Drone aerial photography uses a drone, or quadcopter, to capture photographs and video from the air. A drone is an unmanned, remote-controlled aircraft that can come in various sizes. When they’re sold as a toy or hobby to the consumer by an electronics store they can be as little as a golf ball or as big as a basketball hoop (just the hoop). However, when they are used professionally drones are about 1 ft wide x 1 ft long and about 8 inches tall depending on how long the legs are and the apparatus that holds the camera.
Commercial Applications For Drone Photography:
The size of the drone is part of what facilitates the service that they are used for. Drone photography can capture a visual image that may not be available through the use of a fixed-wing aircraft or helicopter. They can fly above structures as well as into incomplete structures or through open in-door spaces. For instance, a drone can be used to inspect the 9th floor of a commercial building under construction, while the inspector stays on the ground. This can save considerable time in some instances.
Drones present an opportunity to create beautiful sales and marketing collateral, while both still images and video provide documentation for a variety of inspections from roof-tops, hi-rise windows, inventory, unstable surfaces, and construction and engineering projects, to name a few.
Since a drone is flying, it can provide continuous video footage from one place to the next in large, open areas, without the use of a track or without the trip hazard that is possibly involved with hand-held camera work.
The Drone Photography Platform:
As mentioned above, there are times when drone photography has the advantage over traditional forms of aerial photography; however, like any aerial photography platform there are rules and regulations that must be legally adhered to.
The current FAA position is that you cannot fly for commercial purposes without their permission. Commercial purposes for drone photography is defined as anything that benefits your business or could potentially benefit your business, whether or not you’re receiving income from it. Therefore, as an example, when a construction company purchases a drone and has one of their employees use the drone to take aerial photos of the construction progress, that is considered commercial use and the company is required to follow the appropriate FAA guidelines.
The Phoenix Metro area is surrounded by complex controlled airspace which adds another layer of regulations. Drone operations inside the controlled airspace does require FAA approval, and some areas are simply NO FLY zones for drone operations.
More details can be found in the FAA’s Part 107 Summary.
Desert View Aerial Photography (DVAP) utilizes only FAA Part 107 Certified UAS pilots and is insured for drone operations.
Contact DVAP for Drone Photography Services
Drone photography is the newest service offered by Desert View Aerial Photography state-wide in Arizona. However it is only one of a few services that are offered. When certain limitations for drones or the various needs of the client demand a different photography service, DVAP can provide it. For over 10 years DVAP has provided fixed-wing aerial photography (photos taken from an airplane), rotorcraft aerial photography (photos taken from a helicopter), architectural photography and corporate photography to offer complete commercial photography services. Contact Desert View Aerial Photography for your next project.
