Before diving in, a quick heads-up about something I’m genuinely excited about: my upcoming eBook – The Brutally Honest EU Drone Pilot’s Handbook (2026 Edition). Details below!
Let’s talk about drone photography and, more importantly, why some of my drone photos and videos consistently sell on the micros while others vanish into the algorithmic abyss.
When I mentioned this idea to Taras (creator of Xpiks), he hit me with a deceptively simple question:
“How do you actually know why they sell?”
Good question.
Because truthfully, none of us really know. We can make educated guesses, look for patterns, and analyse performance, but there’s no single secret formula.
That said, after four years of flying, over 200 logged flight hours in six different countries and countless uploads tracked through Microstockr, I’ve started to see clear trends in what works and what doesn’t.
Below are my best-selling drone photos and clips across Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, iStock, and Pond5 along with my brutally honest take on why they sell, what’s next, and what you can learn from it.
How many assets do I have?
But first, just how many aerial assets do I currently have for sale?
| Assets | Count |
|---|---|
| Aerial microstock photos | Approximately 1,200 |
| Aerial book covers | Approximately 300 |
| Aerial footage | Approximately 2,000 |
As for the number of uploads, they naturally started slowly in 2022 and grew exponentially from 2023 up to the present 2025. In 2025 I have by far uploaded the most drone photos/clips. Although it seems that sales have sort of stagnated from during the past 24 months as agencies appear to be squeezing more contributors.
Now whether the exponential growth has resulted in more sales will be discussed below.
Best-sellers
Best-selling aerial photos
You may see from the above that most of my consistent earners have the following in common, they’re shot locally and shot well.
Shooting Locally (and doing it excellently)
One of the huge advantages of being based in Portugal is that I can plan every shot. This includes timing, light, tides, and even seasonal water colour as you’ll see below. Tourists can’t. They’re here for 48 hours with a packed itinerary, shooting in whatever light they get.
My adopted hometown of Cascais, Portugal on the Portuguese Riviera
That’s not luck, it’s simply observation, proximity and persistence.
In short, being local doesn’t just save travel costs, it’s a strategic edge. You can outshoot 99% of global competition simply by understanding your environment better than they ever will. The best-selling footage usually benefits from local familiarity, knowing the right time of day or weather pattern to enhance movement, shadow, or texture.
Also, helps that I’m able to easily obtain authorisations to legally fly in urban areas that others may not risk it as well as giving peace of mind.
Therefore, my portfolio is slowly becoming a reference for Lisbon-area aerial shots, and it shows in the search engines that they are ranked highly for important keywords.
When I travel abroad, I still research light, tides, and no-fly zones but I’m always at a disadvantage compared to locals who can wait for that perfect foggy sunrise or low-tide reflection.
Introducing LightTrac
Plus, I use an app called LightTrac that helps me to determine the best light for the time of the day. Small details that make a huge difference between a mediocre clip and one that repeatedly licenses for years.
Drone photos that became book covers
My less than humble boast is that so far, I’ve licensed six images captured with the drone via Arcangel images with many more to come.
When composed thoughtfully, it can evoke the solitude, symmetry, and symbolism that book-cover designers love.
How much have I earned? Well, I can’t give exact figures but it’s more than $2,000 net with many more on the way.
Best-selling aerial footage
Again, shooting locally does help but in terms of my best-selling footage clips the results seem to be from various locations that are in demand, including Madrid, Cape Town and Bilbao. One such clip of a hyperlapse that I captured at Cape Town’s iconic V&A Waterfront is selling regularly.
That said, even those could be improved massively if I had more time on-site but I’m quite happy with the results.
