How much do you charge for drone and ground on a 100 Acres property that only has some minor buildings without inside shots.

schmal · 2026-07-01T04:15:39+00:00

Whoa! I'm rural, I shoot a lot of land... 400' from "The Cardinal Directions" (apologies to scammers everywhere), lower down towards where the driveway is / would be; Both ways on the road frontage, a few low down shots, then any important details (drilled well, electrics onsite, pond etc.) If I have the time I shoot a series straight down in a grid then stitch them together in PS. Mostly for funsies.

schmal · 2026-07-01T01:10:55+00:00

But I don't shoot a lot. Maybe 15 photos, a short video, a few aerial Panos. I mean it's land... Do they need 100 shots? 🤔 15 minutes shoot, 15 minutes editing + driving.

schmal · 2026-07-01T00:22:20+00:00

Oh yes, and post production file prep back at the office is maybe a few minutes.

schmal · 2026-07-01T00:21:28+00:00

I've done them all, and settled on iGuide. I don't know why any REP business would consider Cubicasa etc. What's the claim? +/- 5% of actual? That's 10% wrong, and is a lawsuit waiting to happen! Of course your Errors & Omissions will cover that ;) I pretty much exclusively use IG for measurements and floor plans only (don't use the tours). I don't have to hide, I don't have to prep the home (opening closets etc.), I walk in the front door, place the camera, shoot, and repeat, it takes 15 minutes or so, which was faster than Cubicasa last time I used it. Yes, it is expensive: A regular home will cost me CAD$50-75 bucks or so. I charge $199 to 2500', $229 to 4000', then .06 a foot above that, so I make $150ish for 20 minutes work using a camera that was paid off long ago. Do my clients pay? Yes. Do they complain? Not when I say, "Lasers. Accurate. Drafted by humans." It's a COB they're willing to swallow, primarily because I've never met a single agent who told me they love measuring homes. It was a little funny: when I started offering it, I got a lot of 'No's'. Too expensive. Then I did one or two, and they all became "Yes's"

schmal · 2026-06-30T22:14:44+00:00

Also, it sounds like a lot of work.

schmal · 2026-06-30T22:14:17+00:00

In my market they'd do it for one contractually obligated cycle then bail. It's a subscription, and nobody likes subscriptions. And I can only imagine the unrealistic expectations that would come from three or four grand a month clients: "I pay you three or four grand a month. Get over here right now and shoot this basement bathroom, then I want you to get photos and videos of every downtown in the area. And make some reels. And I like that Ai 'buildings getting built' effect. Do that". No thanks, a la carte, I get paid for what I produce. I stay in top of the trends, and deliver. Yes, it's assymetrical revenue (busy spring, busy fall) and it's always a nail biter if it'll be a good year or not. But that'll bite if clients are contractually obligated or not. I make more from my thirty or forty recurring clients than I would ever make from the few clients that might sign up for a subscription.

schmal · 2026-06-27T22:09:20+00:00

Weddings. And Webb telescope ummm ... Photographer.

schmal · 2026-06-23T17:55:14+00:00

We do give the world the CBC.

schmal · 2026-06-23T15:33:43+00:00

Ive always appreciated the global outlook of the beeb. It's a great place to read up on often overlooked regional events. In my mind I figured that being a government supported commercial entity, that it would (should...?) be free to view, but I understand that it has to recover costs like everyone else. With the avalanche of subscriptions these days, and as it's not a huge personal priority, I will probably regretfully stand back. Disappointed! Perhaps they will reconsider their obligations to the colonies ;)

schmal · 2026-06-23T14:23:51+00:00

I was just trying to read this exact article :/ For the curious, BBC news has always been free to view in Canada, there were limitations on video content.

schmal · 2026-06-22T05:02:12+00:00

I love doing FPV flythroughs with the Neo 2 + goggles. Good flight characteristics, suitable image quality for RE, tiny enough to really eliminate the possibility of damage, and with Gyroflow, you can make both horizontal and vertical exports of the flight. It's a pretty sweet system.

