Bruce, who personally does all the aerial photography for AAP, gets a lot of his shots by floating a six-by-12-foot tethered helium blimp to the desired altitude. The blimp carries aloft an 8-megapixel camera which is operated by Bruce via remote control from the ground. The camera is capable of a wide range of pan and tilt motions to get the best possible shot of its subjects.
One of the advantages of the blimp is its portability. “The homeowner can walk the grounds with me,” Bruce says. “I’ve even taken the blimp on a pontoon boat and taken shots of a home from a lake view.”
And with an altitude range of 500 feet, the blimp is capable of capturing images of real estate features that traditional ground-level photography simply can’t achieve. Only features such as trees and power lines restrict the blimp’s accessibility.
Both indoor and outdoor aerial shots can be taken with AAP’s other piece of technology, a 40-foot telescoping monopod with a camera that is computer controlled. Recently, the device was effective in capturing stunning views of the 2007 Corvette Expo at the new Sevierville Events Center.
Although the McCamishes originally got into the business as a way to help real estate agents market their properties, their aerial photography has found its way into several other markets. “Convention and visitors bureaus can use the photos to showcase their upcoming events and show what they’re capable of hosting,” Bruce notes. “Cities can promote special events like Christmas parades.”
Aerial photography is also becoming more popular as a way of commemorating private family events such as reunions and weddings. Even individual homeowners are getting beauty shots of their residences to showcase over the mantle.
“This is a great idea for a Christmas gift,” says Bruce.
Of course, AAP is still going strong in the real estate market, particularly among developers, contractors and listing agents with multiple properties spread out over a wide territory. Aerial photo subjects can range from homes to golf courses to commercial buildings.
Bruce says his work has now taken him from Florida to Indiana and points in between.
One of the advantages that AAP offers is easy Web access of their images, or clients can receive six to 12 digital images in JPEG format on a CD. The turnaround time is generally within 48 hours of shooting, and Bruce points out that their copyright agreement allows the customer to have full, unlimited use of all images. Some minor photo-enhancement services are available on request. Generally, AAP needs a week to 10 days advance notice before scheduling a photo session.
Interestingly, the McCamishes first got the idea for using low-altitude aerial photography 15 years ago, but at that time, the technology wasn’t in place to make it feasible. “You had to buy a 20-foot blimp, and the radio-control technology hadn’t caught up to our needs yet,” says Bruce. “But the equipment has gotten better, and RC has developed into a usable component that’s highly mobile and easy to use.”
He adds that he and Joe discovered that similar systems were already being used in South Florida and in Europe about the time that they began to implement the technology themselves.
To learn more about Amazing Aerial Photography and see some impressive side-by-side comparisons of traditional photography and aerial photography, you can visit them online at www.amazingaerialphotography.com.
