Stills carry different requirements than motion — resolution, latitude, and the patience to wait out the light.
Aerial stills for development, hospitality and the Hill Country, in a market growing fast enough that the frame changes year to year. Texas light in summer forces the shoot to the ends of the day, which has to be built into the schedule rather than hoped for.
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.
Texas summer forces exterior work to the ends of the day and heat affects both aircraft performance and how long anyone wants to stand in a field. Spring and autumn are excellent, and winters are mild enough that shooting continues.
Austin-Bergstrom anchors Class C airspace southeast of downtown, which keeps much of the city workable with LAANC authorization while the approach corridors stay tight. The Hill Country west of town opens up quickly, which is part of why productions base here and shoot outward.
We shoot downtown, the river, the Hill Country, and the Texas landscape — and we travel. CineDrones works nationwide, so if your production is basing in Austin 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: Albuquerque Atlanta 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!