a publication of professional aerial photographers association international
PAPA views
2nd Quarter, 2015
Editor’s View
by Julie Belanger
Going Drone Takes Prac ce Papa Views is written, produced and printed by PAPA members. If you would like to contribute an article, post a classified ad or advertise a product or service with a business card or display ad, please contact Julie Belanger at Julie@the 111th.com
Editor Julie Belanger, 111th Aerial Photography Squadron, Morgan Hill, CA
Layout & Production Dee Ann Mooney, The Positive Image, Houston, TX
2014 PAPA Officers: President Chuck Boyle, Boyle Consulting Engineers cboyle@boyleconsulting.com
Vice President of Programs Laura Boyko, Sky High Enterprises laura@skyhighenterprises.com
Vice President of Membership Kent Larson, DC Air Photos Kent@DCAirPhotos.com
Secretary / Treasurer John Mooney, The Positive Image jmooney@positiveimage.com
Eastern Regional Director Mark Sanderson, Focal Plane Photography mark@focal-plane.com
Central Regional Director FRANK CARLTON, Top Flight Aerial frankc@topflightphoto.com
Western Regional Director DAVID WYATT, Loftics pilot@loftics.com
International Director Brian Harvey, Vision Communicators visionco@bigpond.net.au
Immediate Past President Pat Belanger, 111th Aerial Photography Squadron Pat@the111th.com
Executive Director Julie Belanger, 111th Aerial Photography Squadron
Julie@the111th.com
Senior Executive Director Ted Campbell,
PAPA members now have a very viable choice of adding UAVs to their business services. In this issue of PAPA Views, you will read how PAPA is helping to make the path to UAVs a li le easier providing training, cer fica on, and offering a sec on 333 waiver template for our licensed pilots. And for our members who are not licensed pilots, we are seeking possible op ons for them as well including asking the FAA to recognize our cer fied aerial photographer tes ng program as a pathway to a UAV waiver. But like everything, it is be er when you have a helping hand. PAPA and some wonderful members who have become our guiding resource for entering the world of UAVs. Brothers and PAPA members, Lane and Ian Swainston have taken the lead (and the heavy li ing) in crea ng our UAV cer fica on course, wri ng the required Sec on 333 waiver template and cra ing the Operator’s Manual for two of the most popular UAVs (also a requirement of the FAA). Whether you think you will be joining the ranks of the UAV flyers sooner rather than later, think about taking advantage of the first ever PAPA Cer fica on course taking place Sept. 10-12 in Las Vegas. You can read all about it in this issue of PAPA Views.
A True Story: A PAPA member, whom we will call Dennis (not his real name), had been prac cing with his UAV for several weeks, sharing videos with friends and family and was feeling very confident in his UAV flight abili es. One Sunday a ernoon, he suddenly got the urge to show off his “Top Gun” UAV skills for his wife. There she was, minding her own business in the yard and Dennis decides to fly over to her side and impress her. Focused on his lovely bride, he not only lost his (SA) situa onal awareness, but also the loca on of that big pine tree. His UAV crashed into the top of the tree and Dennis could only watch as pieces of his drone fell down to earth about 20 feet from his wife. No one got hurt (his pride does not count), his UAV is in the shop and his wife has a great story and laugh at Dennis’ expense. And back to the UAV proficiency and cer fica on course for a minute… Ian Swainston, a long me UAV flyer will be there to teach you how to fly. A UAV can be a toy or it can be a professional tool. By learning from a professional, you will be be er equipped to offer your clients a professional product. All of this is just another example of why many PAPA members say: PAPA Pays!
Addi onally being able to prove proficiency is one of the key requirements set by the FAA for cer fica on and waiver status. We believe that 25 hours of logged me will be a requirement. Sure you can “self cer fy” but un l you know what you are doing, do you seriously want to go out with your expensive new photo pla orm and risk damaging it or someone’s personal property? Prac ce as a hobbyist, logging your hours so you are ready when cer fica on is within your reach. And even when you think you are proficient, prac ce some more.
