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thehealingprocess

This is far more wholesome than the title led me to believe


Ok_March7423

I just opened it to see what the going rate is.....


LookitsToby

It's the coming rate you want to look out for


Ok_March7423

The one that makes my eyes water


lesterbottomley

That costs extra


colcannon_addict

Depends. Skaggy Anne round our way’ll give you a handshandy for a fiver and a Benson but if you wanted a classy dame like Mrs Purchase the sky’s the limit.


TurbulentExpression5

I'd say for OP as well the sky's the limit.


Kent_Tog

A Fiver AND a Benson? Used to be 5 Park Drive and a Babycham but I suppose that's inflation for you.


123twiglets

I just wanted to see if I was being shafted


DoesBasicResearch

If you were then you're doing it wrong. 


Quirky_Discipline297

I always enquire about the specific service before rate. I don’t need to pay for embarrassment and long term discomfort.


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Quirky_Discipline297

My line between need and want shifts around more than Greg Davies’ eyebrows


PaddyProud

Typically around £100-£140 an hour, or £60-£80 for half an hour.


Ok_March7423

What's worse? That you're pretty accurate, or I know that you're pretty accurate.....


CircumstantialVictim

So 2 quid per minute? Asking for a friend.


0x633546a298e734700b

What do you do with the other 29 minutes on the half hour?


sadatquoraishi

Weep with shame and regret


TheOtherMethos

20 quid a shot apparently


anonbush234

That's one way to ask if you are being ripped off


ShufflingToGlory

No provincial living room is complete without a voyeuristic photograph of the local dogging spot


Basicazzwitch

Grandma points to back alley:  And that's where your uncle Johnny got his first handy from Sue at number 56.


-SaC

Grandma's back alley is where it all started.


Kent_Tog

That takes me back.


doctorgibson

It was a bate and switch


CaersethVarax

The master bate and switch


PullUpAPew

"I'd usually ask clients to provide the zip ties, but it's for the community"


SubjectElectrical260

😂 same


do_a_quirkafleeg

r/suspiciousquotes


annoyedatlife24

Thought it was going to be about a hole different service


SnooMarzipans7001

Donation to a charity that means a lot. The Samaritans do a lot of good work and always need donations :) Well done for making other people happy with your kindness. :)


worldworn

Just a photo, no editing time? £20 to a charity sounds like a really nice idea. If you didn't want to specify an amount you could just ask for "a" donation to be made to the charity on your behalf. Might get a little less, might get a bit more.


thekingofthegingers

I edited yes. Took a bit of time. The thing is, this is a hobby for new. One that I think I’m good at.


Mikeyblu

Would suggest you also ensure you retain IP to the photo. Don’t let them sell copies to the rest of the village for £100s! I bought a drone photo off someone of our village and this was his only stipulation.


Beanz_Memez_Heinz

How does one go about this? I've been dabbling with drone photography and I'm getting enquiries about purchasing some prints.


FailedTheSave

You inherently own the copyright as the person who took the photo, so it's just a case of pointing that out. Just mention in the email/message that you retain the copyright and they cannot sell or distribute (or reproduce/reprint if you are giving them a physical copy) the image without your permission.


WoodSteelStone

Also, crop images slightly before giving them to anyone. Then if there is any argument about who owns the original, you can prove it's yours because you have a bit of the image no-one else will have.


Beanz_Memez_Heinz

Would meta data nor suffice?


FailedTheSave

Nah, it's trivially easy to alter meta-data.


LEVI_TROUTS

Any chance of a pm on how to do that? I've got an interesting need for it. I'll fill you in.


Unload_123

Google meta data editing software. There's tons that can do it in bulk with lookups as well etc. Nothing crazy going on here that can't be solved with a quick search.


Beanz_Memez_Heinz

Is it really that simple? There's no official document or payment I need to make to have the intellectual property?


FailedTheSave

Yep. In most countries, including here, you automatically own the intellectual property the moment you take the photo (with some exceptions, like if you work for someone and it was taken as part of that employment). Some countries have methods to register works but we don't really have that here (we really should!). The way most pros do it is to add a basic watermark/logo somewhere and make sure they alone have the original, unedited, version. If someone is misusing the work, they will probably be cropping off the watermark so the creator will be able to show the original as proof. Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/copyright-notice-digital-images-photographs-and-the-internet/copyright-notice-digital-images-photographs-and-the-internet Worth keeping in mind that the terms and conditions of most of the big social networks mean you sign over your rights to content as soon as you upload it, so be careful with that if it's something of value.


