Brad Pitts groin.