About Me
Here’s a bit more about me, personally and professionally.

Hello, I’m Kara. Thank you for visiting this page. Here’s a bit more about me, personally and professionally.
Photography became a hobby in 2009 when, at Coachella, I used a Canon Powershot Sx to photograph bands from the VIP section.
A music blogger liked my style and we linked up at Wanderlust Music Festival. That year, some of the photos I took in the pit
would end up on the festival’s site. I enjoyed photographing everyone from Grace Jones to the Cure for Spinning Platters until July 2015.
I first picked up a drone in mid-2014 and have been hooked ever since. What also started out as a hobby has morphed into a
full-blown career where I operate as a Part 107-certificated commercial remote pilot, writer, photographer, and consultant.
I am currently based in West Michigan and have used my drones and ground camera gear to shoot imagery for Experience Grand Rapids,
Calvin University, Studio Park, and others.
My work has been published in magazines, including DigitalFOTO, Drone360, along with major publications such as Fortune, CNN,
and international newspapers. Recently, an image I captured of Copper Peak’s ski lift made the front page of the Detroit News.
My images and words have been featured in the book “Masters of Drone Photography” and in
The Wall Street Journal.
I co-hosted PiXL Drone Show for the better part of one year, and frequently share my expertise on all things drone, and sometimes NFTs,
as a guest on other shows.
In addition to working with various clients, both large and small, on aerial photography and videography projects, I’ve also written
and developed marketing strategies, and built communities, for top industry brands including DroneDeploy, Intel, Pilot Institute,
InterDrone Expo and ACE Hardware.
I served as a contributing writer for DPReview, for four-and-a-half years, before it changed ownership and filled in for its
Editor-in-Chief earlier this year. You can always find me as an admin for Drone Community, one of the largest and most-active
drone-related forums, or the DJI Matrice 4 and Mavic 3 Enterprise Support group on Facebook.
Born and raised in California, I currently reside in Michigan. I enjoy traveling the country and world in search of new perspectives.
However, I’ve learned that some of the most stunning areas are also a car ride away. While aerial photography is my true passion, I’m also
a hobbyist Milky Way photographer and Aurora chaser. I don’t like being confined to one genre or style and enjoy experimentation in my free time.
If you’re interested in collaborating, feel free to reach out.
Contact me here.

Select Clients & Projects
Select Press Mentions
- The 12 Best Video Cameras for Capturing Life’s Memorable Moments | The Wall Street Journal
- Astro, Landscape and Drone Photographer Kara Murphy | Sony Alpha Photographers Podcast
- What license do I need to make money with my drone? (YDQA Ep8) | Drone Launch Academy
- Top 60 Aerial Photography Influencers in 2024 | Feedspot
- En images, ces photographes sonnent l’alerte quant à l’avenir de notre planète | L’ADN
- Kara Murphy, Kara E Murphy Imagery was our spotlight speaker | Women and Drones
- Emboldened Michigan pilot coalition says drone bans don’t fly | MLive
- Artist Profile: Kara Murphy | Women’s Lifestyle
- Clearing The Air: Responding To Drones | Forbes
- Lessons Learned from Women Who Drone | Women and Drones
- DJI AIR 2S AND MAVIC 3 PRO AND THE FUTURE OF DRONES | DroneXL
- Thank you for 10 years, and a Hall of Fame award | The Drone Girl
- 21 Best Drone Instagram Accounts (You Should Follow) | Droneblog
- The colourful world of Chromatic Photography Awards 2021 | South Morning China Post
- The world seen from above: Masters of Drone Photography | Telegraph
- Pretty fly! Feast your eyes on stunning aerial images taken by true masters of drone photography | Daily Mail
- Incredible photos taken by DRONES reveal some of the best birds-eye views from around the world | The Sun
- HOW TO BECOME THE BEST DRONE ENTREPRENEUR | The Drone Girl
- Tips from a Drone Photo Pro with Kara Murphy (Podcast) | Women and Drones
- Pilot Spotlight: Interview with WWD Ambassador Kara Murphy | Women Who Drone
- Kara Murphy - Michigan and San Francisco Drone Pilot | The Drone Trainer
- 15 breathtaking drone photography shots that will give you serious wanderlust | The Mirror
- Drones Getting Smarter with AI | Intel
Hello, I’m Kara. Thank you for visiting this page. Here’s a bit more about me, personally and professionally.
Photography became a hobby in 2009 when, at Coachella, I used a Canon Powershot Sx to photograph bands from the VIP section. A music blogger liked my style and we linked up at Wanderlust Music Festival. That year, some of the photos I took in the pit would end up on the festival’s site. I enjoyed photographing everyone from Grace Jones to the Cure for Spinning Platters until July 2015.
I first picked up a drone in mid-2014 and have been hooked ever since. What also started out as a hobby has morphed into a full-blown career where I operate as a Part 107-certificated commercial remote pilot, writer, photographer, and consultant. I am currently based in West Michigan and have used my drones and ground camera gear to shoot imagery for Experience Grand Rapids, Calvin University, Studio Park, and others.
My work has been published in magazines, including DigitalFOTO, Drone360, along with major publications such as Fortune, CNN, and international newspapers. Recently, an image I captured of Copper Peak’s ski lift made the front page of the Detroit News.
My images and words have been featured in the book “Masters of Drone Photography” and in The Wall Street Journal. I co-hosted PiXL Drone Show for the better part of one year, and frequently share my expertise on all things drone, and sometimes NFTs, as a guest on other shows.
In addition to working with various clients, both large and small, on aerial photography and videography projects, I’ve also written and developed marketing strategies, and built communities, for top industry brands including DroneDeploy, Intel, Pilot Institute, InterDrone Expo and ACE Hardware.
I served as a contributing writer for DPReview, for four-and-a-half years, before it changed ownership and filled in for its Editor-in-Chief earlier this year. You can always find me as an admin for Drone Community, one of the largest and most-active drone-related forums, or the DJI Matrice 4 and Mavic 3 Enterprise Support group on Facebook.
Born and raised in California, I currently reside in Michigan. I enjoy traveling the country and world in search of new perspectives. However, I’ve learned that some of the most stunning areas are also a car ride away. While aerial photography is my true passion, I’m also a hobbyist Milky Way photographer and Aurora chaser. I don’t like being confined to one genre or style and enjoy experimentation in my free time.
If you’re interested in collaborating, feel free to reach out. Contact me here.

