I (re)found drone pilot and photographer Eric Thurber the way in which many San Franciscans uncover hidden gems of their metropolis — scrolling by way of Reddit. His gorgeous shot of the Golden Gate Bridge stopped me mid-scroll, and once I realized it wasn’t even captured with a drone, I knew I needed to speak to him.
What adopted was a captivating dialog with one of many Bay Space’s most profitable drone photographers, whose Instagram feed @thurber_shots has amassed roughly 120,000 followers to date and has attracted top-tier purchasers just like the Golden State Warriors, Waymo, UCSF and even drone mild present firm Sky Components.
What makes Thurber’s story notably compelling is that this wasn’t the plan. A retired IT skilled, he turned a pictures pastime right into a thriving second profession — one the place the work now involves him relatively than the opposite approach round. But it surely didn’t occur in a single day, and it wasn’t with out classes realized the onerous approach.
Right here’s our interview, which you’ll be able to catch in video type or learn beneath. (Editor’s observe: this interview has been evenly edited for size and readability).
Photographing iconic landmarks — with no drone
Sally French: Let’s begin with that Golden Gate Bridge shot that originally caught my consideration. You used a 360 digicam, not a drone. What impressed that artistic method?
Eric Thurber: The great thing about a 360 digicam is that in post-production, it’s what you are able to do that issues. You’re capturing all the pieces, so that you don’t have to consider composition whereas taking pictures. I took a suction cup, caught it to the roof of my automotive and drove throughout the bridge. Later, I may flip it and manipulate it nonetheless I wished.
It’s a good way to showcase the Golden Gate Bridge in a tremendous visible format with out breaking the legislation — as a result of you possibly can’t fly drones over the bridge. Lots of people do, however I’m glad I don’t.
Following the legal guidelines (that are particularly tough in San Francisco)
SF: You’re clearly dedicated to flying legally, and your video stood out to me since you don’t actually see many fascinating pictures taken in between the Golden Gate Bridge simply because it’s unlawful to fly drones there.
Now talking of — flying legally isn’t all the time simple in San Francisco, which has so many rules. Are you able to discuss navigating the rules?
ET: I may discuss these items all day as a result of I dwell within the regs. Half my days are spent filling out waiver requests and coping with town, coping with parks and rec, all of that stuff.
The factor is, the FAA is within the enterprise of training you, not busting you. Should you work with them, all the pieces works out. I’m very accustomed to DHS, the police — who actually don’t have something to do with drones however I do know them — the FAA, the native FSDO, all of that. I carry Half 107.145 and Half 107.39 waivers for operations over individuals and shifting automobiles, plus $2 million in drone insurance coverage by way of Skywatch AI. I’ve entire protection, the entire thing.
However getting permits from the Metropolis of San Francisco for industrial work? That’s one of many hardest issues I’ve ever needed to do. The truth is, I’ve but to personally get a allow authorised from them as a result of their necessities are completely stringent and unrealistic. They need me to ensure protection for each individual that the drone flies over from town authorities, and Skywatch received’t underwrite it.
SF: Is San Francisco extra strict than different cities you’ve labored in?
ET: It’s strict in a way for those who’re going to do industrial work. If I wished to shoot Outdoors Lands, for instance? I couldn’t get the allow by way of town. Now, I didn’t technically need to get that let as a result of I’m not creating wealth straight — I’m simply flying for me and I’d share it — however that’s the catch-22.
Launching a wildly profitable profession in drone pictures
SF: Talking of business work, how did you flip this right into a profession? You’re a retired IT man — this wasn’t precisely the plan, was it?
ET: In no way! My pictures goes again many, a few years. I’ve a website known as Eric’s Media that reveals all my common nonetheless pictures. Then I acquired into drone pictures, and through the years, I acquired into taking drone video — that’s the place I actually by no means regarded again.
Instagram is the place all of it occurred. The Golden State Warriors discovered me there — they reached out by way of Instagram. You’ll see my stuff on their social feeds or on the Jumbotron. I’ve carried out fairly a little bit of taking pictures for them. I’ve additionally labored with Waymo, UCSF, a number of native commercials. Typically I’m out with movie crews, typically I’m doing one-offs or dealing with the entire manufacturing. I let the work come to me. I actually don’t exit and hustle it. However when you make a reputation for your self, the work actually begins coming in.
SF: What was the turning level? Was there one video that modified all the pieces?
ET: Sure, and it’s gone now as a result of the FAA made me pull it. This was years in the past once I was new to drones. I flew from Yerba Buena Island proper excessive of the Bay Bridge’s Western Span. I’d seen NBC do one thing related throughout a recreation and thought, “I’m gonna do that too.” Turned out, man, that was wildly unlawful.
It acquired reported and went viral. The FAA mentioned “pull that, .” However they have been instructional about it. Subsequently, all the pieces has shifted. I get waivers now, and if I can’t do it legally, I received’t do this sort of factor.
However right here’s the factor: individuals will say on Instagram you want a shot to go viral. Whereas that’s true, you want a number of of them if you wish to carry momentum. One viral video will get you 10, 20, 30,000 followers. However it is advisable to be constant — posting three or 4 occasions per week with high quality content material. It’s a grind. I’ll say that. It’s numerous work.
