I (re)found drone pilot and photographer Eric Thurber the way in which many San Franciscans uncover hidden gems of their metropolis — scrolling by means of Reddit. His beautiful shot of the Golden Gate Bridge stopped me mid-scroll, and after I realized it wasn’t even captured with a drone, I knew I needed to discuss to him.
What adopted was an interesting dialog with one of many Bay Space’s most profitable drone photographers, whose Instagram feed @thurber_shots has amassed roughly 120,000 followers to this point and has attracted top-tier purchasers just like the Golden State Warriors, Waymo, UCSF and even drone gentle present firm Sky Components.
What makes Thurber’s story significantly compelling is that this wasn’t the plan. A retired IT skilled, he turned a pictures interest right into a thriving second profession — one the place the work now involves him slightly than the opposite approach round. But it surely didn’t occur in a single day, and it wasn’t with out classes realized the laborious approach.
Right here’s our interview, which you’ll catch in video type or learn under. (Editor’s be aware: this interview has been frivolously edited for size and readability).
Photographing iconic landmarks — and not using a 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 inventive 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 every thing, so that you don’t have to consider composition whereas capturing. I took a suction cup, caught it to the roof of my automobile and drove throughout the bridge. Later, I may flip it and manipulate it nonetheless I needed.
It’s a good way to showcase the Golden Gate Bridge in a tremendous visible format with out breaking the regulation — as a result of you may’t fly drones over the bridge. Lots of people do, however I’m glad I don’t.
Following the legal guidelines (that are particularly difficult 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 photographs taken in between the Golden Gate Bridge simply because it’s unlawful to fly drones there.
Now talking of — flying legally isn’t at all times straightforward in San Francisco, which has so many rules. Are you able to speak about navigating the rules?
ET: I may speak about these things all day as a result of I dwell within the regs. Half my days are spent filling out waiver requests and coping with the town, coping with parks and rec, all of that stuff.
The factor is, the FAA is within the enterprise of teaching you, not busting you. Should you work with them, every thing 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 folks and shifting autos, plus $2 million in drone insurance coverage by means of Skywatch AI. I’ve complete protection, the entire thing.
However getting permits from the Metropolis of San Francisco for business work? That’s one of many hardest issues I’ve ever needed to do. In truth, I’ve but to personally get a allow accredited from them as a result of their necessities are completely stringent and unrealistic. They need me to ensure protection for each person who the drone flies over from the town authorities, and Skywatch gained’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 business work. If I needed to shoot Outdoors Lands, for instance? I couldn’t get the allow by means of the town. Now, I didn’t technically should get that allow as a result of I’m not making a living straight — I’m simply flying for me and I would 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: By no means! My pictures goes again many, a few years. I’ve a website known as Eric’s Media that exhibits all my common nonetheless photographs. Then I received into drone pictures, and through the years, I received 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 means of Instagram. You’ll see my stuff on their social feeds or on the Jumbotron. I’ve completed fairly a little bit of capturing 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 every thing?
ET: Sure, and it’s gone now as a result of the FAA made me pull it. This was years in the past after 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 comparable throughout a recreation and thought, “I’m gonna do that too.” Turned out, man, that was wildly unlawful.
It received reported and went viral. The FAA mentioned “pull that, you already know.” However they had been instructional about it. Subsequently, every thing has shifted. I get waivers now, and if I can’t do it legally, I gained’t do this sort of factor.
However right here’s the factor: folks 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 you want to be constant — posting three or 4 instances every week with high quality content material. It’s a grind. I’ll say that. It’s a number of work.
SF: Let’s speak about content material. What’s your favourite content material to create?
ET: Time lapses of fog — I really like fog. The hyper lapses are what actually launched me, to be sincere. These are those that basically took off. They’re laborious 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. Primarily, over 5 to fifteen minutes, you’re going to take a collection of 200 to 300 photographs 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 a complete factor that has to occur for the way in which I do them, as a result of I would like excellent high quality.
You may shoot a hyperlapse straight from the drone and submit it. That’s as much as you. However if you would like the stuff to look the way in which I submit it, it’s a must to undergo all these different steps. It’s very concerned, however the outcomes communicate for themselves.
SF: For aspiring drone photographers, what’s your recommendation for breaking into the business house? So many individuals do that for enjoyable and wish to make it a profession.
ET: It’s troublesome. It actually depends upon what you wish to do. I hate to make use of myself for instance as a result of I needed to have a number of viral movies after which folks got here to me. I wasn’t even essentially trying.
However there are nice alternatives on the market for individuals who wish to get into actual property, that form of factor. The largest factor you possibly can do is keep constant. Should you’re posting on social and you are taking lengthy breaks, it’s going to value you. You’ll lose likes, lose engagement.
Movies actually make a distinction. Should you’re capturing images, 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 slightly bit. However I’ve observed a number of photographers aren’t thinking about simply doing video — it’s a catch-22. Consistency, I’d say consistency is the perfect factor.
SF: Does it make sense to specialize? Some folks say concentrate on building or oil and fuel. However even inside inventive pictures, must you specialise in actual property or cruise ships or drone gentle exhibits?
ET: What you’re chatting with is a distinct segment, and undoubtedly all people must have their very own. For me, I contemplate a number of what I do high quality artwork video — romanticizing visitors, romanticizing the town. These are matters folks like to speak about too, which will increase engagement. I simply let all people remark. I don’t restrict anyone. Whether or not they like what I submit or not, that’s high quality. All it’s going to do is improve your engagement.
I really 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 virtually at all times on the 6X cam on my Mavic 4 Professional or the 7X on my Mavic 3 Professional as a result of I really like compression photographs. And I’ll hit the identical spot three or 4 instances, possibly even 5, earlier than I get one thing I’m proud of. I’m a real perfectionist.
Prime gear for drone pilots
SF: What gear are you working with today?
ET: I’ve two Mavic 4 Professionals, a Mavic 3 Professional Cine, and the Avata 2 for FPV work — although I hardly ever fly that. FPV pilots are a complete 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 selecting 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 photographs, and I’ve gotten them. I really like bridges, I really like compression, and I hold going again to the identical spots till I get precisely what I would like. A few of my favourite movies are fog movies — these time lapses are what actually launched me. If you romanticize the town the way in which I do, you hit these spots time and again till the sunshine is ideal, the fog is ideal, every thing comes collectively.
SF: Any final parting phrases of recommendation?
ET: Simply be constant, comply with the principles and do one thing slightly bit completely different. There are lots of people domestically who do the identical photographs — we had been all in that group, chasing the identical dozen or so photographs. I broke out of that as a result of I needed to do one thing completely different. I ended what different native photographers had been doing and began folks 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 collection {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 one in all San Francisco’s most devoted aerial photographers. Take a look at Eric Thurber‘s full pictures portfolio at EricMedia.com.
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