Select Awards and Nominations
- Director’s Choice Award, Videography, AZDroneFest (2025)
- James F. Ranii Foyer Gallery: Horizons Unbound: The Art of Aerial Drone Imagery (2025)
- Nominee, Still Photography, Thunderbird Drone Film Festival (2024)
- Winner, Still Photography, Southern California Drone Film Festival (2024)
- Finalist, Still Photography, Southern California Drone Film Festival (2024)
- Commended, Urban Still Photography, Siena Drone Photo Awards (2023)
- NFT Liverpool Exhibition, Reuben Wu, 28 June - 3 July (2022)
- Structures of Time - Syntax Projects with Justin Robie Wood (2022)
- Nominee, Still Photography, Thunderbird Drone Film Festival (2022)
- Nominee, Still Photography, Southern California Drone Film Festival (2022)
- Finalist, Still Photography, Thunderbird Drone Film Festival (2022)
- Semi-finalist, Still Photography, Southern California Drone Film Festival (2022)
- Honorable Mention, Architecture, Annual Photography Awards (2021)
- Second Place, Architecture, Chromatic Awards (2021)
- Winner, Still Photography, Thunderbird Drone Film Festival (2021)
- Finalist, Still Photography, Southern California Drone Film Festival (2021)
- Finalist, Still Photography, Drone Launch Aerial Photography Contest (2021)
- Nominee, Still Photography, AirVuz Awards (2021)
- Winner, Environmental Still Photography, Aerial Photo Awards (2020)
- Selected, Still Photography, NO AR Drone Film Fest Brazil (2018)
- Selected, Still Photography, InAir.Amsterdam (2018)
- Director’s Choice Award, Videography, AZDroneFest (2025)
- James F. Ranii Foyer Gallery: Horizons Unbound: The Art of Aerial Drone Imagery (2025)
- Nominee, Still Photography, Thunderbird Drone Film Festival (2024)
- Winner, Still Photography, Southern California Drone Film Festival (2024)
- Finalist, Still Photography, Southern California Drone Film Festival (2024)
- Commended, Urban Still Photography, Siena Drone Photo Awards (2023)
- NFT Liverpool Exhibition, Reuben Wu, 28 June - 3 July (2022)
- Structures of Time - Syntax Projects with Justin Robie Wood (2022)
- Nominee, Still Photography, Thunderbird Drone Film Festival (2022)
- Nominee, Still Photography, Southern California Drone Film Festival (2022)
- Finalist, Still Photography, Thunderbird Drone Film Festival (2022)
- Semi-finalist, Still Photography, Southern California Drone Film Festival (2022)
- Honorable Mention, Architecture, Annual Photography Awards (2021)
- Second Place, Architecture, Chromatic Awards (2021)
- Winner, Still Photography, Thunderbird Drone Film Festival (2021)
- Finalist, Still Photography, Southern California Drone Film Festival (2021)
- Finalist, Still Photography, Drone Launch Aerial Photography Contest (2021)
- Nominee, Still Photography, AirVuz Awards (2021)
- Winner, Environmental Still Photography, Aerial Photo Awards (2020)
- Selected, Still Photography, NO AR Drone Film Fest Brazil (2018)
- Selected, Still Photography, InAir.Amsterdam (2018)