There are some perspectives you’re free to only get from the air.
Being able to combine his passions for flight and photography has givenMark Holtzmana unique career as an aerial photographer.
Many years later I decided to put my two passions together and become an aerial photographer.
I didnt know anything about aerial photography, but started marketing myself and taught myself as I went along.
What drove you to choose your career path?
My journey began as a musician for many years, a beach lifeguard, and a paramedic.
What do you actually spend the majority of your time doing?
I imagine you probably have to plan your routes carefully, do maintenance, that sort of thing.
For every hour in the air, I spend at least a couple of hours on the ground.
After the flight I have to process all the photos and get them to the client.
What misconceptions do people often have about your job?
Its a unique job and people are always anxious to hear about it.
What are your average work hours?
Because of the weather issues, I can be working everyday, including the weekends.
I start about 8AM and am often working well into the evening.
Days vary: marketing, pre-flighting, flying, processing, and billing.
Above: Mark discussing his work at the Annenberg Space for Photography.
What personal tips and shortcuts have made your job easier?
What do you do differently from your co-workers or peers in the same profession?
Whats the worst part of the job and how do you deal with it?
I would much rather have someone else fuel it!
Whats the most enjoyable part of the job?
Probably flying and taking photographs, but I do like speaking with and learning about my clients.
What kind of plane do you fly?
Is there a reason that plane in particular is good for your photography?
I fly aCessna 206which is a single-engine airplane.
Its big and stable with room to move around.
What sort of camera gear do you use?
Mainly Canon equipment but I also use a Nikon on occasion.
I do buy the best lenses for both, which really makes a difference.
Do you typically fly alone or do you have a co-pilot?
[I] almost always takes a co-pilot for safety.
[I] do not recommend flying alone, both for safety and picture quality.
Photographers who fly and shoot alone dont usually have the quality that I like in a photograph.
How do you feel about drones/quadcopters making aerial photography more accessible?
Theres definitely a niche for drones.
Drones do fly lower, but I have found that lower is not necessarily better.
And of course, at this time theyre not legal for most commercial uses.
Do you typically work for clients, or sell individual photos?
Simply put, how do you usually make money?
On my commercial end, I work with clients who hire me to photograph a project.
I do sell a lot of stock photographs both for commercial use and art.
What advice would you give to those aspiring to join your profession?
Theres a big learning curve with flying and photographing out of an airplane.
It can be dangerous.
you’re gonna wanna know your limitations.
We fly at 100 miles per hour over crowed areas, so safety is number one.
However, the perspective you get from an airplane is something special.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
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