FAA part 107 Certified Drone Operator - Texas Aerial Photographer

I recently passed the FAA part 107 exam. Officially licensed and legal pilot for all drone / UAV work, as well as manned aircraft aerial photography. I am ready to discuss your next project!

Aerial Photography is something I have done for years from manned aircraft, so this is not a new fad I just decided to try. I have almost a decade of experience photographing commercial and residential properties from the sky, as well as construction progress and other projects. While there are still times a manned flight is the only option for a very specific project, adding Drones to my toolbox opens the door to a few new things that were not possible or cost effective with manned aircraft.

• Orthomosaics - Georeferenced mapping can be done in real time. Mapping of properties of all types, in many cases same day. This allows for weekly, bi weekly or monthly progress of job sites, construction, or land development to be documented efficiently and accurately. With precision ground control points surveyed on the initial setup, and satellite GPS tagging of images, each map is extremely accurate and can be updated in 24 hours or less. These maps can be overlayed into google earth maps for exact updates of your site in comparison to the surrounding infrastructure.
• Inspection - Quickly and accurately inspect areas that would normally require specialized climbing tools, techniques and personnel. Get a quick, real time view of tall roofs, towers, or difficult to access areas to determine if sending in maintenance/repair employees is necessary. No ladders or harness required.
• Volume measurement - In construction and Mining operations, measuring production material volume, volume of blast areas, and removed material piles in real time, gives decision makers on site, and at remote offices access to real numbers in real time. This aids in logistics planning for removal and dispersion of excavated materials, and storage capacities of delivered / consumable materials.
• Mining, Oil & Gas Production and Energy - In addition to volume measurements, Drones allow tracking of equipment positions, excavation progress, drill and rig site surveys, aggregate calculations, and monitoring of safety compliance on site.

For more info on what I can do for your business with Drone technology, call or email and I am happy to discuss your specific needs in detail.

http://www.jasonjones-photo.com/contact

Unexpected things always happen...

 Over the last decade, I have seen, or been privy to, just about every unexpected thing you can imagine on a photoshoot, or location set. While I have seen my share of bad things, most "unexpected" occurrences are pleasant, whimsical, or just downright funny. This was all 3 of those!

 While setting up for this bedroom shot, the homeowner's sweet Chihuahua/mix rescue didn't appreciate us straightening out her covers! She snuck up the backside of the bed, under the comforter, and poked her head out just as you see here.

  While no one can capture every great moment presented to them, part of being a professional is delivering the unexpected. Shots like these are not story boarded or discussed, they just happen. Making it worthy of the assignment you were shooting is even more difficult, but certainly in the realm of possible. I am always happy to surprise an editor with bonus material such as this, or an unplanned, gorgeous sunset shot off the balcony they didn't know they wanted. There is no rhyme or reason, you just have to be ready. Architectural and Interior design photography is my main niche, but delivering professional results EVERY time, no matter what I am photographing, is what I truly specialize in.

 Another cover, and feature spread! One of my favorite shoots this year, and it turned out great. Before I was a photographer, I worked in the automotive industry for many years. When I left that career, I said I was through with it and never looking back. However, life has a funny way of proving my mom's favorite saying of "Never say Never".  That being said, my automotive experience has landed me several photography clients in that sector, and that knowledge helps make the shoots much more pleasant than if I had never been in the back end of dealerships and service centers. It is actually refreshing to visit shops from a different perspective, and to interact with the staff and have working knowledge of the things we discuss, instead of acting like I understand long enough to "get the shot".

  Editorial and Advertising photography is something I have always enjoyed, and seeing my work in print when another magazine arrives in the mail is always exciting. I will NEVER grow tired of that!

FAA Drone Advisory Committee Formed

The FAA has formed a 35 member committee to establish standards for the industry. With safety as the priority, it should go without mentioning that this will benefit Drone Aerial Photographers and Videographers, by giving the FAA industry input.

While I normally frown upon more Government oversight and regulations in most endeavors, because historically it has smothered small business, I feel this is certainly a good thing, and a step in the right direction. As someone who shares airspace with drones from General Aviation and Light Sport aircraft, and vice versa, I welcome any and all safety and operating guidelines that allow for safe, and prosperous interaction of both.

Here is the AOPA article on the committee, and it is well worth the read:

https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2016/september/20/drone-advisory-committee-kicks-off?utm_source=eBrief&utm_medium=Content

Dallas Aerial Photographer

Museum Tower Book of Artwork, Part 2

Slip/Strike by Nathan Green. 48x72", mixed media.

As promised in my previous post ( http://jasonjones-photo.blogspot.com/2016/08/museum-tower-dallas-book-of-art.html ), here are a few more selections from the book of artwork housed in Museum Tower. I opted not to cut pages out of one copy, because they will not fit on a standard office scanner anyway. The text and insets make the book for sure, but the images stand on their own as well in this context. Here is a selection of my favorite pieces - to shoot, and overall in the project.

Gray Area by Robert Levine. 72x72", oil on canvas.

White Wall by Brad Miller. 20x9 feet, in the main lobby.

Autumn Series Commission by Brock Enright. 40x40", Mirror, Metal & Fluorescent Lighting.

Untitled by Nic Nicosia. 21x32", Ink on watercolor paper

Dallas and Ft. Worth Architectural Photographer