Over the years, Commercial UAV News has interviewed many successful drone pilots who run operations in all sectors of the industry. More often than not, these pilots started out as hobbyists using drones for one thing: photography.

At the recreational level, hobby drones are highly accessible and are a great tool for aerial photography. After a little practice, many hobbyists want to take their skills to the next level and start making money with drone photography. There are plenty of lucrative avenues one could take with drone photography such as for real estate, sports media, cinematography, construction monitoring and more.

Before you can call yourself a professional drone photographer, there is a checklist of training and certifications to complete to provide the necessary credibility for potential customers. It’s essential to consider what your business model and budget will look like, what hardware and software are absolutely necessary to purchase in the early days, and of course, the regulatory aspect of your operations.

So, where do you start?

To help us understand the best path forward, CUAV News is hosting a webinar entitled What it Takes to Turn Drone Photography into a Career on Tuesday June 9 at 1:00 PM Eastern Time.

Our speakers for this webinar feature two successful drone pilots who own their own photography businesses.

Vic Moss, owner of Moss Photography, has extensive experience in the art of photography. Being in the photography business since 1988 and a drone pilot since 2013, Moss brings a plethora of experience from both industries to the conversation. He serves as the director of Drone Advocacy Alliance and has experience as a member of the FAA’s Advanced Aviation Advisory Committee as Citizens UAS Operators. With that experience, he will have plenty of insight into the regulatory aspects of being an independent drone operator.

Barry Schwartz, owner of Barry Schwartz Photography has over twenty-two years of professional photography experience and is a graduate of the Pilot Institute and is a Part 107 license holder. Schwartz's niche is educating photographers on best business practices, making him the perfect addition to this conversation. He has taught professional business practices at the college level and through workshops, and even offers free contract and release templates to photographers looking to protect their work and their business.

Together, Moss and Schwartz bring a rare combination of technical depth, regulatory expertise, and real-world business experience to a conversation that too often focuses on gear alone. Whether you're still flying recreationally and curious about what going pro actually looks like, or you're already working commercially and looking to expand into higher-value verticals like inspection or infrastructure documentation, this panel is built for you.

The webinar will cover everything from hardware and post-processing workflows to waiver strategy, client management, pricing, and insurance, the full picture of what a sustainable drone photography business actually requires.

Not able to make it to the live webinar? Register anyway and we will send you the recording to watch on-demand.