Fourteen-year-old Ethan Edge finds himself in the unique position of entering high school and running his own growing business simultaneously. When he’s not planning his studies as a sophomore at Magnolia High School, he’s drumming up business for his burgeoning drone company, Sky Shots.
Though relatively new to the world of aerial photography, he took to it like an eagle in flight. “I thought drones were cool all the way from about a year ago because I could explore them. I could see places you usually can’t with your eyes. So I looked into my options, I did a lot of research, and I bought a drone,” he said.
Ethen suddenly realized there was a market for drone photography. “I started to post on social media videos of sunsets and flyovers of houses in my neighborhood. And some of these shots ended up getting public attention,” he said.
Already, Ethan is showing keen business acumen. When asked about the need for an FAA-granted drone license in many cases, he knew how to maximize his ability to shoot footage without too much outside interference.
“I primarily use an amazing DJI drone for my work, and they limit their weight,” he said. “If your drone is under 250 grams, you don’t need a license. And my drone happens to weigh exactly 249 grams.”
He’s sure to obey all laws when it comes to drone flying. “Along with the license requirements, there are other laws that say you can’t fly over people’s houses or private property, and then you also can't fly above 120 meters. So as long as you follow these rules then you're golden,” he said.
As Ethan grows as a person and entrepreneur, he plans to grow his business alongside. “I think as I go along with my drone business and start expanding more, I'm going to buy more expensive drones to keep up with the needs of my customers.”
When asked how much of proper drone photography is skill, Ethan was honest. “It takes practice. It’s not that hard, though. I think the main thing that really matters is being very gentle with the joysticks. You have to use them delicately or else it looks kind of bad and robotic.”
Ethan is optimistic about his future. “In the near future, I hope to expand my business into doing more events, and then after I have a little bit of money and more experience on my belt, I hope to move into photogrammetry, which is the higher end kind of mapping for bigger businesses.”
CCL met Ethen at a Conroe Lake Conroe Chamber event and was impressed by how he was morphing a private passion into a business opportunity.
Building a business as a youth has its challenges. Though young, Ethan makes up for it in maturity. He’s in the Magnolia High School Marine ROTC program and intends to one day pursue a career in the military. In the meantime, he sells his services to local clients, such as real estate companies and even a business with an ice cream boat.
Sky Shots offers multiple video and photography packages to suit all needs and budgets. To learn more about Ethan and his company, visit his Facebook page, Sky_Shots, or call 480-388-6141.