Campbell’s Creative Photography
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TheBoyle President’s View by Chuck Boyle Consulting Engineers, Charlotte, North Carolina cboyle@boyleconsulting.com
The Way Forward
Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) As most of you know, the FAA published the UAS Notice of Proposed Rule-Making (NPRM) in the Federal Register February 13, 2015; the NPRM applies to “Small” UAS under 55 pounds. I will not bore you with the details, but it is fair to say the proposed rules present a fairly “low bar”. There is no medical certificate requirement, no flight proficiency testing requirement, etc. It seems the FAA has swung the pendulum the other way. The public comment period ended April 24, 2015. Based on our recent conversations with the FAA, there will be thousands of public comments that, by law, have to be addressed with a written response by the FAA to the originator. It is said that this process will take at least until the end of the year, and possibly the end of next year. I can imagine that all the different lobby groups and private citizens will have much to say about the NPRM. Just my opinion for instance, I cannot imagine that anyone would think it is “OK” for a UAS operator to fly a 55-lb UAS through the air at 100 mph without having to demonstrate that he (or she) could do so safely. I feel confident that the rules will look much different than the NPRM. For those of you unable to make the Atlanta Conference, you missed out on hearing directly from the FAA. Mr. Joe Mora, representing Jim Williams of the FAA UAS Integration Office, was able to fly to Atlanta and present information to PAPA about the Section 333 Exemption process. You might ask, what is that? Under current law, any aircraft operation in the National Airspace requires a certificated and registered aircraft, a licensed pilot, and operational approval by the FAA. Section 333 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 grants approval to the Secretary of Transportation the authority to determine if an airworthy certificate is required. As most of you know already, this authority is being used by the FAA to grant case-by-case authorizations (“Exemption Grants”) for certain unmanned aircraft to perform commercial operations until the final Small UAS Rule is complete. PAPA finds itself in a very unique position on this since we are the only US trade association whose members are currently providing legal commercial aerial photography in the NAS. I believe the FAA UAS Integration Office was impressed with our membership experience and our professionalism; it was good for both parties to get acquainted with each other. Based on what we heard from the FAA, PAPA members have been encouraged to apply for Section 333 Exemption Grants. The first PAPA applicant will be Brian Macbean, and he has begun the process of attaining the requisite UAS experience to round out his application. Also, I have begun to assemble a list of other interested members who would want to take advantage of the PAPA “template” that will be created on behalf of the membership. If you are interested in seeking the Exemption Grant through PAPA, please let me know. Also, PAPA is planning two Fall conferences: the Eastern Regional and the first ever UAS Section 333 Conference in the Fall in Las Vegas, NV. We will be hosted by the very able Lane Swainston and his brother Ian to conduct a conference fully devoted to providing hands-on UAS experience to those who have none! The goal will be to provide a PAPA certification to meet the UAS experience criteria established by the FAA should you decide to seek the Exemption Grant. For now, this is the way forward! Chuck Boyle; cboyle@boyleconsul ng.com; PAPA President
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Hello to PAPA’s Non-Pilots We have not forgotten you! PAPA is working with the FAA to create a gateway to UAS Certification and Waiver specific for Non-Pilots Ever since we got the news that PAPA could have a Section 333 waiver / template that could be used by our members who are licensed pilots, we have been working behind the scenes to create a UAS waiver opportunity for our non-pilot members.
Below is the letter submitted to our FAA contact:
My name is Julie Belanger and I am executive director of PAPA. Many of our members who are licensed pilots are planning to apply for their Section 333 waiver through PAPA. It is a very exciting time for them, but I have another idea aimed at achieving a pathway for our non-pilot members to receive a “waiver.” Back in February there was an FAA proposal for a “Knowledge Test” for operator’s to earn a “license” for small drones. That test, as I understood it, would test the operator’s knowledge of the rules pertaining to operating a small UAS, ability to identify classes of airspace, understanding the concept of temporary flight restrictions, collision avoidance, weather and obtaining weather information, fundamental aircraft performance issues, emergency procedures, aeronautical decision making, aeronautical communication skills perhaps on a radio, few operational issues, and the physiological effects of various drugs on a small UAS operator or observer. For the last four years, PAPA has offered training and testing for our members to become Certified Aerial Photographers which follows much of what you are proposing. Many of our members including non-pilots have achieved their Certified Aerial Photographer rating by passing a Knowledge Test covering the FAA rules and regulations and aviation safety as it pertains to aerial photography. This has proven especially important for our members who are not pilots, but need to know the rules of the air so they know what their pilot can and cannot do. We have our training available to all members through on-line videos. As well as accompanying slides and Power Points for members to review with the videos. All actual testing, with 60 specially developed multiple choice questions, must be done in person in a proctored setting at one of our PAPA meetings. I would be very pleased to talk with you about integrating the FAA’s needs into what we already have in place in PAPA and see if there is an opportunity for expanding our certified aerial photographers course to include UAS safety for the non-pilot. This would be done as a means for our non-pilot members to achieve a license to fly UAS safely and legally in the eyes of the FAA. I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Julie Belanger PAPA Executive Director As of this printing we have received no word back as of yet, but stay tuned. I am hopeful that the FAA will see using our successful existing testing program as a viable opportunity for our non-pilots. All members of PAPA, pilots and non-pilots, are encouraged to become a Certified Aerial Photographer. Training is on-line through the PAPA website. Proctored testing is available at all official PAPA meetings. To read more about it log in to www.PAPAinternational.org look under “Resources” PAPA Views