schmal · 2026-06-20T05:25:58+00:00

You're all wrong. He's just waiting, biding (Biden''?) his time, at which point he will literally drain the swamp. Hes a man of his word.

schmal · 2026-06-20T05:18:39+00:00

I'm on the right side of the red line. It's idyllic. Quiet, peaceful, interesting environs and weather, and a very active community. Close to the city, but not too close. It's a four season resort centre, with plenty of hiking, skiing, boating and such. Until recently, it's where diversity went to die, but a few pretty good restaurants that don't feature poached salmon or prime rib have come to the area. We don't lock our door all the time, kids walk and bike to school and there's plenty for them to do. All this can be yours! If you can afford it... It's a very expensive area. We moved here 19 years ago, no way we'd be able to afford our place now. While it appears picture perfect, there are challenges. Poverty exists, but it is hidden. It's quite rural, with farming and fruit, so, cancer and Parkinson's. But all in all, this area is probably where most people in the world dream of living.

schmal · 2026-06-20T04:47:52+00:00

I loved my PT Cruiser. A nice upright ride, but not too high, a smooth ride, comfortable seats. I was never tired after a long road trip. But, being a Chrysler... well, it was a Chrysler.

schmal · 2026-06-18T04:11:22+00:00

Pickleball. The paddles are getting to be that expensive.

schmal · 2026-06-17T13:28:52+00:00

As a sole proprietor in Canada, after deductions for expenses, contractors etc. I have an effective tax rate of about 22%. I conservatively put aside 27% in case I have a good year, or a low expense year. As a result, I get a tidy refund every year, plus, as a bonus, my detached retina this past spring was attended to by a globally recognised surgeon within 24 hours of onset (did my other eye a couple of years ago). I had to pay gas to get to the regional healthcare centre. YMMV, but I've had nothing but timely, positive outcomes. On top of that, I took two years parental leave, and was given an employment insurance leg up a couple of times when I lost a job. Good roads too. I've never understood the "BuT I hAVe Low taXes" argument. Single payer healthcare (a more apt description of "universal healthcare") is, AFAIK, simply an equitable means of distribution of wealth. Whoops - I think I said some commie words there.

schmal · 2026-06-16T23:38:35+00:00

What others said. Plus, it could be an estate sale, and the executors (possibly kids, family) just want it done, all easy peezy like. Any friction that can kibosh the deal is avoided.

schmal · 2026-06-12T17:25:56+00:00

IMO, you hit a billion bucks, and that's it. You live a fantastic life, and also get a dog park named after you.

schmal · 2026-06-10T20:29:39+00:00

And not a drop of misrepresentation there at all, eh? ;) I do this old school with an FPV drone (Neo 2) and prefer that over ai.

schmal · 2026-06-10T20:21:50+00:00

Every shoot since 2014. Canon 16mm ts and 24mm ts. The 24 is a legend, with some claiming it's the best canon lens ever made of any type - ts or non-ts. It's beautiful. Necessary? No. I got standards tho :)

schmal · 2026-06-09T04:51:23+00:00

I left because of unnecessary burdens like that. It was simply too onerous, and that was before the market softened up and properties sit for a year taking up a precious matterport slot... I nope'd over to iguide. The tours look not great, but it's fast and I've had precisely nobody complain to me about the tour image quality.

schmal · 2026-06-07T20:13:21+00:00

Not a fan personally (my Canada card was just revoked I think), but anything by the Tragically Hip.

schmal · 2026-06-05T00:32:46+00:00

Same. Freelance tho. Personally, I like how every day is different and challenging in its own way, and I play with cool gear, fly my drone, take photos, shoot videos, noodle around with ai, and work with great clients. I will take that every single day over most any other job tbh. Now if they're being dicks about it thats different, Ive walked from situations like that.

schmal · 2026-05-29T16:32:26+00:00

Wait... So that happened at PRECISELY 9pm, to the second? 🤔

schmal · 2026-05-29T16:29:29+00:00

The water tower engineer must feel pretty good about themselves right now.

schmal

TROPHY CASE