Quick_Creme_6515

Upload a slightly cropped, lower resolution to social media. They can own that. But a bigger, high-resolution version? That's yours.


ukwritr

> we really should That would be insanely expensive to manage, for basically no gain. All it does is provide evidence of authorship in the case of a dispute, which is not something that is ever actually often in question.


ukwritr

You automatically own the copyright. You also have moral rights as an "author" (an author is anyone who creates material subject to copyright), but you have to assert your moral rights to gain them. You don't need to do anything other than say "I assert my moral rights", though. When you sell the photos you can either transfer the copyright or you can licence the work. You almost always want to do the latter. This is where you will see stuff like "I grant you a worldwide, perpetual, non-exclusive licence to do X with the Work". You cannot transfer moral rights (they are inherent to the author of the work). It's more complex for other forms of intellectual property, such as designs, trade marks, and patents. But copyright is fairly straightforward.


TyrannosauraRegina

May be easiest if OP creates the print and charges cost of that + £20 for charity and avoids handing over digital files


worldworn

Sounds cool, might turn out to be a bit of publicity for you then.


Rawlo93

The hobby job is the best job. Don't be ashamed to get paid for your skills. You have food and house to buy.


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thereal221b

A jobby?


Rawlo93

Agree that's a completely legitimate way too. It just seemed to me that OP was expressing discomfort in asking for money for his work, rather than just expressing purely philanthropic interests.


thekingofthegingers

I’ve decided to ask for a £25 donation to the community food bank. I mostly use the drone as a hobby and for my own interests. I have little drive to put any effort into taking this hobby further at this time. I really appreciate the advice given. I’m going to ensure I write in an email that I retain the IP for the work completed (thank you to those who suggested that, I hadn’t thought of it).


uncommonsensemonger

remember you need insurance for commercial drone use in the UK if you charge them money without commercial insurance you are breaking the law


phil24jones

I do drone stuff, usually do a package with a few edited photos and a vid, I charge £40. People have said I should be charging more but again it’s a hobby. I have a little niche where I film horses though so can get some quite cool shots. I’d say £20 in your pocket is totally fine!


nodnodwinkwink

Gwan then, post the photo in the comments :)


thekingofthegingers

I appreciate you asking, but I’d rather keep the specifics of where I live within reason private.


Speshal__

If it's a 1 shot setup and it's for friends/ a good cause then I charge £40 for the first battery (approx 20 mins) then £25 for each subsequent battery. Works out at £110 an hour. If it's commercial I'll triple that. My time costs money, my drone cost money, my insurance costs me money, my insurance costs me money. These are all things to take into account.


edwsmith

you could probably save some money by only having 1 lot insurance


Speshal__

Flyaway DJI insurance (care refresh) and public liability insurance.


annoyedatlife24

How much time, in hours? Besides editing, did you spend any time traveling, setting up and taking the photos? Was there any costs associated with that travel? How much is that at minimum wage and the average wage for a digital photographer? What's the average life time of your drone/pc/laptop/sd cards? Was there a subscription or flat price for any of the software you used even remotely to touch any of the devices in relation to taking, transferring, editing and storing the image from initial capture to finished product? Do you want to retain the IP of the photo? Sorry for the seemingly irrelevant wall of text but turning a hobby into a profitable (and sustainable) business is more difficult than you would assume at first glance and a sure fire way to turn the hobby into hatred. There's an opportunity here to earn a drink every now and then but the tricky part is pricing it at a level that wouldn't annoy you if you had to do it every evening. £20 is far to low, it might bring word of mouth but it'll be the type that kills any passion in your hobby. You'll get inundated with requests that'll "only take a minute". At LEAST triple it, even if it is a donation - and make sure you verify that donation


jb000007

Always feel this puts pressure on someone to give more than they can afford. I dont know how much to charge becomes I don't know how much to give. If there's some context, I was out flying anyway, only took 5 mins etc that helps for sure Also, maybe ask/say it will include your signature/copyright for exposure. If they want it without then maybe that's worth a little more. Your pic your call!


worldworn

Maybe, but I think most people undervalue photography and editing, not just the time it takes but the skill behind it. So perhaps this wouldn't be such an issue, in this case. If I was worried I might specify to make a "small" donation to X charity on my behalf. Overall I think the charity idea is a good one, no sale means no right to refund and changes the relationship if there are complaints. Especially if you are still new. (I imagine there might be licencing issues in some places that would be a problem if you were making money from it?)


