Some ways aerial images help management, monitoring & publicity:
Show a site in its wider context - sweeping landscapes work well with country estates and gardens, golf courses, walking trails etc
Reach places and angles not easily accessible on foot - identifying deer tracks in a reedbed, inspecting chimneys or treetops, monitoring an area without walking through and disturbing wildlife or trampling plants
Produce eye catching, fresh and creative images of familiar subjects and locations
Help assess woodland, scrub and wetland areas in a context which cannot be done from within.
Help identify subtle changes which don't show at ground level - damper ground, plant encroachment, overgrazing etc
Having been insured and registered with the CAA, my standards are very high. A lot of drone operators are untrained, uninsured and often ignorant of safety and legal responsibilities when flying their drones. To work professionally in the UK you must be Civil Aviation Authority registered and insured.
Drone photography is a great new tool for practical, creative and affordable solutions, but there are restrictions on where and when I can fly. This includes within specific safe distance standards from people, vessels and structures not under my control, at night and in wet or windy conditions.
As well as flying regulations with drones, there are also wildlife and data protection laws which must be taken into account. It may not be illegal to actually fly over an area, but it could still be illegal to cause undue disturbance or intrusion to wildlife or people.
Before every flight I will first carry out a site survey and visit if necessary, including hazard analysis, land ownership, flight zones, wildlife designations, a risk assessment, weather forecasts and equipment safety checks. I will also look at photographic considerations and client objectives. It's not simply a case of ‘turn up and take off’ - the actual flying time is usually quite a small percentage of the professional process.
If you would like to discuss a potential project please feel free to contact me.
