I (re)found drone pilot and photographer Eric Thurber the best way many San Franciscans uncover hidden gems of their metropolis — scrolling by way of Reddit. His beautiful 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 discuss to him.
What adopted was an enchanting 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 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 images pastime right into a thriving second profession — one the place the work now involves him slightly than the opposite manner round. Nevertheless it didn’t occur in a single day, and it wasn’t with out classes realized the arduous manner.
Right here’s our interview, which you’ll be able to catch in video kind 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 inventive strategy?
Eric Thurber: The fantastic thing about a 360 digicam is that in post-production, it’s what you are able to do that issues. You’re capturing the whole lot, so that you don’t have to consider composition whereas capturing. 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 nevertheless I wished.
It’s an effective way to showcase the Golden Gate Bridge in an incredible visible format with out breaking the legislation — as a result of you’ll be able to’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 attention-grabbing 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 simple 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 stay 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. When you work with them, the whole lot works out. I’m very aware of 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 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 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 authorised 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 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 when you’re going to do business 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 must get that allow as a result of I’m not creating wealth 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 images
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 images goes again many, a few years. I’ve a web site referred to as Eric’s Media that reveals all my common nonetheless photographs. Then I acquired into drone images, and over time, I acquired into taking drone video — that’s the place I actually by no means seemed 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 performed 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, generally 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 the whole lot?
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 stated “pull that, .” However they had been academic about it. Subsequently, the whole lot has shifted. I get waivers now, and if I can’t do it legally, I received’t try this kind 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 it is advisable 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 lots 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 actually took off. They’re arduous to do. Not lots of people can do them with the trouble 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 sequence of 200 to 300 photographs at one to a few 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 best way I do them, as a result of I would like excellent high quality.
You possibly can shoot a hyperlapse straight from the drone and publish it. That’s as much as you. However in order for you the stuff to look the best way I publish it, it’s important 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 need to make it a profession.
ET: It’s troublesome. It actually relies on what you need to do. I hate to make use of myself for example as a result of I needed to have lots 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 need to get into actual property, that type of factor. The largest factor you can do is keep constant. When 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. When you’re capturing pictures, you’re actually going to be caught in a pack that’s already saturated. When you’re doing movies, you’re breaking out of that pack somewhat bit. However I’ve observed lots of photographers aren’t eager about simply doing video — it’s a catch-22. Consistency, I might say consistency is the very best factor.
SF: Does it make sense to specialize? Some folks say give attention to building or oil and gasoline. However even inside creative images, do you have to concentrate on actual property or cruise ships or drone gentle reveals?
ET: What you’re talking to is a distinct segment, and undoubtedly everyone must have their very own. For me, I think about lots of what I do high-quality artwork video — romanticizing visitors, romanticizing town. These are matters folks 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 high-quality. All it’s going to do is enhance your engagement.
I really like bridges, not simply the Golden Gate. A few of my greatest 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 nowadays?
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 be taught. 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 maintain 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. Whenever you romanticize town the best way I do, you hit these spots again and again till the sunshine is ideal, the fog is ideal, the whole lot comes collectively.
SF: Any final parting phrases of recommendation?
ET: Simply be constant, observe the principles and do one thing somewhat 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 wished to do one thing completely different. I finished taking a look at what different native photographers had been doing and began taking a look at 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.
Comply with 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 images portfolio at EricMedia.com.
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