Stills carry different requirements than motion — resolution, latitude, and the patience to wait out the light.
The high desert light in New Mexico is the reason photographers have worked here for a century — clean air, long shadows, and a golden hour that actually delivers. Aerial stills here need less rescuing in post than almost any market we work.
Aerial stills for key art, campaigns, editorial, architecture and listings. We shoot raw, deliver graded or flat depending on what your retoucher wants, and we plan around the sun rather than around the schedule where the schedule allows it. The same certification and insurance apply as on any motion job, because the airspace does not care what you are capturing.
Elevation and heat combine in summer to reduce what an aircraft can lift and how long it stays up, which is a genuine planning input rather than a footnote. Monsoon season brings sharp afternoon storms. Autumn light here is as good as it gets anywhere.
The Sunport shares its field with Kirtland Air Force Base, which puts military traffic into the same Class C airspace as everything else and makes coordination less routine than the airport size suggests. Get outside the metro and the airspace opens dramatically, which is much of the appeal.
We shoot the Sandias, the high desert, the studio campuses, and the mesas — and we travel. CineDrones works nationwide, so if your production is basing in Albuquerque and shooting somewhere else entirely, that is a normal week for us.
High-resolution stills payloads with the latitude to hold a sky and a shadow in the same frame.
Our aerial units have worked on Ozark, Jack Ryan, Bosch, Mayans M.C., SEAL Team, NCIS: New Orleans, Fear the Walking Dead, American Horror Story, Modern Family, 9-1-1, Goliath, The Resident, Raising Dion, Castle Rock, Doctor Sleep and Chef's Table, for Netflix, Amazon, Apple, HBO, Hulu, Showtime, Sony, CBS, AMC, MTV and Bravo. See the work →
Raw files as standard, plus graded selects if you want them. We will deliver flat if your retoucher would rather start clean. Nothing is baked in that you cannot undo.
That is usually the plan. The constraint is rarely the light — it is getting authorization for the specific location at the specific hour, which is why these shoots get planned rather than improvised.
Commercial aerial photography carries the same requirements as motion work: a certificated pilot, airspace authorization where applicable, and usually a location permit. The airspace does not care whether you are shooting stills or motion.
DRONE PHOTOGRAPHY — OTHER MARKETS: Atlanta Austin Chicago Las Vegas Los Angeles Miami New Orleans New York Salt Lake City
Get ready to elevate your production to new heights with CineDrones! Operating in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York, Albuquerque, Austin, Atlanta, Chicago, Miami, Salt Lake City, and New Orleans, we bring the power of cutting-edge drone technology to every project. Whether you're capturing breathtaking aerial footage, thrilling FPV shots, or immersive drone-based virtual reality, our expert teams of FAA-certified pilots, aerial camera pros, and drone techs have you covered. Fully compliant with Part 107 regulations and protected by a $5M aviation liability policy, we guarantee precision, safety, and creativity. Plus, with Local 600 union and non-union crews available, we’re ready to deliver jaw-dropping results wherever you need them!