SF: Let’s discuss content material. What’s your favourite content material to create?
ET: Time lapses of fog — I like fog. The hyper lapses are what actually launched me, to be sincere. These are those that basically took off. They’re onerous to do. Not lots of people can do them with the hassle that goes into it.
SF: Is there a trick to creating a good time lapse?
ET: Yeah, it’s concerned. I put up a video on it as a result of I get so many questions. Basically, over 5 to fifteen minutes, you’re going to take a collection of 200 to 300 pictures at one to 3 second intervals. Then you definitely’re going to place all of them collectively in Lightroom, course of them, then they exit to your video editor. There’s an entire factor that has to occur for the way in which I do them, as a result of I need excellent high quality.
You’ll be able to shoot a hyperlapse straight from the drone and publish it. That’s as much as you. However if you would like the stuff to look the way in which I publish it, you need to undergo all these different steps. It’s very concerned, however the outcomes converse for themselves.
SF: For aspiring drone photographers, what’s your recommendation for breaking into the industrial house? So many individuals do that for enjoyable and need to make it a profession.
ET: It’s tough. It actually is dependent upon what you need to do. I hate to make use of myself for instance as a result of I needed to have numerous viral movies after which individuals got here to me. I wasn’t even essentially wanting.
However there are nice alternatives on the market for individuals who need to get into actual property, that type of factor. The largest factor you can do is keep constant. Should you’re posting on social and you are taking lengthy breaks, it’s going to price you. You’ll lose likes, lose engagement.
Movies actually make a distinction. Should you’re taking pictures photographs, you’re actually going to be caught in a pack that’s already saturated. Should you’re doing movies, you’re breaking out of that pack somewhat bit. However I’ve seen numerous photographers aren’t fascinated by simply doing video — it’s a catch-22. Consistency, I’d say consistency is one of the best factor.
SF: Does it make sense to specialize? Some individuals say concentrate on development or oil and gasoline. However even inside inventive pictures, must you focus on actual property or cruise ships or drone mild reveals?
ET: What you’re chatting with is a distinct segment, and undoubtedly everyone must have their very own. For me, I take into account numerous what I do superb artwork video — romanticizing visitors, romanticizing town. These are matters individuals like to speak about too, which will increase engagement. I simply let everyone remark. I don’t restrict anyone. Whether or not they like what I publish or not, that’s superb. All it’s going to do is enhance your engagement.
I like bridges, not simply the Golden Gate. A few of my largest posts are of the Vallejo Bridge, the bridge out in Pittsburgh. I’m nearly all the time on the 6X cam on my Mavic 4 Professional or the 7X on my Mavic 3 Professional as a result of I like compression pictures. And I’ll hit the identical spot three or 4 occasions, possibly even 5, earlier than I get one thing I’m proud of. I’m a real perfectionist.
High gear for drone pilots
SF: What tools are you working with today?
ET: I’ve two Mavic 4 Execs, a Mavic 3 Professional Cine, and the Avata 2 for FPV work — although I hardly ever fly that. FPV pilots are an entire completely different breed. They’re very, superb at what they do, and it takes years to study. It’s all very guide, not like simply choosing up your satellite tv for pc drone and flying round.
Most of what I do is stuff across the metropolis or no matter I’m commissioned to do, and I’ll use my Mavics for that. The Mavic 3 Professional has the parachute and the prop guard and all of my waivers tied to it, so more often than not I’m utilizing that for skilled work. I additionally shoot with a Sony α7S III, GoPro, DJI Osmo Motion 5, and use varied ND filters and the DJI Mic 2 for audio.
SF: Any dream spots left to fly?
ET: I’ve hit them, to be sincere. I work for my pictures, and I’ve gotten them. I like bridges, I like compression, and I hold going again to the identical spots till I get precisely what I need. A few of my favourite movies are fog movies — these time lapses are what actually launched me. While you romanticize town the way in which I do, you hit these spots again and again till the sunshine is ideal, the fog is ideal, all the pieces comes collectively.
SF: Any final parting phrases of recommendation?
ET: Simply be constant, observe the foundations and do one thing somewhat bit completely different. There are lots of people regionally who do the identical pictures — we have been all in that group, chasing the identical dozen or so pictures. I broke out of that as a result of I wished to do one thing completely different. I finished taking a look at what different native photographers have been doing and began taking a look at individuals in different cities for inspiration. That’s the place I get my concepts now, and a few of my very own too.
Eric Thurber flies with DJI Mavic 4 Professional, Mavic 3 Professional, Mini 4 Professional, and Avata 2, together with a set {of professional} digicam gear together with the Sony α7S III, GoPro Hero, DJI Osmo Motion 5 and iPhone 15 Professional Max.
Observe his work on Instagram @thurber_shots and YouTube @thurber_shots for tutorials and behind-the-scenes content material from certainly one of San Francisco’s most devoted aerial photographers. Try Eric Thurber‘s full pictures portfolio at EricMedia.com.
Associated
Uncover extra from The Drone Woman
Subscribe to get the most recent posts despatched to your electronic mail.
