Meet Joanna Steidle

We were lucky to catch up with Joanna Steidle recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Joanna, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
My life has been a journey of multiple careers. At the age of 43, I first picked up a drone and took her to the skies. I knew my life would never be the same. I fell in love with flying, then photography. Flying and creating brings me balance; emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and physically.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’m a professional drone pilot and artist based in the Hamptons on Long Island, New York, flying commercially since 2017. As owner of Hamptons Drone Art, LLC, I specializing in fine art drone photography, videography and FPV flights. I have done everything from content creation for major corporations and photography exhibits around the world. I’ve had the pleasure of working with numerous organizations, including National Geographic, Discovery, Hulu, BBC, Disney and most major news outlets.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The most valuable quality I possess to date is discipline. I start my workday around 3:00am and get 4 hours of editing, marketing and promotion accomplished before I even go out to fly for the day. My days are long, but I do take time to stop, rest and reflect. I live in a state of constant learning, which always makes things interesting. Creativity is essential in the art world, and it often requires time and space. I have frequently spent weeks or months working on my fine art photography pieces to get them to a point where I am completely content with the result. Eye hand coordination also plays a major role in my daily work, especially in FPV (first person view) flights when I am flying at speeds up to 50mph. This skill was established by playing sports all my life, excelling in tennis and gymnastics as a child.

Tell us what your ideal client would be like?
I think every wildlife photographer/videographer dreams of being featured by National Geographic. I had the pleasure of being interviewed and featured in their Season 8 When Sharks Attack series last year where they licensed more than a minute of my shark and fish footage. Since then, they have been in touch five more times for licensing my work. Getting on the map is the hardest part, and I am extremely proud they value my work and show a continued interest.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Joanna L. Steidle, Hamptons Drone Art, LLC

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