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ProAerialVideo Inks Deal with the Shanghai Media Group 111th Stock Footage Site Gains Big Presence in the Chinese Marketplace For the last 10 years, Julie & Pat Belanger, owners of the 111th Aerials, have amassed the world’s largest collection of stock aerial footage on their site, ProAerialVideo.com (PAV). Representing aerial videographers and their footage from around the world, the site offers licensing of stock footage to the film and television industry. On June 4, the Belangers signed a contract with the Shanghai Media Group (SMG) of China, which will now represent and license the PAV aerial footage with exposure on nearly 30 stock footage sites in China and around the world. SMG is a multimedia television and radio broadcasting, news and Internet company. In addition to the stock footage trade, SMG’s core business is television broadcasting and related media entertainment services including sports, showbiz, performance arts, science and technology, and finance. The company employs around 5,200 people, with capital assets totaling nearly 2 billion dollars. “SMG loves the beautiful aerial footage,” said Julie. “They see our large and unique collection as a way of enhancing their own libraries.” According to industry insiders, while the stock footage market in the United States has seen a dramatic decline in the last 12 months, China is the emerging market within the industry with a growing appetite for stock HD footage. Current PAV footage providers will have a choice as to whether they want their footage available to the Chinese market through SMG. And PAV is always looking for new aerial footage to add to the collection. “This is a wonderful opportunity for our videographer footage providers and us,” said Julie. “We see it as only positive.” --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Got Aerial Footage? New, good quality aerial footage is always being sought and can be from any aerial platform, airplane, helicopter and UAV. Aerial videographers interested in this expanding, potential market can contact Julie Belanger. Julie@the111th.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Member News . . . PAPA Member Inducted Into El Paso Athletic Hall of Fame I am a career photojournalist but my mentor gave me valuable advice that has not only sustained me over the last 50 years behind a camera, but enabled me to raise a family and do for a living what others do for a hobby. “When the phone rings, the answer is always YES. The camera does not know the difference. Only you know. You will have mouths to feed and bills to pay. Take the damn picture.” I have only one real regret in my professional life. The Smithsonian offered me a job in 1974. I said no. I was getting out of the Army and did not care to continue working for the US Government. I wonder if I could go back to DC and tell them that I have reconsidered. My first aerial job came in 1978 from a regular commercial client in Mexico. I shot all of my aerial assignments with a Hasselblad, Tri-X and a UV filter. I went digital around 2001. I miss the square format, contact sheets and grease pencil crop marks. I’m old. Aerial photography is perfect for a guy like me. Everything is at infinity. Brian Kanoff, Brian Kanoff Photography, El Paso, Texas briankanofphoto@msn.com
Andrew Holt Finalist with River Thames Flood in Early Morning Mist Aerial In the United Kingdom, PAPA member Andrew Holt was a finalist in the Association of Photographers Annual Awards with an aerial picture of floods and mist on the River Thames. The Association of Photographers is the main professional photographers’ organization and the picture was on display among the finalists in a gallery in London.
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“Get ‘er Done!” We have had abnormally cloudy skies throughout the central coast area for a couple of weeks now. Mostly just high enough to get the progress work done but I have a bi monthly every other Wednesday and have to shoot from at least 4500’. I have wiggle room of one day before and one day after and I have been fortunate enough to have gotten every flight in since I started it last June. Nothing but clouds were forecast all week and I gave thought to setting up for vertical and flying some flight lines. Wednesday called for broken clouds and I have done this site several times above the layer shooting through a hole so thought maybe I would get lucky. Besides I had three other oblique sites to fly and my solo vertical setup requires landing to make the switch (I know-I’m working on a new setup). Did my obliques and was within eight miles of my vertical and could tell there were no breaks in the 22002500’ overcast. Went over there anyway, stuck on my widest lens and gave it a shot but there was no way I would get it in less than four images with tip overs and stitching that together seemed problematic at best. Against all odds I threw on my prime 50mm and flew six flight lines of consecutive tip overs and finished feeling less than successful as well as a good dose of motion sickness. I figured I would come back the next day with the vertical port installed.
I had an early morning email from a client to fly Thursday so thought I would get another chance at this. The ceiling was no better so bagged the idea and returned home with only the day’s flight order completed. I wasn’t going to spend any more flight hours on this and would declare defeat if I couldn’t stitch the images together. Friday morning I put my head down and took all 30 files and tweaked and prodded them into their prospective flight line. Then one by one I tweaked and prodded 1 flight line into the next. I had to go back several times and start over as they just would not line up. At one point I had two sets of three lines assembled looking pretty good so thought maybe I had this thing licked and put it through Photoshop. The resulting image was totally unexpected as it looked nearly three dimensional! I walked away from the computer, had lunch and contemplated defeat. Always a sucker for punishment I decided for one last attempt which turned into another hour of disappointment. I was so close but these two pieces would not stitch! My only thought was to try to manually assemble them-just like the old days before the stitching software was available. 15 minutes later I had an acceptable image and sent it off to the client with an explanation of its origins. Response was favorable and appreciated. Job completed but hope I never have to do go through that process again! David Siever, Air Photo Designs, Santa Cruz, California david@airphotodesigns.com