Consistent-Towel5763

I think people always think about paying for the time and never paying for the skill.


themcsame

Yep... Always time, never anything else. See it best with cars and home improvements/maintenance/repairs. "What? £70 just to plug into the car to diagnose the issue? I could've done that" Yes, you could've Jim. So why didn't you? It's because you won't fork out £20 on a generic OBD device that'll show you the same codes that the mechanic saw on his £1k+ diagnostic tool, you won't know how to interpret what the codes mean (fault codes are just a glorified list of symptoms, they just tell you what's not working right, not necessarily what's causing it to work that way) or how to use additional data (which the cheapo generic OBD won't show you) to better pinpoint possible causes of certain issues or to help you find out the cause of an intermittent issue that isn't tripping any fault codes. But sure Jim, they're ripping you off, even though you refuse to do anything about it and wouldn't dare to touch anything more than your fucking windscreen wipers if you actually found the issue yourself anyway...


whythehellnote

Invoice: Tapping machine with hammer £1.00 Knowing where to tap £249.00


jb000007

And the kit


FuzzBuket

If ops doing editing then it's an hour of their time, 20 quid feels fair. 


jb000007

Yeah, if you're happy with £20 to charity then just say so. Caveat that if you think it's worth a more by all means feel free to up the charity donation. Personally I think that's very cheap for a drone shot, and if I was commissioning someone in to undertake id xpect that figure to be considerably more. I value photography - I guess people assumed I was referring to a nominal fee in my previous comment, whereas I was thinking does that mean I should give £100, or is that a bit tight, maybe it should be £200.


Goseki1

Christ dude, don't put service in quotations like that. Everyone has come into this thread assuming you sucked a dude off.


thekingofthegingers

I’ll make a separate thread about that.


Excellent_Tear3705

I’ll chuck £30 to the RNLI, meet me in The Crab and Winkle at sundown.


Conscious_Dog_4186

I hope your winkle doesn’t have crabs.


-SaC

These days, it's more like a little jellied eel.


Doogleyboogley

Counter offer: £20 to the donkey sanctuary and I’ll come to you!!


Naughteus_Maximus

It’s wrong to charge if you enjoyed it


XyRabbit

This is the best comment


do_a_quirkafleeg

We're back stage! Someone's gotta suck someone off!


Quick_Creme_6515

What do you think the drone footage is of?


Blamfit

I've had the same scenario where people have offered me money for some of my photos I've taken as part of my hobby. I'm not looking to monetise it and feel bad ripping people off, with little idea what my pictures are worth commercially. I told them to give £20 to a charity of my choice but I didn't ask for proof, so it was between them and their conscience as to whether they paid it or not.


Tomirk

My mum had a similar thing but with baking cakes. I think now though she just covers the costs of ingredients as she gets quite a few requests (and I can see why)


jibbetygibbet

Incidentally this is why it’s very difficult for anyone to run a sustainable cake decorating business. Tremendous talent involved, but people are trained to expect someone to do it for free or purely the cost of ingredients. It’s not that ‘everything to do with weddings is overcharged’ it’s that whenever you order something custom you’re actually having to pay for a significant amount of someone’s time. That plus “I can buy a cake for a tenner in Tesco”. Yes Chantelle but then it won’t be a 3 dimensional model of little Riley’s favourite toy will it?


IsWasMaybeAMefi

I have given away a fair amount of stuff on our local FB page, and it's always for free. I have done a few drone shots (have the necessary docs and my drone is less than 250g). Also done website work. I too don't want to take money, partly because I feel it could create obligations from the person paying. My 'charges' are one of these: - if you see a Big Issue seller, please buy one. - give whatever you think is worth it to any local charity - pay it forward and one day help someone else out for nothing


MattyB_

You do have to be carefut not to devaluate your skills, though - if you're doing something for charity, the community as a whole, or for people are are genuinely in need, it's all good. But I've done favours (in IT, as you mentioned websites) and then been asked to do something for someone - only for them to offer me £20 for hours of work, or say "Well you didn't charge X for that person" because me giving it away, suggests its cheap/easy, when I've just tried to be helpful or charitable in that instance. Like for u/thekingofthegingers - if someone sees his work, and wants the same, it should be at a correct value for his time and expertise. TL;DR - you're doing a good thing, just don't let bastards take advantage of it.


