Hello Stephanie- If your UAV's mission is just aerial photography, there are a lot of known airframe platforms that have been/are in use (check out the aerial photography section on both this site and RCG). I personally was planning on building a semi-autonomous aerial photography platform based on a Multiplex Easy Glider airframe: modifying it with twin pusher props and hacking off the nose and replacing with a clear lexan housing with camera mount within. These 'foam' planes from Multiplex are insanely rugged (so you wouldn't have to handle with kid gloves like a balsa ship and would withstand 'flight testing malfunctions'), are very cheap (good for college student), are easily modifyable and slow and stable. Just my $.02