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The WyaƩs Go to Kona Catching Up with the 2015 PAPA Aerial Photographer of the Year – Brian Powers As m my family and I stepped off our flight at Kona International Airport, I told them how, many years ago, guests arriving at Hawaii were welcomed by Hu girls with flower leis. Much to our surprise, Brian Powers met us Hula ou outside the security doors adorning each one of us with a fresh orchid lei. Mu Much to our dismay, he was not wearing a hula. W We enjoyed a seafood lunch at the marina and learned much about Kona fr from Brian’s local perspective. Later, as we checked out our hotel, I was iimpressed to spot some of Brian’s aerials of the complex hanging on the walls. I met up with Brian again later in the week for a flight. You can imagine my excitement when he o offered me the left seat with photo window. Brian Powers – the 2015 Aerial Photographer of the P Year – is giving up his photo seat for me?! I must be Y in Heaven! The 1979 Piper PA-28 is just as he describes in his Th blog, http://brianepowers.blogspot.com/ Though the blo forward photo visibility is excellent, sometimes the subject gets under fo the wing. Brian demonstrated the unique maneuvers he uses to drop th the wing further. My stomach followed the right bank, leading into left th bank. Easy…no. Quesy…yes. b We toured the Kona Coast south to the Captain James Cook monumentt Napoopoo Park (fun to say and one of the and Napoop Bay. To the north we ffew I could ld pronounce!) !) on Kealakekua K flew past homes of the rich and famous, ancient lava flows, and our Hilton Waikoloa Resort where I spotted my family playing in the lagoon. The bucket-list shots came over Kawaihae Bay where we spotted otted humpback whales, in cow-calf pairs. One humpback calf put on a show for us, breaching several times as we circled high above. Later that evening the e same young calf breached again behind the stage of our Luau. Brian hosted us for a seafood schmorgasbord on our last evening B on the Big Island. At sunset Brian brought out his camera out and o provided an impromptu family photo session. p IIf you haven’t already, you MUST subscribe to ““Aloha Monday” – a weekly e-mail featuring aerials of Hawaii. Send Brian a note to get on a his list: hawaiianimages@me.com If you’re planning to visit Kona, you should give e Brian a call. He’s just completing the remodel of a vacation rental. co Kona 2015 was a trip of a lifetime, with a heap of Hawaiian hospitality from PAPA’s Brian Powers. Mahalo Brian! David Wyatt is the owner of Loftics, an aerial photography company based in Washington State. He was elected PAPA Western Regional Director at the annual conference in Atlanta. This was Wyatt’s first trip to Hawaii, but it won’t be his last. pilot@loftics.com
Member Thoughts . . . With the thousands of UAV pilots entering the aerial photography business, it strikes me that PAPA members who do this have a big advantage over the newcomers because we can offer a much fuller service. As an example, last week I was asked to quote on UAV photography of four sites. Why they specifically asked for UAV photography is another story that I’m trying to figure out. But looking at the locations, I saw that two of them were in Class C (Canada) airspace controlled from the ground up and wouldn’t be easy to get permission to do. One was so close to a runway that it would be impossible to do with a drone under present regulations. So I quoted for the two UAV sites and explained to the client the problems with the airspace and then gave her an even better price to do all four from an airplane. I can see this situation happening a lot. I think being an aerial “specialist”, someone who can advise a client on the best ways to do aerial work and also have the capabilities and equipment to follow through might be a good way to go. I am wondering if there might be a way to have something like this as an official platform from PAPA. I don’t have much in the way of ideas but I remember talk earlier about allowing UAV users to join, and perhaps mandatory “standard” aerial photography experience and capabilities could be a requirement. PAPA could promote itself as an organization with members capable of photography from the ground to 10,000’ Just thinking out loud. Any thoughts? Rick Boden rickboden@gmail.com Work Above Aerial Photography Alberta, Canada
Since a DRONE operator cannot be technically called an Aerial Photographer, I have coined a new phrase: DRONER PHOTOGRAPHER It should differentiate them well. PJH Highcamera.com is an Aerial Photography company located in Chincoteague Island Virginia Patrick J. Hendrickson info@highcamera.com
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Things I learned from Jim Wark
by Julie Belanger
J Wark has been a part of my PAPA experience since we first joined the organization in Jim 1997. He became my aerial photographer mentor whether he knew it or not. 1 J and I were discussing how to price a job. My approach was to simply tell the client what Jim m my price was. Jim’s approach at first shocked me, but has proven to be nearly fool proof. H He told me that you need to determine what the client is willing to pay. He would tell the p potential client, “My usual fee for that is $ (insert high price here).” And then add, “Does that fit yyour budget?” More often than not, the client would say yes or they would volunteer what their b budget was. It also brought truths out if the client’s budget was unreasonably low. Jim has an awesome archive on-line and he was always getting requests to use his photos for free. And one day I mistakenly took his reporting of another unreasonable request as a lesson in getting what your photos are worth. My mistake. But that afternoon fresh from Jim’s lesson, I argued with a magazine photo editor about the price they wanted to pay for one of my photos. I wanted $500, they wanted to pay $400. I wouldn’t budge and in the end I didn’t make the sale. But I had my pride. I called Jim to let him know of my great and glorious non-sale. Jim was uncharacteristically quiet, then he got angry. “It was like you saw $400 on the ground and you stepped over it hoping there was more money further down the road.” For many years, Jim would recount that story to me. “It still bothers me,” he would say. “Why didn’t you take the money?!” One day we got a request to do a shopping center shoot near Pueblo, CO. Jim’s hometown. I called a few PAPA members looking for someone to do a PAPA Shoot for me, but no one was available. Of course, I couldn’t possibly call Jim. He does gorgeous fantastic work, he would be insulted to get a request for a shopping center shoot. But I finally called him and he was happy to do the shoot for me. And the photos were spectacular! How did he make that shopping center look like that…on film! Jim was the recipient of the first ever PAPA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005. It was intended to be a surprise, but when I called to ask Jim about coming to the conference, he said he probably wasn’t going to make it. But you have to come. You just HAVE to! I finally told him why I was so insistent. He was touched and modest and humbled and then sent me more than two dozen of his favorite photos to include in the presentation. The video came out great thanks to his photos. You can view that video at: http://bit.ly/JimWarkRemembered My husband Pat summed it up so well, Jim was a wonderful man who served us all with wisdom, raw talent, and humility so that we could become better people. His examples of great photography for us to emulate, his great advice about marketing, and above all his generosity of time and talent to mentor all of us in PAPA who dared to ask. When I see his beautiful books on our shelf I will always picture and remember a man of superior character and talent. I’m really going to miss him. Jim photographed and authored many beautiful books about this great country.
