Keith Perry used to work in insurance until he purchased his first drone in 2016.

"My initial plan was to start a business renting out drones to people who wanted to fly them," said Perry, the owner of Hudson Valley Drones. "When I started flying, it started to really become a lot more fun and I realized the potential – the income potential of people hiring you to do drone-related work."

After getting his training and certification from the Federal Aviation Administration, he started Hudson Valley Drones, offering professional drone photography and videography in the region.

To set up each drone, he attaches the propellers, mounts the camera, and calibrates the drone’s compass before the drone can take off. Using a remote control, Perry maneuvers the drone with ease, offering bird’s-eye views of the ground below.

So what is it about the Hudson Valley that makes it the perfect location for drone photography to Perry?

"It’s a very picturesque area,” he said. “There’s not many times where you can take a photo that isn’t very good. I mean, we've got the mountains; we've got the river; we've got countless small towns."

It's also helpful to be able to soar above many locations you typically couldn’t reach, with ease.

"Prior to drones becoming mainstream, if you wanted to get an aerial shot, you'd have to rent an airplane or a helicopter, or climb off the side of a mountain, or do something ridiculous, and now we can do it with a drone," said Perry.

Using thermal imaging drones, Perry is also able to inspect roofing, solar panels, and even wind turbines.

No one can be sure where the drone industry will go next; maybe it’s package delivery, maybe it’s sky taxis, but for Perry, the possibilities are endless.

"The applications in which drones can be used are really only limited by your imagination, so think outside the box,” he said.