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 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 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 up to now and has attracted top-tier shoppers just like the Golden State Warriors, Waymo, UCSF and even drone mild present firm Sky Parts.
What makes Thurber’s story significantly compelling is that this wasn’t the plan. A retired IT skilled, he turned a pictures passion right into a thriving second profession — one the place the work now involves him relatively than the opposite manner round. Nevertheless it didn’t occur in a single day, and it wasn’t with out classes realized the onerous manner.
Right here’s our interview, which you’ll catch in video type or learn under. (Editor’s notice: this interview has been flippantly 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 digital camera, not a drone. What impressed that inventive method?
Eric Thurber: The great thing about a 360 digital camera 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 capturing. I took a suction cup, caught it to the roof of my automobile and drove throughout the bridge. Later, I might 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 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 all the time straightforward in San Francisco, which has so many laws. Are you able to speak about navigating the laws?
ET: I might 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 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. If you happen to work with them, all the pieces works out. I’m very conversant in 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 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. The truth is, 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 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 should you’re going to do business work. If I wished to shoot Exterior Lands, for instance? I couldn’t get the allow by way of town. Now, I didn’t technically should get that let as a result of I’m not being profitable immediately — 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 economic 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 web site referred to as Eric’s Media that exhibits all my common nonetheless photographs. Then I obtained into drone pictures, and over time, I obtained into taking drone video — that’s the place I actually by no means appeared 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 accomplished 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 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 comparable throughout a recreation and thought, “I’m gonna do that too.” Turned out, man, that was wildly unlawful.
It obtained reported and went viral. The FAA stated “pull that, .” However they have been academic 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 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 that you must be constant — posting three or 4 occasions every week with high quality content material. It’s a grind. I’ll say that. It’s a variety 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 onerous 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. Basically, over 5 to fifteen minutes, you’re going to take a collection of 200 to 300 photographs at one to 3 second intervals. You then’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 need excellent high quality.
You may shoot a hyperlapse straight from the drone and submit it. That’s as much as you. However if you’d like the stuff to look the best way 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 area? 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 example as a result of I needed to have a variety of viral movies after which folks got here to me. I wasn’t even essentially wanting.
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 could possibly do is keep constant. If you happen to’re posting on social and you’re taking lengthy breaks, it’s going to price you. You’ll lose likes, lose engagement.
Movies actually make a distinction. If you happen to’re capturing pictures, you’re actually going to be caught in a pack that’s already saturated. If you happen to’re doing movies, you’re breaking out of that pack a little bit bit. However I’ve observed a variety of photographers aren’t excited by simply doing video — it’s a catch-22. Consistency, I’d say consistency is the most effective factor.
SF: Does it make sense to specialize? Some folks say deal with development or oil and gasoline. However even inside inventive pictures, do you have to focus on actual property or cruise ships or drone mild exhibits?
ET: What you’re talking to is a distinct segment, and positively everyone must have their very own. For me, I take into account a variety of what I do fantastic artwork video — romanticizing visitors, romanticizing town. These are subjects 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 submit or not, that’s fantastic. All it’s going to do is enhance 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 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 really like compression photographs. And I’ll hit the identical spot three or 4 occasions, perhaps even 5, earlier than I get one thing I’m proud of. I’m a real perfectionist.
High gear for drone pilots
SF: What gear are you working with as of late?
ET: I’ve two Mavic 4 Execs, a Mavic 3 Professional Cine, and the Avata 2 for FPV work — although I not often fly that. FPV pilots are a complete totally different breed. They’re very, excellent at what they do, and it takes years to be taught. 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 numerous 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 preserve 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. Once you romanticize town the best way I do, you hit these spots time 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 principles and do one thing a little bit bit totally different. There are lots of people regionally who do the identical photographs — we have 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 totally different. I finished what different native photographers have 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} digital camera 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. Take a look at Eric Thurber‘s full pictures portfolio at EricMedia.com.
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