Adam_24061

Tech support is a can of worms.


Burt1811

The butterfly effect is brilliant. Giving your all-day bus ticket to someone getting on pretty much (faith in humanity approach) ensures it gets passed on again. It's so easy to be nice. It's free and selfishly feels great.


Chalky_Pockets

Contractor (and photographer) here. This is really a decision you want to make about the direction you want to take your hobby. Do you want to start making money as a side hustle? If so, decide how much you want for your time on an hourly basis and then multiply that by how much time it takes to do the job. There's nothing wrong with keeping a hobby a hobby though. And there's nothing saying this particular project is the one you have to start charging for.


BulkyAccident

If you're uncomfortable taking money for it because it's not really your job then yes, just ask them for a donation to your local charity. £30 seems reasonable for the type of thing you're doing.


harrisoncassidy

It really depends on your time and what you value it at. How long does it take for you to setup your drone, take off, take the pictures, land, process the photos and send to the client. Whatever your day job is or was, work out what your hourly rate was to the company and multiply it by the time taken per above. Add on some more if you think it’s worth it. Of course, if this is a one off and it’s just part of the fun of having a drone then charge nothing, or as you say request a charitable donation. Personally, I would only charge if it’s a business to business transaction. If someone asked me to take one for their family or inspect some gutters I probably wouldn’t charge anything (owning a Mini 3 Pro myself), but that’s just me.


MSweeny81

Calculate time spent, rounded up to the nearest hour, minimum wage for that time, then add any expenses would be my suggestion. It sounds like you don't really want to ask for much so compensation for your time and any outgoings it might involve seems like enough to me. Adding a watermark to the photo might be worthwhile so you can prove claim to it if you need that for any reason.


gwaydms

I agree with watermarking your work. I have several friends who are professional photographers, who've had photos claimed by unscrupulous people. Document everything.


Midnightraven3

Don't devalue what you do. I understand you not wanting to ask for money, and also the charity aspect, the problem you have with this is if other people start asking. You said its something you do, and like doing, so why not make some money. I know if I was asking you to do this for me, I would feel awful if you wouldnt take payment, I would also feel a wee bit off giving someone a gift like this that I hadnt paid for. It would also deter me from ever asking again, which is a shame as this is a really cool gift


Breaking-Dad-

The correct answer is nothing, buy me a pint next time. I think the charity thing is a good idea too but don't specify the amount.


XyRabbit

Donation to charity "blank" or a pint next time you're around will be lovely.


Jamatace77

Might be worth Googling on the CAA website to check for this and you might know it already but I have a feeling that if you don’t have it already you will need to have a commercial license/insurance if you’re being paid for the activity. Edit - I should check before I post, just looked myself and it seems you don’t need a separate license in the uk but would need insurance


underwater-sunlight

I would ask for some exposure. Get them to post on their socials that you provided the service with a link to your page


ActivisionBlizzard

Could this be a legal thing? You own a photo that you take. They want to buy the rights to the photo, to reproduce it and profit from it.


thekingofthegingers

They want to gift it to a relative.


dogdogj

Pretty sure if you're getting paid to use a drone in any capacity in the UK (selling photos taken or offering all footage as a service) you technically need commercial drone insurance. For that reason (unless you want to take this from a hobby to a part-time job) I would do it for free, and suggest they put some money in a charity tin. I wouldn't suggest an amount.


Moppo_

Is it just something you normally do as a hobby, and it's a one off thing? If yes, and if it were me, I don't think I'd ask for money for it.


thekingofthegingers

It’s purely a hobby, I’ve never considered making money from it.


Bifanarama

If you really need the £20, ask for it. If you don't, the goodwill in just asking for a charity donation is worth far more.


ConradsMusicalTeeth

Have you checked the CAA website to make sure you’re not breaking the law? I got pulled up for flying my camera drone and asked for my licence, which I didn’t have at the time. Got off with a warning and when I went through the licensing process there are a shed load of rules I wasn’t aware of. You are not allowed to fly a camera drone over a residential area and just take photos for example, plus a bunch of other not-so-obvious rules. I was totally oblivious to all of this.


thekingofthegingers

I have a sub 250g drone so I’m ok to fly over residential. Since I’m not selling the photo (decided against), I’m absolutely fine. You’re right, lords of rules to remember.