James G. Wark 2/1/1931 - 6/16/2015
Lunch at the office office
At one time time, Jim was an air show pilot His wife, Judy did some wing walking
Some of Jim’s photos were used by the USPS in a stamp series. Jim and Judy Wark in 2005 when Jim won the Lifetime Achievement Award
Noreen Carey Macbean Noreen Carey was born December 21, 1977, in Omaha Nebraska, to her parents, Ernest and Lynn. Her family moved to Laie, Hawaii in 1978 and lived there until Noreen was 14, at which time, they moved to Utah. Noreen graduated from Orem High school in 1995. In 1997, Noreen met her best friend and the love of her life, Allen Macbean. They were married in 1998. Noreen and Allen seemed to have been made for each other. They both loved adventure - back country flying, camping, visiting with old friends and making new ones. Noreen, Allen and their little dog, Chuck became quite popular from their YouTube and TV program - Adventures on the Fly. It was a crazy, fun, exciting show. They went to so many places and did more exciting things together than I could ever imagine. At first glance, Noreen seemed kind of shy. I would never have imagined that she would kiss an alligator or rapel down a cliff, or swim with the sharks, but she did all that and more I met Noreen when PAPA’s convention was in Baton Rouge. I’m sure that she had been at other conferences, but we’d never gotten to know each other, a fact for which I’m very sorry. That year, for our first outing, we ladies decided to drive to St. Francisville to tour a haunted house. The town was having their Audubon Pilgramage that weekend, so we were able to tour a couple of churches and a cemetary. I loved watching Noreen turn herself into a pretzel so she could get the perfect picture. I told her that she was going to be the official ladies’ photographer. Our trip the next day was to New Orleans. We had so much fun that we barely made it back in time for Noreen to help Allen hand out awards. This year, Allen called me ahead of time and told me that Noreen wanted to go with us wherever we went, but she also wanted to swim with the sharks at the Georgia Aquarium. Our first outing was just Noreen, Sherry Campbell and me. We took the train downtown so she could check out the Aquarium and she signed up for the swim the next day. We took an electric car tour and walked around a lot. Noreen and Sherry had to stop a lot so I could catch up with them. At one point I told Noreen she’d probably rather be with some younger people. She said she’d rather be with us, because we were her friends. The next day, Noreen, Sherry, Suzanne Boyle and I went quilt shop hopping in my car. (Sherry and I always go to some quilt shops when we get together.) Noreen and Suzanne very kindly put up with our compulsion and even seemed to enjoy the shops. Noreen even bought some fabric that had maps. She planned to cover a board with it and put a pin in all the places that she and Allen had been to, and places they would go to in the future. She told us that they were trying to get on the Amazing Race. I’m sure they would’ve done very well. We lost track of time and ended up racing downtown so she could be on time for her swim. Traffic was so bad that she jumped out of the car and ran the last block. She made it. We parked the car, then Suzanne, Sherry and I were assigned a guide who made sure we knew where the swimmers would come across and then we got to tour some of the inner workings of the Aquarium and watch the movie that was made of them swimming. It was an awesome and exciting day! We arrived just a little late for the PAPA dinner at Mary Mac’s. The next day, Noreen and Suzanne decided they’d had enough of the quilt shop mania, so they went on their own to do some fun things. Noreen bought that beautiful dress in an antique store. I wish I’d been there! She was always beautiful, but that night, she was more gorgeous than ever. Two weeks later, this beautiful child, my friend, Noreen Macbean, died in a tragic bike accident. I am so sad that I can’t have adventures with her any more in this life. Perhaps in the next. Aloha, my friend. A hui kaua. -Dee Ann Mooney
Stay Focused and on Target By John Condreay No matter what you call yourself: entrepreneur, photographer, artist, pilot, or CEO, we all wear several hats on a daily basis. So it’s understandable that some days we feel like an adrenalin pumped ADHD teenager on Redbull. Our lively hood depends on us focusing on producing high quality images, providing excellent customer service, and being the best we can be, and improving our market position. I recently met with a client that I’ve worked with for several years. Together we’ve created three award winning aerial wall calendars in the last ten years. This idea was going to redefine the printing industry in our market and create a calendar that would be gorgeous and separate this printer from everyone else. The company’s owner and CEO adored the idea and was excited about the possibilities. Like most executives, he wanted to present the concept to his marketing department and get their take on the project. A week later, I met with the entire marketing department, sales staff, and the CEO. Thirty minutes later, I left the meeting stunned that the project was dead. As I stood before four recent college graduates, that comprise the marketing department, I was amazed to hear them say that the 5x7 card calendar they’ve created these past three years provided “more bang for the buck than any wall calendar”. I calmly looked at the room full of people and asked, “you’re still focused on providing the best quality and printing in the Midwest right?” Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. I picked up one of the calendar cards they sent out last year and asked, “do you feel this represents your company
