Erick
Richter grew up in the '70s and '80s watching 8mm promotional films of fighter
jets his dad, an electrical engineer, helped design for General Dynamics in Fort
Worth, Texas. While in high school, Erick's interest in aviation grew and soon
led to flying lessons and his first solo at the age of 17. He took his first aerial
photographs of his hometown of Tolar and the family farm.
Many years later, while jetting back to San Antonio from a business trip in New York, on behalf of a large corporation, he was brainstorming possible businesses he could potentially run from a home office. Wanting to trade the corporate lifestyle for home-based entrepreneurship, he had been praying with his wife about this for a year. Looking out the window of that plane, enjoying as he always had, the sights of buildings and land passing underneath, he first had the idea of starting an aerial photography business.
That idea never left him. After much research, equipment purchases, planning, organizing, and practice … on May 1st, 2006, Custom Aerial Images by Erick Richter opened for business. The first aerial photography sales were framed 16x20 enlargements of farm houses which Erick peddled in door to door fashion. It didn't take long for him to start experimenting with other business models he learned while an associate member of the Professional Aerial Photographers Association.
Today, Custom Aerial Images provides aerial photography services for many large construction companies, leading real estate developers, commercial realtors, municipal school districts, land owners, home owners, and people just like you. Erick greatly enjoys running a family business, making life easier or more pleasant for his customers, building a reputation for high quality products, and consistently providing friendly, professional service.