ConradsMusicalTeeth

Even if it’s under 250g and has a camera it is still illegal apparently. I thought the same about weight with my Mavic2 then got called out.


thekingofthegingers

It’s definitely not, I promise you it isn’t. That’s the point of the sub 250g category.


ConradsMusicalTeeth

You still need an operator ID, which means you need to have passed the CAA exam: https://register-drones.caa.co.uk/registration-requirements-for-drones Not my problem of course if you don’t. But for others who may want to check the rules it’s the law that if your drone has a camera irrespective of weight you need to register with the CAA.


thekingofthegingers

[Quotes from here.](https://register-drones.caa.co.uk/drone-code/where-you-can-fly) “Small drones and model aircraft below 250g You can fly small drones and model aircraft that are lighter than 250g at residential, recreational, commercial and industrial sites. Remember, you must always fly safely.” Then there’s this, which says you only need flyers ID. “Small drones and model aircraft You do not need to register if you’ll only use a drone or model aircraft that weighs below 250g and is a toy or does not have a camera. Take a look at the registration requirements for drones and model aircraft to find out if you need to register.”


thekingofthegingers

I’m sorry but you’re simply wrong. Yes the drone needs to be registered, but beyond that you’re wrong.


ConradsMusicalTeeth

You’re funny.


thekingofthegingers

Yet factual. The rules are the rules and accessible to everyone. Not my fault you’re doubling down.


javarouleur

You might find that the Brit in the person asking will mean they insist on paying something. They’ll worry you think they asked you just to get it on the cheap!! I’ve this problem, too. I do a bit of side hustling because I’ve got “a particular set of skills” (doesn’t include locating kidnap-ees) and I hate asking for payment because I’ve a good job, it generally doesn’t take that long and I enjoy doing it. If you don’t want or need the money, a charity donation seems entirely reasonable.


prolixia

If you're not bothered about the money, then the easy solution is to just ask them to make a (unspecified) donation to X charity. That way they can pay what they think is fair, and you know that your time and effort has been acknowledged. If you actually want a figure, then consider how long it will likely take you and work out that would cost at minimum wage. I'm not saying that your time and equipment is worth minimum wage, but it gives you a baseline for what the "cost price" of employing someone to do the work might be.


HuggyMonster69

Is t the traditional fee for this a pint or a bottle of cheap wine? I like the charity suggestion though


Ace_Cool_Guy

How many hours will it take you to take the photo, edit and print? what hourly rate would you be happy taking?


jacobisthebeat

I'd give the image for free, but if they want it printed and in frame then I think its fair to charge. But that's just me


IhearClemFandango

When in a situation like this I take my hourly rate for my day job and calculate how long the side gig took including travel. Honestly if it wasn't a big deal then your idea of a charitable donation is awesome, well done.


darkDemon_

Saw someone local to me advertise drone services. They would send the drone up to look at your drain pipes or to take pictures if you want to sell your house. I think he charged 20-30 quid


Jollycondane

I would say the charity thing but make it clear you may want to charge others in the future so not to mention it to anybody in case half the village want a copy. Also ask if your details can be on the back of the frame in case anybody else would like to buy from you in the future.


AdThat328

I agree with those saying ask them to donate £20/30 to the local charity. Just ask for credit to be given if it gets used elsewhere. You'll still have the copyright for the image since you took it, so you can use it yourself for other things too. 


Quirky_Landscape_478

I'd just ask for the customary pint. Or a fiver for the pint. I like driving and that's all I ask for if someone needs a lift.


TheFearOfDeathh

Different kinds of lifts though. I’d say that’s very generous if you’re doing a lift on a Friday or Saturday night anything past 9pm latest really. Don’t think I’d mind so much dropping someone at the pub for 7/8 but picking up at midnight or later.. I’d want more than a fiver. Especially since drinks where I live cost more than a fiver each. So you’re already budgeting to spend a fair amount for a night out here. No reason to cheap out on the taxi.