accurately?” Again, the heads nodded in agreement. As I began the next segment, you could see every member of the marketing team slowly slump down in their seats. “Anyone can create a small piece that looks good. It takes craftsmen and the best printer to create an 11x18 calendar that looks like the cover of National Geographic. Don’t settle for good enough. Show everyone your still the best. The head of the marketing group spoke up that he felt wall calendars were outdated and he could see them producing any wall calendar for five years, because “by then everyone will be using electronic calendars and a wall calendar would be a good novelty piece. The CEO excused everyone and told me he had to respect the marketing director’s opinion. We sat and chatted
for several minutes, during which I challenged him to evaluate the company’s actions and decide if they had lost their focus and strayed from his mission statement. Later that day I received a text messaging from him saying, “Thank you for educating an old fool. I didn’t realize we had strayed”. So, set aside a small portion of your week and look at your work. Are you on target? Have you strayed from your mission statement? By the way, this CEO is younger than I am, he proves it every time we play golf. John owns Condreay Photography in Lafayette, Indiana He can be reached at condreayphoto@ comcast.net
New “Master of Aerial Photography” Procedure The designa on of “Master of Aerial Photography” is an important achievement in the life of PAPA members. The recordkeeping, however, is an enormous burden for our officers and volunteers. So now the ball has been lobbed into you, the member’s court. Star ng June 1st a new procedure will be implemented to make the tracking of your points your responsibility. Here’s how it works: Sign into the member’s area of the new PAPA Website and open the “Resources” tab. Select the “Documents” in that dropdown menu. From there open the “Master Points” folder. Download both the tutorial and “Master Points Record Keeping Spreadsheet” on to your computer. Open the spreadsheet and get familiar with the three pages. Take the tutorial and then start your personal records of points earned. Please contact me if you have ques ons. Mark Sanderson mark@focal-plane.com Member of PAPA Technology Commi ee
The Theme for the next PAPA Views Cover Contest will be:
Inspirational Photography We’ve all seen the inspirational posters with beautiful photographs and a motivational quote from someone famous at the bottom. Let’s throw our collective Aerial Photographers hats in the ring and see what we can come up with. For me, the photograph in those posters is always more moving than the quote. The image can be of anything: misty mountain tops, sunsets or sunrises, God’s light filtering through the clouds, or even long morning shadows across a field of wheat. Anyone can pull out their camera phone and snap a quick shot of the setting sun or mist above a curvy river. However, creating an image that conveys a powerful message to those who see it requires a little more skill, and that’s the kind of image we’re looking for. Don’t forget to send in a quick paragraph about the image that fills in the back story for us, as well as any unique challenges or techniques used to create it. Here are a few guidelines to follow for submitting images to the contest:
The photograph does not have to be in your area.
Each photographer may send in two (2) image entries for this contest.
Do not put any text or logos on the image that would identify you as the photographer.
Do not worry about the PAPA Views logo placement, just compose your image and send it in. We’ll take care of the masthead, orientation, and tag line positions.
Please submit a TITLE for each image. The title is a very important part of the image judging process, and I cannot stress that enough. Also, please use that title as the file name. For example, if the image I submitted was titled “Serene Sunset”, I would submit the file with the following file name: “Serene Sunset.jpg”. Yes, it really is that simple. Should you include dates, f-stops, or unique numbers in the file name that aren’t part of the title? Only if you want me to mock your lack of reading comprehension, wonder aloud how you run a business and fulfill client requests, silently curse your name, and then disqualify your image. Seriously. :)
Please include a brief description of each image, including camera settings, platform, location, and any short, interesting stories that bring meaning to the image.
All images must be submitted in .jpg format, and should be no smaller than 2000px on the shortest side. This is a change from the past. As long as the images are at least this size, all will be right in the world.
Send the images to: allen@utahbyair.com
If one of your images is selected for the cover, I will contact you.
Deadline is August 20, 2015
Allen Macbean Photographic Solutions, Inc 801-224-6446 www.utahprophoto.com www.utahbyair.com
PAPA’s 2015 Image Competition Winners
Judges’ Choice - Best of Show “Saturday Night High Roller” by Lane Swainston
Judges’ Choice - Construction Progress “Bridging the Gap” by Tayler Schmitt
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Judges’ Choice - Vertical “Deep Space Promenade” by Tayler Schmitt Judge David Wyatt’s Personal Choice
Judges’ Choice - Air-to-Air “Tecnam P2006T” by Mitch Bowers
PAPA’s 2015 Image Competition Winners
Judges’ Choice - Artistic/Scenic “Feathered Reaches” by Jon Engle
Masters Category 1st Place “Wind River” by David Sievert
Masters Category 2nd Place “Backlit Buttes” by Allen Macbean Judges’ Choice - Commercial “Emergence ” by Andrew Griffiths Judge Mark Seeman’s & Pat Belanger’s Personal Choice
Masters Category 3rd Place “Plenty of Pollen” by Hunter Harrison
Judge Susan Hedenberg’s Personal Choice “Curves” by Jesper Larsen
. . . PAPA’s 2015 Conference Our 2015 Conference was held at the Atlanta Airport/Millennium Center. Several people arrived on Wednesday. It is always a great thing to arrive and find plenty of volunteers to help with set up. This year, we had books to assemble and picture walls to put up and plenty of camaraderie in the process. In addition to working hard with set up, early arrivers took the opportunity to have a meal together or just sit around and talk.
