Idaho Airships, Inc.

Aerial Photography is an extremely treacherous field for the consumer. High grade aerial photography demands specialized equipment, subject familiarity, meteorological competencies, a tremendous amount of aerial experience and a much deeper technical expertise than almost all other types of photography. Fees tend to reflect these demands.

Rarely is a customer familiar with the extraordinary demands of aerial photography, and even if they are they may not have the expertise to discern between providers whose sole claim is being able to fit their camera inside of an aircraft, versus an authentic professional.

In other words, there are a significant number of aerial photographers who make their living as salesmen.

One of the most misleading potentials in the aerial photography market is facilitated by the internet. Images prepared for display on a computer monitor are very small and of very low resolution. Being so, it is easy to mask problems such as problematic exposure or a lack of detail that are brutally manifest in a .pdf or printed enlargement.

A pitfall of “pretty” pictures is that most of them prove nothing beyond the fact that someone was at a particular position at a particular time when the sunset was rich, the light in the clouds was dramatic, a rainbow was born, or the sun’s position was ideal. Asking an inexperienced aerialist to produce a specific image under such conditions will invariably generate tremendous frustration, bust budgets and violate deadlines. The fundamental problem is that modestly talented photographer will occasionally produce a gorgeous image, and such an image may serve as an attractive but grossly misleading precedent when considering the photographer’s capability and reliability.

In our Central Idaho 7/07 Gallery we have intentionally posted images acquired under extremely hostile conditions, i.e. obscurative smoke and haze from nearby wildfires, demonstrating our ability to deal with real world issues. You’ll also note that our galleries are well-populated. We don’t “Cherry Pick” the images from our periodic albums-we choose images representative of the entire shoot or period.

Rather than list each of the many issues that can produce nightmares for aerial imaging customers (particular in the engineering, technical, Commercial Real Estate, or forensic disciplines), I’m submitting this list of points for you to consider asking your potential provider:

Are you a full-time aerial photographer? Someone who works 40 hours a week selling signs or watching the kids while the wife is in medical school is probably not an appropriate choice on your important project. Full-time commercial photographers can be very poor choices for aerial work unless they have a substantial amount of aerial experience: Aerial Photography is to a general photographer what surgery is to a lumberjack.

How long have you been in business? Aerial photography demands experience…it’s a Catch-22, but it’s not your responsibility to grow your own service provider at the expense of representing your projects poorly. If someone tells you they’ve been in business more than 5 years, ask them to fax a business license or other dated business-relevant document, and to cut you a dummy invoice. If the invoice shows an unreasonably low sequence number, look elsewhere. Select a provider that stays proficient by invoicing an average of at least 3 substantial (>12 images per) aerial photography assignments each week. As a benchmark, please consider that Idaho Airships, Inc. produces thousands of images per month.

What auxiliary services can you provide promptly (in-house)? Accomplished aerial photography companies typically have calibrated large-format printers and FTP capabilities in-house. Idaho Airships, Inc. can actually print or deliver your digital images via FTP from the airplane or helicopter during the shoot!

Have you done any high profile work? While the lack of elite work isn’t necessarily a disqualifier, a high profile history can certainly establish a desirable comfort level. Be wary of obscure photographers claiming to have imaged high profile subjects-they may have done so while they were simply flying by. This is a common problem for sporting events and famous landmarks, particularly in resort areas such as Las Vegas.

Do you shoot with stabilized lenses? Stabilized lenses provide luxurious margins of focal depth and shutter speed and are highly desirable in aerial assignments. Such lenses are also very expensive, and tend to distinguish serious practitioners from those just dabbling.

How do you handle color temperature extremes (on an early or late shoot)? If the potential service provider stumbles on an answer or is unwilling to provide an in-depth explanation, look elsewhere.

Do you fly yourself? There is a disturbing trend of helicopter pilots engaging aerial photography in order to help pay for their flight time as they build hours. Flying a helicopter requires both hands and uncompromised attention. If you discover such an operation, contact the FAA Flight Standards District Office in your area-they’ll be forever grateful. Helicopters don’t suffer “fender-benders” and they don’t gravitate toward empty fields.

What does that image prove other than the fact that you were there (referencing a “pretty” picture)? If the answer is elegantly reasoned and fluid, the image might have actually been intentional. If not…

…you have the option of hiring an established and trustworthy aerial company to qualify a service provider for you. Idaho Airships, Inc. has qualified and hired a number of photographers for various protracted relationships and individual jobs ranging into 5 figures, and have even prepared the images ourselves (we have singular expertise in forensic, technical and fine art aerial preparation that exceeds the capabilities of most high end digital labs). If you are looking for a regular service provider in your area, having a non-competing expert identify and qualify your local service provider can certainly save a tremendous amount of time, money, and frustration.

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