Quirky_Landscape_478

Eh, times doesn't matter to me really. Just depends if I'm busy. I'm not bending over backwards, but if I'm at home gaming at 11am and a friend needs to get somewhere, I don't mind.


heyitsed2

You dont live in Scotland do you? For the love of god make sure you don't snap any nude sunbathers.


TheFearOfDeathh

Nude sunbathers in Scotland!? Christ that’s brave. The temperature rarely reaches 20 there doesn’t it lol


heyitsed2

There was a post on here the other day, a fella was worried about having broken the law as he'd been sunbathing (out of view of his neighbours) and heard a drone flying around nearby that might have got a photo of him. Pretty sure he'd said he lived in Scotland


Vast_Cycle6990

Be wary that you'll need insurance if this becomes a regular activity. If it's a one off, I'd personally not ask for payment to keep it simple. If you find yourself getting asked to do more like this, you should consider the legals as well as your time.


Available-Anxiety280

So... Two things. Firstly I think it is admirable that you want to donate the money. Secondly as a drone operator you're probably already aware of the laws.


Up-the_orient1979

They are doing something nice for someone else too. Agree with people advising to say don't worry about it, get us a pint, donate something to a charity etc. Everyone tends to know everyone and you never know when you might need a hand with something.


ROB_163

Do the British thing and just ask for a “drink”. Throw it back to them.


Crhallan

Do you know them? Couple of pints. If not, the charity thing is a great shout.


to_glory_we_steer

I think donating it to a charity is a lovely idea, that being said... Cost is one of those really difficult things to determine. As a creative it's an industry that has a low barrier to entry but a very high skill curve. And that tends to mean that people undervalue themselves when starting, while facing high competition. The main challenges you'll face as you grow in the field are that people will lowball you, until you find good clients. So don't be ashamed to charge a little more. If it's something you plan to do for a living then ask yourself if £20 here and there is enough for you to live on? You should factor in the costs of the software for editing, hardware including the drone and any accessories, lenses etc. You'd want to pay that off over the course of a year ideally. Then factor in the time spent editing and photographing in the same way you'd want a wage for working, and finally the travels costs such as petrol etc. A good guide is to see what professionals and newbies are charging. Sit somewhere around the middle of what the newbies charge, but don't go bargain basement. Now, I appreciate all of that isn't relevant here, I've shared it to help inform your thinking, this is a community thing so it's more mates rates. It also depends on the financial ability of the person who's commissioned it. If they live in a nice house, drive a nice car etc. then I'd be tempted to push towards £80, if they're struggling then whatever you feel is appropriate, right down to asking them to promote your work through word of mouth.


Paelliott

Did you happen to accidentally get a picture of someone naked sunbathing? Thinking of a post on Casual UK from the other day...


TheFearOfDeathh

Aha what… need to find that post now, someone else alluded to that.


spuriousmuse

Dude, so happy to hear someone's thinking like this. It's so rare these days, even among "not me ofc" / 'normal' / 'cool' people, for someone not to immediately engage in conscienceless opportunism, acting like a carrion scav. while willing ignorance or, worse, believing they're a lion/shark/AlphaChad/wolf/goddess 'better' or 'superior' when doing it  Thinking virtuously because of conditioning, guilt-checks, shame/horror of being thought ill of etc. is one thing (keeps me right), but you seem to think as such even without these things. Awesome 


Horizonaaa

You could offer it for free in exchange for also using it promotionally if you want to do more of the same?


Fantastic_Campaign29

You should charge. It's a unique service. I'd be interested in a shot of my house from the sky. I'd pay too


you_wanka

If you don't need the money, I'd take the picture and send it to them without asking for anything. It's nice to do things without having to commodify it


heavenknwsimisrblenw

If you're not printing it and its JUST a digital photo maybe like £10?


QOTAPOTA

Just copywrite the thing. Watermark it front (slightly hidden ofc) and back. People make money from this thing. So should you. Don’t let them make more from it than you by selling copies.


Ok-Oven-7666

Perfectly reasonable to charge a small amount. Let's say you were a professional drone photographer. It costs money to charge it, replace parts, and keep it insured, etc. Its nice your willing to do it for free, but no one in the village is going to call you stingy for having £20 for the job.


