Drones and Your Photography Business

So this past week PPA (Professional Photographers of America) sent out an email that the FAA has released it's new rules on drones for business. According to the new FAA rules, the estimated out-of-pocket cost for an individual to become certified as a remote pilot with a small UAS rating is $150. This will cover the testing fee.

My Phantom 3 Professional hovering in my front yard.

The required aeronautical knowledge test will cover the following subject areas:

- Regulations applicable to small UAS operations

Airspace classification and operating requirements, maintenance and inspection procedures, and flight restrictions affecting small unmanned aircraft operation
Official sources of weather and effects of weather on small unmanned aircraft performance
Small UAS loading and performance
Emergency procedures
Crew resource management
Radio communication procedures
Determining the performance of small unmanned aircraft
Physiological effects of drugs and alcohol
Aeronautical decision-making and judgment
Airport operations.

You'll be able to take the test at more than 700 FAA-approved testing centers. Get more information from the FAA on certification here!

A shot of my cul-de-sac from my Phantom 3 Professional

 There are also some new changes in the rules that will becoming out in August 2016, so you may want to wait a few more weeks to actually start the licensing process. Remember, you are ultimately responsible to make sure you are legal to fly your drone for your business and getting caught without a proper pilot's license will result in hefty fines and possible jail time!

Comments/Questions

Don't be a Cliché! Editing Trends that are Past their Prime

As an 80s child, I have my share of family portraits shaped into an oval by a white vignette. Why that was the style I'll never understand, but at least it's a thing of the past... right? Well, it seems to pop up now and then in some circles, and it's usually a newcomer to a Facebook group centered on photography that falls victim to such outdated trends. Here, I'd love to share three editing clichés that are past their prime. Please feel free to add to the list in the comments! My subject for this little trip through time is Patrick, an adoptable dog through Peace for Pits in Chicago. I will not be watermarking the edited images since they do not reflect my actual photographic style, but it is an image I took for the rescue. Here's the original for reference:

1. The White Vignette. Is it just me, or does this really never ever look good? It could be that only people who lived in the 80s and early 90s that see this as cheesy, but I can practically hear Bananarama when I see this:

2. Spot Color/Selective Color. Sure, this can add a cool effect to the right image when done well. However, that usually doesn't happen. Spot color for the sake of spot color is not a good idea.

3. Majorly Decreased Clarity. It can be tempting to smooth the skin (or in this case, the fur) of your subject in post-production, but please - don't take it too far! When a photograph looks more like a digital painting without intending to be one, there's a problem.

Of course in photography, as in life, there's always a reason to break a rule after it's been ingrained in your brain. Maybe a white vignette can help you brighten up the natural dark vignette that your 50mm creates in camera. Perhaps the colorful lasers at a high-energy event would make for a unique spot colored capture. If you have an image that you think makes an editing cliché work once again, head on over to the Google+ community and share it, or link to it in a comment below!

-Friday Ambassador