Unlocking the Sky: The Advantages of Drone Photography in Commercial Photography.

So on a cold January morning, I sat in what I can only describe as a bucket with a big kite attached and lawnmower engine for what felt like eternity. In reality, it was a perfectly serviceable licensed aircraft that safely took me the 35 miles (as the crow flies) and back again.

The equipment my then-employer provided me with was well-used, and the batteries were tired and unreliable. Aside from not dropping the camera from the microlight, my main concern was keeping the batteries warm enough that they wouldn’t fail after taking one picture. I’d put a spare battery in my pocket, but there was little room inside the microlight to swap batteries over.

I thought being able to produce aerial pictures would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I hadn’t seen the potential in the development of drones, which would allow people like myself to be able to offer drone photography and video as an everyday service.

Having then progressed my career to focus on becoming a specialist commercial photographer, I noticed the rise (excuse the pun) in the popularity of drone imagery. And then, during the Covid-19 pandemic I had time to research what time and investment would be required to become a drone photographer enabling me to offer this service to my clients. With the realisation I needed to diversify my business offering, further on the back of the lockdowns, I was fortunate enough to be awarded a Covid Kickstart recovery grant, meaning I was able to invest in the necessary equipment.

Now, as a drone operator with operational authorisation from the Civil Aviation Authority, it means for the past few years I have been in the position to offer my clients the ability to capture these stunning visuals myself, without the additional expense of hiring in a third-party, or an aircraft such as a microlight.

Not only is there a cost-benefit for my clients, but it ensures the style and approach to photography are the same throughout the whole shoot - giving a consistent approach to all imagery used in company marketing campaigns.

In what circumstances would I recommend drone photography to a client?

In the time I’ve been in a position to offer drone photography and video services, the predominant theme throughout the shoots I’ve undertaken is that they want to show the size and scale of a site or project or the requirement for visual to be at the same level or looking down on the subject. Utilising a drone provides a safe and effective route to achieving this.

One of my clients has invested in a major infrastructure project. It is a significant investment and something that, understandably, they want to shout about. And in time, it will be a significant historical point in the organisation's history.

Whilst the project is in construction, we have devised a predetermined flight path that captures video content documenting the construction build, as well as taking still images from set points and focusing on the same area. These visuals provide the critical basis for their ongoing marketing.

I’ve previously undertaken drone shoots for commercial property agents to showcase the scale of commercial or industrial units and land they have available to sell. Trying to demonstrate the scale of a nearly 4-acre site is near on impossible without the capabilities of drone photography.