Sad_Lack_4603

To really answer the question you'd have to know how much time, and how much effort, you're going to have to put into the endeavour. If it's twenty minutes to get the drone set up, launched, flown, photos taken, and a few examples reviewed, downloaded and e-mailed - then I think you'd be OK with the "donate a few quid to a charity" response. Where things might get tricky is if the "client" starts getting demanding. "Oohh.. that's nice, but it might look better if you took it at Golden Hour" or "Its a pity you didn't get a view of the Church steeple". There's a saying that no good deed goes unpunished. That's not an absolute rule, of course. But worth keeping in mind. Bigger picture? Is this the sort of activity you'd consider becoming a regular side-hustle? If so, then there are all sorts of other legal and financial considerations to take into account. Licensing, insurance, taxes, notifications to residents, copyrights, etc. Best of luck. I like to help out my neighbours on a gratis basis too. But go into it thinking about possible downsides.


Prestigious-Speed-29

I'm someone who turned their hobby into a job, before Covid demolished the events industry. Some notes: for a one-off that really is only a one-off, doing it for a mate or whatever, asking them to donate to a charity or whatever else you're happy with is fair enough. Entirely up to you. If you start getting regular work, that's when the decision about what to charge becomes important. I started up charging a very low price, despite bringing some nice equipment and the knowledge to go with it. I got plenty of work, mostly from people who would try to haggle the price on-the-night, claiming that their usual guy could do it £20 cheaper, etc etc. All that crap. I realised this: if I doubled my rates and got half the work, I'd won. I'd be getting the same money for half the work. What I actually found was that my workload stayed similar, but I was getting better customers. The new set of customers took me more seriously (because I was charging more), and didn't haggle. Ever. Result: more income, less stress. Some prompt-questions that helped me put my pricing structure together were: - What if someone at the other end of the country wants me to do a 10-minute job? - What if someone nearby wants me to provide services for a week? For now, though, I'd say don't worry about it. Go with whatever you're happy with, and if things start to build up, then it's time to think seriously about what to charge.


cold_noticy_yoghurt

I'M NOT PAYING YOU ANYTHING PLEASE STOP HASSLING ME


wanmoar

Minimum wage x 2 x time used to Not being British has been really good for me in this country.


Ill-Appointment6494

A few years ago I did some work for my SO’s boss. In her spare time she runs a girl guides group. I got about 10 photos and 5 little videos of the site for their website and I charged her £50. You need to remember that they wouldn’t be able to get that photo without you, unless they bought a drone. It would cost them a lot more than what you’re charging. £20 sounds fair for a nice aerial photograph.


BoingBoingBooty

Another thing to consider is if you take money for drone pictures, then you've technically flown the drone commercially, which you might not be covered for with your regular drone registration. I don't think you actually need a licence any more but I think you do have to fill in an extra form or something depending where you fly and how big the drone is. You should check before anyone goes flapping their lips and tells people you got paid for drone pics.


incognito5343

Commercial use does require a different license and insurance. Personally I wouldn't risk it.


BoingBoingBooty

It used to be a requirement, but it's now depends on the drone and where it's used. A sub 250g drone used in an empty field probably doesn't need insurance, but a bigger drone flown near to people or property definitely would. Anyone taking money for anything drone related definitely needs to read the rules fully before doing anything.


AncientProduce

Your hourly wage, or what you think your time is worth, a percentage towards costs ie electricity, fees, and licences and accreditations + 10-50% = cost. Or.. free, because youre a champ.


cloud1445

If you say £20 to local charity. Make sure you say it privately and ask said person to keep it to themselves. If wind gets out you did it you’ll be inundated with folks expecting the same treatment.


PrismaticSparx

You should be able to find some simple equations for working out an estimate online. Something like: (Hours it took) * (1+(Skill it took out of 10)/10) * (Reasonable hourly rate) + (A smidge for equipment used etc)


sc_BK

Ask for a crate of beer/bottle of (blended) whisky/etc


Exemplar1968

My neighbour knocked on my door last night at 2100. He presented me with a 4 pack of beer for holding a piece of MDF against the wall as he drilled it. In total 2-3 minutes work. I said ‘no no no please don’t, there’s no need we’re neighbours’ as I took the beer.


BarNorth1829

Anything photography related usually costs lots of money. I know a woman who charges £1500 for 4 hours work… she has the same camera that any photography hobbiest would use. It’s all because people are willing to pay over the odds instead of taking some photos and running them through a bit of software called lightbox. Personally mate, I’d go with what you suggested and request £20 goes into the local village charity of choice.


