Colorado Aerial Photography Newsletter and Blog

Grand Canyon Aerial Photograph

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 18:50:00 +0000

Here is a picture of Grand Canyon National Park in the winter. This picture won a Judge's Favorite award in the Professional Aerial Photography Association (PAPA) 2010 Annual Conference.

Every flight over the Grand Canyon is beautiful. This one was especially nice since it had recently snowed. The picture was taken in March 2009 from an altitude of approximately 10,500'. This view is looking South approaching the North Rim of the Grand Canyon with Mount Hayden near Imperial Point at the bottom and Humphrey's Peak near Flagstaff, Arizona at the top. A large print really shows the detail well and captures the beautiful view.

If you have interest in using this photograph or purchasing a print, please contact Debbie at debbie@coloradoaerial.com or 303-641-9528.

Long's Peak Aerial Photograph

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Here is one of our favorite panorama pictures of Long's Peak in the winter. This picture won Best in Show and Best Scenic photograph in the Professional Aerial Photography Association (PAPA) 2010 Annual Conference. It also won a Judges Favorite award.

It was impressive to be in the plane to see this picture. The picture was taken in March 2009 from an altitude of approximately 15,000'. It is looking at the Northwest ridge of Long's Peak where the Keyhole landmark and hiking route is located. Long's Peak is 14,255' high, is located in Rocky Mountain National Park, and is a prominent peak in the Denver skyline.

The typical summer hiking path will go from the snowy basin on the left corner called the Boulder Field and across the ridge in the center at a low point called the Keyhole, along the right side of the mountain in the Trough, across the ridge on the right near the top, and then to the top of the mountain through the Narrows and the Homestretch. A good description of the hiking route can be found at 14ers.com. The Cable route goes straight up from the Boulder Field, and the Diamond routes are on the opposite side of the mountain.

A large print really shows the detail well and captures the beautiful view. If you have interest in using this photograph or purchasing a print, please contact Debbie at debbie@coloradoaerial.com or 303-641-9528.

Certified Aerial Photographer

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 14:01:00 +0000

There is now a new certification program started by Professional Aerial Photography Association (PAPA), and Colorado Aerial Photography is proud to be a Certified Aerial Photographer. This new program ensures that photographers have the knowledge of all the FAA rules regarding aerial photography, have the required photography knowledge for multiple aerial platforms, and know the required safety.

You can also view the new certification status on the PAPA web site.

Award Winning Aerial Photography

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 14:00:00 +0000

This year at the 2010 Professional Aerial Photography Association (PAPA) Annual Conference, Colorado Aerial Photography won in the photograph categories for Best in Show and Best Scenic picture. Debbie also won two Judges' favorite picture awards.

Here are links to the two award winning pictures:

Long's Peak Winter Summit: Best in Show, Best Scenic, Judge's favorite

Grand Splendor (Grand Canyon): Judges favorite

Here is the press release for the awards:

=======================================================
Local woman pilot and aerial photographer win’s four top awards at the annual PAPA International annual print competition.

Debbie Cruikshank, owner of Colorado Aerial Photography, LLC in Longmont is the winner of the four top awards at the Professional Aerial Photographers Association (PAPA)International print competition recently held at the annual conference (Mar 4-6) in Houston, Texas. She received Best of Show, Best Scenic Aerial Photograph and a Judge’s Choice award for her panoramic print ‘Long’s Peak Winter Summit’. She also was awarded a Judges Choice for her aerial photograph ‘Grand Splendor’.

This is the third consecutive annual PAPA Conference Debbie has attended. “It was humbling to win two Judge’s Choice awards as there was so much remarkable work entered, and to receive the Best Scenic Aerial Photograph and the Best of Show award by people’s choice the same evening made it that much more incredible” said Debbie.

Debbie has combined her passion for photography, design, and love of aviation. She credits her ability to compose behind the lens to her design background. She earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of Colorado Boulder in Environmental Design and a Masters in Architecture from the University of Colorado Denver. She is a licensed pilot who shares her passion of flying with her pilot husband, Brian. With Brian at the controls, Debbie is able to create unique aerial imagery around Colorado from their Cessna 182 aircraft based at Vance Brand Airport in Longmont.

