Every assignment follows the same quiet sequence: a conversation about what you need to see, a check of the site and the airspace, then a flight plan built around light and weather. This page walks through those steps, so you know what to expect before we lift off and what happens after the memory cards are full.
Every assignment follows a similar path, from the first site visit to the final edited frames. The timeline below reflects how I work on commissioned series and long-term documentary projects across South Africa.
2019
Began with a two-week survey of an erosion-prone stretch near the Western Cape coast. The client needed baseline imagery before planning approval, so the work focused on repeatable flight paths and consistent lighting across several mornings.
2021
A set of urban aerial frames from the Foreshore series was licensed for a print feature on infrastructure change. This required delivering files with full metadata, flight logs, and captions that met the publisher's verification standards.
2022
Drove over 3,000 kilometres through the Karoo, photographing small towns and the spaces between them. The project tested how far a single drone battery and a medium-format camera could go in remote conditions, and shaped the workflow I still use for rural assignments.
2023
Moved all commissioned work to a single editing pipeline, with consistent colour calibration across drone and medium-format files. Clients now receive a contact sheet within five working days of the final flight, followed by a revised set after feedback.
2024
The long-term urban series continues with quarterly flights. Each pass adds new frames to the archive, and the accumulated material now supports both editorial licensing and commissioned studies of the same area.
Aerial photography sits somewhere between documentation and interpretation. Before you commission a series or license existing frames, it helps to know exactly what the images can and cannot promise. The points below are the practical terms I work with, stated plainly so there are no surprises later.
Every flight is planned around South African Civil Aviation Authority rules and local airspace restrictions. No image in the portfolio was captured without the necessary clearance, and for commissioned work the permit process is built into the timeline before a single frame is shot.
Colour grading and retouching happen in Capture One and Photoshop, but the work stays documentary. I do not remove structures, move landmarks, or composite scenes that were not there. What you see is what the sensor recorded, adjusted for light and atmosphere.
Archive material is licensed per use case: editorial, commercial, or personal. Each licence states the territory, duration, and medium. If you need an image for a specific campaign or publication, tell me the context and I will confirm whether the existing frame fits or a new flight is required.
Aerial work depends on conditions that cannot be forced. Strong wind, low cloud, or heat haze will delay a shoot. The published series were often completed over several visits, and commissioned projects should budget for the same flexibility rather than a single fixed date.
Most frames come from a full-frame mirrorless camera on a gimbal, with medium format used for ground-level work that needs extra detail. Technical notes accompany each project page, so you can see the exact body, lens, and altitude before deciding whether the look suits your brief.
Final images are delivered as 16-bit TIFFs alongside a colour-calibrated JPEG proof set. Raw files stay in the archive and are available on request for an additional fee. This keeps the workflow clean and gives you a clear record of what was captured versus what was adjusted.
If a project brief falls outside these terms, that is worth discussing before the shoot rather than after. The goal is a clear agreement on what the final images will show and how they can be used, so the work speaks for itself without needing a lengthy explanation.
Every aerial assignment starts with the ground. Before the first flight, there is site research, airspace checks, and a clear brief about what the final edit needs to hold. This is how the work stays consistent, whether it is a single commissioned frame or a series that runs for months.
The approach is built around three practical pillars that shape each project from the first call to the delivered files.
Permits, weather windows, and no-fly zones are sorted before the drone leaves the case. You get a clear flight plan and a realistic timeline, so there are no surprises on the day.
Every image moves through Capture One and Photoshop with a documented colour and retouch process. You receive edited files plus the working notes, so the final look is transparent and repeatable.
Aerial work is stronger when it is grounded in the site. I research the history, the terrain, and the client's story before shooting, which leads to frames that carry more than just a nice view.
Licensing is defined upfront for editorial, architectural, or archival use. You know exactly where and how the images can be used, without ambiguous terms later.
Want to see how this translates into a finished series? View selected projects or read about the studio .