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. . . PAPA’s 2015 Conference Thursday
activities included Registration, Print Judging, Photoshop and Premiere Pro Classes, camaradarie and . . .
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. . . PAPA’s 2015 Conference Our Thursday Evening Reception
included snacks, drinks, camaradarie
and a drone!
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. . . PAPA’s 2015 Conference Friday - another day of great classes, great food, and great camaradarie!
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. . . PAPA’s 2015 Conference Friday -
. . . PAPA’s 2015 Conference Saturday -
even more great classes, great food, and great camaradarie!
. . . PAPA’s 2015 Conference Saturday Night Awards Banquet -
. . . PAPA’s 2015 Conference Saturday Night Awards Banquet -
IT’S DRONE TIME! You know you want it! You know you have to do it! NOW YOU CAN-THROUGH PAPA PAPA is your gateway to UAS Certification and your Section 333 Waiver For more than a year, PAPA has been working with the FAA to establish itself as a designated certification and testing entity. Additionally, PAPA has copyrighted a Section 333 waiver template specific for our PAPA members. The PAPA Section 333 template is being crafted and we have assurances that the PAPA waivers will be granted expediently by the FAA. This gives PAPA members a step up in the process because the FAA, in an attempt to streamline their waiver process, accepts and grants identical waivers to those already accepted and granted. Plan now to be among the first to attend PAPA’s UAS Certification Course and apply for your 333 waiver with the PAPA Section 333 Waiver Template! PAPA members Lane and Ian Swainston have created a course especially geared for PAPA member. The two or three day course will take you through the FAA certification & safety requirements needed for your application.
This course is open to current PAPA members ONLY You must be a licensed pilot to apply for the waiver.
If you are not a licensed pilot you can still attend the course, but you will not be able to apply for the 333 waiver under current FAA guidelines. Where: Training will take place at a certified training location near Nellis AFB, in Las Vegas, NV. Dates & Costs:
Sept 11 & 12- PAPA UAS Certification Course-$499 This two-day instructional course is for those already experienced in UAS operation. Instruction will include safety, FAA rules and regulations as they apply to commercial UAS flight and best practices. After the classroom instruction, the entire class will participate in advanced offsite flight instruction. Proof of UAS proficiency required - Being able to demonstrate UAS proficiency is a requirement of the Section 333 waiver application. Sign up for the optional one day UAS Flight School
Sept 10 - UAS Flight School - $199 additional Designed for novices, this optional one day course will have you up and flying with confidence. And you’ll be learning from one of the best in UAS photography and video. To take this one day course, you must be attending the certification course on Sept 11 & 12. And while you are in Las Vegas... Plan to a end the Interdrone Exposi on and Conference September 9-11. Details available at: www.interdrone.com Bring your own UAS or you will have an opportunity to purchase a UAS in advance and have it waiting for you at the course.
. . . IT’S DRONE TIME! (cont.) Section 333 waiver template-$149 Once you satisfactorily complete the drone certification course and demonstrate proficiency in drone operation you may purchase the PAPA 333 waiver template. This copyrighted template is for the successful attendee only and is non-transferable. Costs cover the course only Hotel accommodations, transportation and food will be the responsibility of the attendees. To register for the UAS Certification Course contact Lane Swainston at lane@swainston.com Space is limited!
FOR THOSE PAPA MEMBERS WITH UAS EXPERIENCE YOU MAY QUALIFY TO SELF-CERTIFY USING THE PAPA SECTION 333 WAIVER PAPA Waiver Template alone may be purchased for $299: Only PAPA members may purchase the PAPA Section 333 Waiver Template It applies only to licensed pilots Each applicant must purchase their own PAPA 333 Waiver Template Template is non transferable and may not be duplicated, resold or used by other than the purchasing PAPA member To see if you qualify for self-certification and to purchase the PAPA Section 333 Waiver template, contact Chuck Boyle at cboyle@boyleconsulting.com
PAPA MEMBERS! Where can you take your family and give them a chance to see astronauts, cowboys, clowns, butterflies or dinosaurs? How long has it been since your family has watched an outdoor movie in the park? How often does your family get to walk across the street to eat out, shop, or watch a band play? Come to Texas March 10-13 for the 2016 International Conference!!
Get Ready for our 2015 Regional Conference!
