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So I started a photography PP:
business. I am a huge fan of your aerial
shots. Tell us how you got
PP: into using drones in your
Whoah! Ektachrome is a blast photography?
from the past. So what kind
of photography do you find RM:
yourself doing these days? After 37 years, I was getting
close to the age where I would
RM: have to retire from commercial
Didn’t you know mermaids are flying. So I thought a lot about
my thing now? [Laughs] No, getting a drone and using that
I’m kidding. with the camera. At that time,
they didn’t have the quality
PP: drones we have now, then they
I KNEW I’d make you a convert, were very big. I had a Cinestar
Ron! You had it written all over 8, which was a huge drone.
your face. And I had a gimbal that hung
below with the drone with the
RM: camera and got some great
I really, truly don’t have shots with it. But at $22,000,
a favorite. A lot of people the drone’s photo quality was
don’t look at photography nothing compared to some
as art. I always tell people, of the smaller drones we have
photography is nothing but today. My interest was because
painting with light. And there I love aviation so much. When
are two schools of thought that you get off the ground, the
most people have said. One world looks different. You can
of them is that you need to do things photographically
specialize in something so that with a drone that you can’t
you’re known for it. The other do on the ground. Your scene
side is that you don’t specialize may look good, but it might
because you cut yourself out of be blocked by a street light,
other business opportunities. or a truck or a building or
As a freelancer, I adhere to the something else, but there’s
second school of thought. something that limits your
ability to move around. With
a drone for the most part, you
If I had to do just one kind of don’t have that limitation.
PHOTOGRAPHY, It is a totally different result,
I don’t think I would still have the and you don’t have to get very
high. I’ve shot with cameras
LOVE I put on just a pole. It’s a 10-
foot pole, but even just raising
for it that I do. that 10-feet changes the
perspective. It was a fairly
small camera, but I could raise
it up, get above the crowd,
So I’ve done everything; I do and look down on what I was RM: I do recommend is practice PP: I would say it’s kind of a mix
model portfolios, graphic print shooting. So instead, it gives They have a lot of other drones with the drone you get. You At Swim Into Summer Las between the two. It’s normal
work, wall decorations, and you a different angle that out now that are very good have to get comfortable with Vegas, we worked together and assuming that the basics of
large murals. I even did a six- most people don’t see. And quality. Some shoot 6k video, it. You also have to know all the it was tons of fun with some photography don’t change.
foot by eight-foot once. I shot therefore, it’s interesting. some of them have up to drone rules. As a professional, great results. I believe that What changes is the ability
food photography and other 40 megapixels and they’re you have to get a Part 107 was your first time shooting for the model or in this case,
things for Troon Golf. So I think PP: not expensive drones. You certification to fly the drone. mermaids. Did you notice any the mermaid, to move into
just about everything you can What kind of tips can you share can get pretty good drones A lot of people still don’t know differences between shooting positions or change positions.
think of, I have probably shot at with those just starting and for under $700. Because that. It’s not that difficult to mermaids versus a ‘normal’ Most of them have to be
some point. who can’t go out and afford technology is increasing and obtain. But you do need it if shoot? carried someplace if you shoot
high price tags, like $22,000? has improved so much, it you fly a drone commercially. in more than one area. They
makes it much easier. What RM: can’t simply get up and walk

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