For any of you who follow me on my many various social media platforms, you might already be aware that I recently gained my PfCO (Permission for Commercial Operations) from the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority). This means, in short, that I can fly for money. If you didn't know, simply owning a drone (or as they're properly named Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) does not mean you can start an aerial photography business. You must satisfy the CAA that you are aware of the various rules of the air, that you are skilled in basic manoeuvres and understand what to do when planning a flight. Only after you have passed those thresholds and tests, are you able to earn a living from a drone.

I've been flying drones for over 5 years as a hobby, taking pictures here and there, and the odd video. Nothing worthy of a going for a commercial license. However, more recently, as I've been pursuing my career as a film maker, adding aerial footage has always (in my opinion) added a little more to the content. As well as making videos for my own pleasure, I also wanted to be able to offer aerial services to my wedding clients, so I had to go down the formal route, as there are no ways to avoid being caught out by the police if you're caught flying for money without the PfCO.

The Aerial Photography aspect of my business is starting to seep into my various booking options, especially in the areas you'd expect, the wedding side of things being the first, but the main focus for the aerial business will be aerial surveys for agricultural solutions, which is one of the reasons I've created another website: www.AGRIdroneNI.com 

Nobody: So, other than the usual elements the drone can add to a wedding photography/videography business, what else do I hope to achieve with the new AGRI business?

Me: Well, the technology exists to highlight areas within the growth cycle of crops that there's a problem starting, two weeks before the human eye can detect it. As a farmer, if you have that information early, you can remedy it much faster and in a more targeted fashion, saving you money on lots of different fronts, such as a reduction in treatment costs as it's targeted towards problematic areas, and also, potentially healing a failing part of your land so that you can reap a more successful growth return.

Some of you reading this will be thinking "Why are you telling me all this?" The answer to that is, you know I'm passionate about photography, and a few of you will know people (or even be) involved in the agricultural sector here in Northern Ireland and Ireland, so I guess I'm asking you to let them know of my new solution.

Anyway, that's enough waffle for today. Time I got back to this editing of videos lark. Till next time, have a great day!

AGRIdroneNI Facebook AdvertThe first advert I've created for the new AGRIdroneNI Business.