Looking for a Drone Photographer
Drones allow photographers unique perspectives of a project at a fraction of the cost of hiring a manned aircraft. Sometimes just elevating a camera 20 feet above the ground gives a whole new perspective you can't get from a tripod. High rises require more elevation and provide a view of the surrounding landscape.
If you are in need of aerial views of a demolition site, building progression or completed project I would be delighted to help out. I am a FAA Certified Drone Pilot with my Part 107 license. This is important because, airspace regardless of the geographic location, is regulated by the FAA. There are stiff penalties for both the pilot and the company or person(s) hiring the drone pilot. Hiring a drone pilot with his/her drone certification may be a little more expensive than hiring someone without a license, but its much less expensive than being fined thousands of dollars from the FAA.
Why a licensed drone pilot? As mentioned, there are stiff penalties for both the photographer and the hiring client if caught. A licensed drone pilot has taken an intensive class on regulations, air space, reading aeronautical maps, safety, weather, radio communications, and other related topics. These classes are long and detailed. After the education phase the pilot must pass an FAA unmanned aircraft test at an approved testing site. As you can see, there is a whole lot more than lifting off, flying, snapping pictures and landing. It's a serious matter to keep the skies safe and the people and property around where the drone is flying.
Things to Know and Ask When Hiring a Drone Pilot
• Ask if a certified FAA licensed drone pilot will be on location for the photo shoot.
A non-licensed drone pilot can fly providing a licensed pilot is on hand supervising
the photo shoot. As a hiring client you can be fined thousands of dollars in fines for
disregarding this law.
(I will provide a photo copy of my license for client to have on file if asked).
• Ask if the pilot has insurance.
• Provide exact location of project to be photographed so the pilot can check the air
space and see if they can legally fly in that location and if FAA approval will be
needed.
• Never ask a pilot to fly above 400 ft AGL (above ground level). Depending on air
space, approval sometimes will be given for altitudes below 400 ft. There are
exceptions that allow higher altitudes above 400 ft. Your drone pilot should know
these rules, discuss with him/her before hiring.
• Never ask a pilot to fly over people, this includes festivals, public spaces occupied
with people, stadiums with people in attendance, etc... (Empty stadiums are OK).
• Never ask a pilot to fly over moving cars.
• Flying is always dependent on weather conditions, therefore precipitation, low
cloud levels, heavy winds, etc... may cancel a scheduled flight.
• If you want a construction site to be photographed with a drone, you must post a
notification at the entrance of the construction site on morning of flight to inform all
workers a drone will be flying overhead.
Advantages of Drone Photography and Video
Ground level view from a tripod.
Drone view at about 15 to 20 feet above ground.
Student Housing at the University of Michigan.
Drone saved the day for exterior views from this project. This photo shoot involved a large complex with lots of cars parked in front of buildings. Another issue I had to solve was time. This project was scheduled for a one day photoshoot and the interior views would take up a most of the day. Therefore it left little time to photograph the exteriors in good light. Drones allow the photographer to shoot multiple angles at different heights quickly. Photographing the number of angles I needed from ground level takes a lot of time. The photo on the left illustrates a street level shot from a tripod. The road and parking lot takes up a third of the composition, not very appealing. The photo on the right is a drone view at about 20 feet off the ground. This photo illustrates a more appealing view and an angle that shows important details and a better view of the roofline.
Elevations with a View
Views over 50 ft AGL
Higher altitude photography is perfect for large scale projects in an urban environment. Often from street level it's impossible to get a clean shot without distracting elements like parked cars, electrical poles, etc... in the foreground. Higher vantage points illustrate how a building design fits into the surrounding environment. It can also show a neighborhood layout and how all the pieces fit together. Once in the air, drones allow the photographer to capture multiple views quickly.
Details are Important
Details are often Requested
I often get an assignment where a client asks for important details that are difficult or impossible to get from ground level. Unique windows, brick layout, trim, logos and other special design elements are not unusual requests. Drones make it all possible.
Capturing the Impossible View
Capturing a Unique View
I occasionally get a request to photograph a demolition project which can be tricky and sometimes dangerous. These type of assignments are made possible with a drone. Flying debris requires the photographer to work from a distance and most often behind a fence covered in fabric making it impossible to shoot. Drones allow me to shoot from a safe distance and get the impossible views.
If you need more than drone shots of your project check out my galleries of my interior work.