Colorado Aerial Photography specializes in aerial photo work for construction progress, developers and real estate clients as well as stock library images and keepsake gifts. Some of her projects include the Denver Justice Center for Hensel Phelps, the Democratic National Convention for Turner Construction, and the City of Englewood, among many others.

Debbie has been a resident of the Boulder county area for 23 years. After leaving her career in architecture she aspired to follow her passion and created a small business utilizing photography and aviation. She is a woman, a pilot, and now an award winning, certified aerial photographer in the greater Denver metro area and member of The Professional Aerial Photographers Association International (PAPA).

PAPA International promotes ethical business practices, new technologies and practical training for its members worldwide.

Interested parties may contact Debbie through the web site: http://www.coloradoaerial.com/.

Helicopter vs Airplane Aerials

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 22:50:00 +0000

Aerial photographs can be taken from either airplanes or helicopters. Helicopter aerials will incur an extra charge due to the extra expense, but sometimes it can be well worth the extra charge.

Close-up Details

Where the difference is especially noticed is in close-up detail photographs. With the helicopter, you are closer to the ground and closer to the site. For an airplane, you need a higher zoom factor for the same picture. The higher zoom factor will create a picture which is not quite as sharp, and for real tight close-ups, the needed zoom factor may not even be possible.

Example 1
Below are a pictures we took to show workers at a site making precast concrete pieces.

This is the picture from an airplane (210mm focal length). The workers and site are hard to pinpoint. The precast factory site is in the middle of the photograph.

This is the picture from a helicopter with a less zoom factor (165mm focal length). Less zoom is needed since we were closer and lower:

When we crop and enlarge the worker near the middle of the picture, we get the image below.

This close-up image would not be possible to get from an airplane.

Example 2

Below is a picture of construction from an airplane (150 mm focal length):

Here is a picture of the same construction from a helicopter with less zoom than the airplane (105mm focal length). Once again, less zoom is needed since we were closer and lower to the site.

Here is a cropped picture from the helicopter of some workers in the above picture. Uncropped picture source was 300mm focal length in a helicopter:

When an Airplane is sufficient

For large sites that you do not intend to zoom into, the difference can be minimal. Here is a picture taken from a plane and then one from a helicopter.

Photo from an airplane:

Photo from a helicopter:

The two pictures are taken on two different days with different lighting, but the overall composure is similar. If details on the building are not needed, the helicopter might not be needed.

Metropolitan Areas

In some city areas with lots of buildings, it can be easier to get photographs in a helicopter. Due to the slower speed of helicopters, they are allowed to get closer to other buildings and be closer to the ground. If the site is surrounded by other tall buildings, it may be important to use a helicopter.

Site and Situation Dependent

Every site and job is different. We will work with you to obtain the best aerial images possible. Give us a call, and we can discuss if using a helicopter is right for you.

Till next time,
Debbie Cruikshank: debbie@coloradoaerial.com
Brian Cruikshank: brian@coloradoaerial.com
Colorado Aerial Photography, LLC

Democratic National Convention Aerial Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:29:00 +0000

We take pictures for all types of needs. This past weekend, we were asked to take pictures of the Democratic National Convention. This was a special one to be asked to do. It only happens every 4 years, and it has not been in Denver since 1908. In order to not cause any problems for security, these pictures were taken the day before the convention started.

Here is an overall picture of the site. The area includes Invesco Field in the foreground, the Pepsi Center in the background, and quite a few tents that were erected specifically for the convention.

Here is a little closer in to show the Pepsi Center with all the tents that were constructed for the convention.

Then closer yet is just the Pepsi Center where all the main activities were from Monday-Wednesday.

If you have any need of photographs near these areas around the convention, please let us know.

Colorado Aerial Photography is here for all your aerial photography needs from your special needs to everyday needs.

Till next time,
Debbie Cruikshank: debbie@coloradoaerial.com
Brian Cruikshank: brian@coloradoaerial.com
Colorado Aerial Photography, LLC

Panorama Photographs

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 15:14:00 +0000

Paromoramic photographs can be a good way to capture images that are difficult to express in a standard 35mm frame.

35mm size

Here is an image we captured of the Winter Park ski area using the standard 35mm size. It is an impressive area, and you can see many of the surrounding mountains. But when you are there, it seems even more impressive.

Panorama Wide Format

Change this to a panorama, and it captures how impressive the moutains are all around the ski area.