Eastern & Central Regional...October 10-11, 2015 Marriott Courtyard Hotel 2021 Cornell Road; Cleveland, OH 44106
Eastern & Central Regional Directors Invite Members to Joint PAPA Event Save the date! October 10th and 11th will be the combined Central and Regional Conferences being held in Cleveland, Ohio. Based on last year’s success we are holding the gathering over the Columbus Day weekend. The inten on, again, is to make it a family friendly and relaxed event. It is being planned to take place at the same venue as last year where members enjoyed the newly built Marrio Courtyard Hotel. Breakfast and morning mee ngs will be held both days in the beau ful mee ng room which is open and airy with two walls of windows. Plenty of “free” me to do whatever you please in and around the Case Western Reserve University campus. Museums, shopping and great walks. Central Regional Director, Frank Carleton encourages all Central Region members to join in on this joint event. Frank and I look forward to welcoming you to Cleveland. Mark Sanderson Eastern Regional Director mark@focal-plane.com Frank Carleton Central Regional Director frankc@topflightphoto.com
PAPA Announces Plans for 2016 Annual Conference Planning for the 2016 PAPA Annual Conference is well underway by the PAPA Conference Committee. The 2016 annual conference is scheduled to be held on March 10th thru the 13th, 2016 in Sugar Land Texas. We will be returning to The Sugar Land Marriott Hotel located in Sugar Land Towne Square. This is the same hotel that hosted our 2010 annual conference. MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW, so that you do not miss this exciting and important conference. PAPA is also planning for extended educational experiences in the days just prior to the conference. As those plans take shape, we will announce the specifics in upcoming newsletters, thru the PAPA Website, and PAPAChat. Every once in a while, something so dramatic happens in our industry that it commands our attention and calls for us to act. Past PAPA Conferences have reflected those changing events and have served to help us understand and adapt to industry changes. The conferences that were held in 2000, and 2001 were such conferences. With the introduction of high quality, affordable digital cameras and printers, our entire universe changed. The way we marketed our services, the way we took pictures, the way we prepared and delivered our products and indeed even the products themselves changed. PAPA stood at the forefront, and helped to educate our members to the changing technologies and equipment and provided guideposts to help navigate those turbulent times. Many of our members credit PAPA with providing the educational support necessary for them to survive in business and stay competitive. PAPA stands ready again in 2016 to help members understand the next huge industry wide changes that are going to effect our livelihoods. With the imminent approval of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in the United States by the FAA, it is time to seriously address what effects UAS will have on our businesses. Traditional aerial photographers are in a unique position to capitalize of this new technology, but doing so can be costly, time consuming, and with the potential pitfalls, dangerous. The 2016 conference is going to address the UAS phenomena from top to bottom. PAPA, through this conference, will provide guidance on all aspects of UAS operations from complying with regulations to flying a UAS and how it can effect our bottom line, and hopefully make the transition to UAS a little easier. This conference is a MUST ATTEND for anyone that is contemplating entering into the UAS market. We will examine how to integrate UAS services into our existing markets and how to establish new markets. Wether you are “All in” for UAS or just want to add it as an additional service, it is important that there is a complete understanding of the technology and what it can (and can not) offer to your business plan. The 2016 PAPA Annual conference is going to be the place to find those answers. PAPA, thru its certification programs can help US members to become “LEGAL”. We have been working very hard to make sure that PAPA members can become certified to operate UAS in a safe and legal manner. At the 2016 conference, we will address the safety issues surrounding UAS as well as the legal steps necessary to “do it right” PAPA can even help by providing the required paperwork to apply for a UAS certification with the FAA. But that is only the beginning, while we will be bringing our USA members up to speed on UAS - PAPA will also provide classes on how to fly the UAS for fun and profit that can benefit our members worldwide. Whether you just want to sell some additional still imagery, or want to produce a high definition video blockbuster, we will offer classes in the best way to produce a quality product. You will discover the techniques used by others to dazzle clients, from pre-production planning to post production finishing. We will also examine integrating UAS imagery into the needs of your current clients and examine some potential new emerging markets for that imagery. Even if you say “UAS is not for me” this conference is important. It will help you to understand what your competition is doing and how they plan to compete for your customers. Many of the techniques and marketing ideas that will be shared can also be leveraged into existing non UAS markets. I can remember conversations with some of the “old timers” in the early 2000’s where it was thought that digital was just a passing fad and no serious photographer would ever give up film. Today those photographers that are still in business are at the forefront of current photography trends. They came to realize that changing markets will not wait for anyone and understanding current trends is essential to continued survival. Mark your calendars TODAY!! March 10th thru 13th, 2016. PAPA Annual Conference, Sugar Land, Texas.
Mark Your Calendars! PAPA’s Annual Conference March 10-13, 2016 to be held at the
16090 City Walk Sugar Land, Texas (it’s the same great facility we were at in 2010...only BETTER!)
Details coming soon! The hotel was recently upgraded, giving it’s guests an even better facility than ever
For those who want to fly their own plane in, the hotel offers free pickup from Sugar Land Regional Airport (SGR) which is less than 3 miles away
There are so many great places to sit and visit with your PAPA friends! Sugar Land Town Square offers an abundance of great shopping, wonderful restaurants and free entertainment. The spouses who came last time loved this place!
If you only do one thing during the year to help promote your business and personal skills, this should be it!