Camp’s Bay, Cape Town, South Africa
As for shot types, there’s no strict pattern. Buyers seem to want a mix:
- Cinematic orbits that establish a sense of place
- Top-downs for editorial or corporate uses
- Reveals that are perfect for video intros or travel edits
- And yes, even the occasional hyperlapse, if done smoothly
My advice is that when you’re at a location, shoot variations. Same subject, multiple angles and speeds. Let the client decide what fits best. Half the time, the clip you thought was “B-roll filler” becomes the bestseller. Such is the unpredictable nature of this industry.
Total drone earnings (so far)
Between photos and videos, I’ve earned just over $5,000 in stock income from my drones with revenue trending upward since I upgraded to the DJI Air 3 in mid-2024.
Earnings from drone photos (Microstockr screenshot)
Earnings from drone videos (Microstockr screenshot)
That figure doesn’t include a few commissioned shoots, particularly for real-estate clients, which add another few thousand on top.
Images that should sell soon and why
Recently, I’ve been shifting toward high-demand subjects, including critical infrastructure, stadiums, and urban landmarks. Even if they need to be submitted as editorials there’s still value. These are the types of visuals that news, corporate and bloggers consistently search for.
In fact, in September I invested a full day shooting two of Lisbon’s main stadiums. Although the 2030 World Cup to be held in Portugal, Spain and Morocco is a long way away I’m already preparing!
EU Drone Pilot’s Handbook (2026 Edition)
“The Brutally Honest EU Drone Pilot’s Handbook” is the culmination of years of flying, research, and countless interactions with pilots and regulators. It breaks down EASA Open Category rules, tourist flying permissions, and drone laws across every European jurisdiction, all explained in the same no-bullshit, experience-driven tone you’ve come to expect from the Brutally Honest Blog.
📘 Launch: Mid-November 2025
💡 Early-bird offer: 50% off if you sign up below before release.
My drone journey (and lessons learned)
Back in 2022, I started with the DJI Air 2S, which honestly gave me some of the cleanest images I’ve ever shot on the 1inch sensor. However, I found the single 24mm equivalent lens limiting as I often needed to get too close to a subject risking losing my drone.
After I crashed that drone on New Years’ Eve 2023/2024 (where I wrote about my mistakes and lessons learned), I duly upgraded to the DJI Air 3, mostly for the longer optical 70mm lens as well as longer battery life, in fact about 40% more on average than the Air 2s. This means more time able to loiter and wait for the right subject/story to unfold.
Over the years, I’ve learned the following lessons, which are also mentioned in detailed on my upcoming eBook:
It’s not too late to get started
I wish I had started in 2017 (perhaps with a heavy Phantom) but only did so in 2022. Although I have no regrets as the old cliché that it’s better late than never applies. The technology continues to advance at rapid pace and more importantly, drones are becoming safer, even at night.
There are still massive gaps in the market
…that need to be filled. Perhaps for another blog post but generally if you do your research on a search engine and type in a place you may see that there many not be many aerial contents on offer. If there are any, you can always try to improve upon the quality by shooting in better light and better angles…or closer using an optical zoom lens. One obvious starting point would be, if you’re based in Canada/USA/Mexico, to (legally) shoot the stadiums for the upcoming World Cup 2026. Or again, become a local expert.
Look for inspiration from others
I would suggest to follow Microstock Drone Channel Hugo’s playbook as he’s earning a considerable amount from his drone shots. He focuses mainly on shooting wind farms, data centres and power plants from the air. Otherwise, a simple aerial shot of a residential neighbourhood works wonders.
Upload to the big four stock agencies
These include in no order, Adobe Stock, Shutterstock, iStockphoto and Pond5. There are other smaller agencies but frankly they aren’t worth the hassle.
Certifications matter
Especially in Europe, where you may be stopped by authorities to know if you’re up to no good. Failure to provide authorisations may lead to steep fines. It’s just not worth the risk of getting fined or even a jail sentence for a shot. The good news is that if you obtain your online A1/A3 license in a European jurisdiction (free of charge), it’s valid throughout Europe.
Pleasure discussing this topic with you and wish you safe and legal flights.