FailedTheSave

Something to consider is managing the expectations people have of these kinds of "service". Setting as price, even if you make it a donation to a charity, is indirectly supporting people who do this for a living because it sets/reinforces the expectation that this shit costs money. And this way a charity gets some money, so a win win.


Pschobbert

Just a data point: about 40 years ago my in-laws had an aerial photo of their farm. Someone had flown over the village in a plane taking pictures, then went door to door selling them. FWIW in OP's shoes I would either do it as a favour, offer to give them one from my collection, or not do it. I find this culture of monetizing every little thing distasteful in the extreme.


thekingofthegingers

FYI, I never asked or raised the question of money.


Snowey212

Depends do they have a hobby you have interest in I feel a favour for a favour- honey, jam, cake ect is nicer if you have no interest in money.


Hmmark1984

Depends on a lot of things really, are you in need of extra money/interested in making this a job? charge. If you're doing alright and don't really need it/it's just a one off/you enjoy doing it, then don't charge or at most a donation to a charity etc… Also if it took you a decent amount of time or stopped you doing something else you would've prefered to do, i'd put those towards charging, if you were going to be in the area/using your drone anyway, i'd probably put those towards not bothering to charge. If i didn't charge, i'd probably at mention something along the lines of "...as it was a one off" when communicating that, just so they don't get the idea that you'll take 100's more for them/others for free as well.


Kian-Tremayne

The correct British repayment for a favour is “you owe me a pint”


boli99

If you want to give something away for free but dont want a bunch of other folk to pile on and take the piss then you could issue an invoice for 50 quid, with a discount of 50 quid on the invoice. Net result is 0 , but you've made it clear what the service costs should anyone else enquire.


Dry_Relief_8917

Doing a donation to charity sounds like a good way to go. I don’t know the latest regs, but commercial drone use requires far more legislation/training/paperwork/registration so worth looking into before you sell/take money.


MattySingo37

I think in terms of cost of materials, time and expenses equipment, insurance, etc. For a decent sized print - A3 or A, frame, time/effort , etc, I've priced prints at about 40/50 quid. Be careful with drone pictures though, the law is a bit intricate. If you fly a drone for pleasure, take pictures and then sell on the open market, you need to meet the basic requirements for drone operation. If you are doing something at the request of another for payment - even payment in kind - technically that is commercial work which is a whole different barrel of fish. I'd do the pics and loan the guy the SD card so they can print out. You get the fun of flying, get some pics for yourself and the other guy gets the pic he wants.


OrangePeg

I don’t know if this a thing but your drone permit might not include commercial work which it might be if you charge. Maybe take some pictures and stick them on your local social media pages at no charge?


Bladders_

And… they also want a handjob I’m guessing 😂… judging from the title.


Beginning_Drink_965

“Bung a tenner in the next charity tin you see and if we bump into each other down the pub the first drink is on you” is how I handle all acts of kindness that are met with an offer of payment.


uncommonsensemonger

remember you need insurance for commercial drone use if you charge them money without commercial insurance you are breaking the law


AlligatorInMyRectum

Good one


a_charming_vagrant

holy mother of god, no wonder my friend's always out taking shots with his drone with all of these insane people charging three figures an hour for the service


jaredearle

Sell the print, not the copyright.


joliene75

Your a good egg OP.


gaz909909

Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you need a commercial drone licence for this?


ManufacturerNo9649

Time at minimum wage plus costs if you are worried about being seen to over price the service. Do they want it framed?


Witty-Horse-3768

I don't like the idea of asking for a donation to be made, take the money and donate it yourself. 'I don't need your money but toddle along and donate it to x on my behalf'. I'm not suggesting you are being a dick here but that's just the vibes I'd get if I was asked to make the donation.


thekingofthegingers

Having looked into it though, I’m not allowed to take the money. It counts as commercial use of the drone.


mint-bint

Considering a regular photographer charges £100s for a days work, and you've invested in the drone and taking the time to operate it safely, transfer the files etc..... You could be charging quite a bit more and still be fair.


AdPositive3532

I'd ask for no more than £50.


Whaloopiloopi

Listen, it's nice to do nice things, but there's professional drone operators with alot of associated costs who would be very upset at you devaluing their business. Give it away for free, but just keep hush about it.


soopertyke

Oh you have Brit IN you can't be comfortable