Stock Photography

Look out for more pictures and galleries from Colorado Aerial Photography using panoramas. If you have a need for panoramic photos for your specific needs, please let us know.

Till next time,
Debbie Cruikshank: debbie@coloradoaerial.com
Brian Cruikshank: brian@coloradoaerial.com
Colorado Aerial Photography, LLC

New Denver Skyline Aerial Gallery

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 02:52:00 +0000

Recently, some people have been asking for pictures of the Denver skyline with the mountains in the background. With all the mountains in the background of Denver, this is not too hard. With our aerial missions in the Denver area, we also take the opportunity at the same time to capture stock photography.

If you are interested in seeing more pictures of the Denver skyline click the above picture or this link for the Denver skyline gallery.

If you would like to inquire about high resolution stock photography from these pictures or any other in the Denver area, please give us a call or send us an E-mail.

Till next time,
Debbie Cruikshank: debbie@coloradoaerial.com
Brian Cruikshank: brian@coloradoaerial.com
Colorado Aerial Photography, LLC

Windsor Tornado Damage

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Mon, 26 May 2008 21:15:00 +0000

On Thursday, May 22, a large tornado touched down in Windsor, Colorado. This was a surprise to a lot of people since we do not get many tornados this close to the mountains. And if they do happen, they are usually not very strong.

On Saturday, we went up to look at the damage and we even more surprised to see how the tornado had wreaked havoc to the small town. It looks like it really hit the main residential area which is sad.

Below is only one small section of the residential destruction. I imagine every house with a blue tarp has its roof blown off. Many are totally destroyed.

Some large buildings were demolished as shown below:

In this picture you can see a number of buildings demolished, but one in the center that is untouched.

We have more pictures if you are interested: Windsor Tornado Damage Gallery

If you have need of the pictures, please let us know. We are sad to see all this destruction and are willing to help wherever we can.

Debbie Cruikshank: debbie@coloradoaerial.com

Colorado Aerial Photography, LLC

What Aerial Photography Provides

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Mon, 26 May 2008 01:03:00 +0000

Sometimes people ask, "Why Aerial Photos since so much is on Google?" Google and other aerial mapping tools are great, but aerial photography from us offers a lot that those services cannot provide.

For construction, recent and monthly photos can be extremely important. This is not possible with Google. Also once a project is done, it is nice to get an aerial photos of the newly finished building. A custom aerial photography will provide a high resolution photograph with incredible detail that can be enlarged to about any size you want.

For realestate, vertical shots are likely not the best way to protray your property. Vertical shots only show the roofs of buildings and not the fronts. Oblique shots or shots taken from an angle can show nicely the perspective of your property in relation to the city and other prominent sites.

Till next time,
Debbie Cruikshank: debbie@coloradoaerial.com
Brian Cruikshank: brian@coloradoaerial.com
Colorado Aerial Photography, LLC

Aerial, Ground, Interior Photography packages

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Mon, 26 May 2008 01:01:00 +0000

In addition to aerial photography, Colorado aerial photography can provide packages which include ground and interior photos. One stop shopping.

If you would like to look at more example, follow this link: Air-Ground-Interior Examples.

Till next time,
Debbie Cruikshank: debbie@coloradoaerial.com
Brian Cruikshank: brian@coloradoaerial.com
Colorado Aerial Photography, LLC

Denver Downtown Construction

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Mon, 26 May 2008 00:59:00 +0000

Denver Downtown Construction

Much is going on downtown with lots of construction! On almost every street there is construction. Here are a few pictures of areas under construction.

Often when taking picture of one site, you capture two sites at the same time. In this picture, there is a building with 5+ stories built and one behind that is just starting.

The Justice Center:

1 Lincoln Place nearing completion on the outside:

For other Denver Construction see our Denver Construction Gallery.

Till next time,
Debbie Cruikshank: debbie@coloradoaerial.com
Brian Cruikshank: brian@coloradoaerial.com
Colorado Aerial Photography, LLC

Introduction

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Sun, 25 May 2008 14:42:00 +0000

Welcome to the Colorado Aerial Photography blog. This will be a newsletter and information spot for our customers. Our main Colorado Aerial Photography website is our main spot for general information about our company and our services.

What this blog will be about:

Colorado construction pictures
Colorado real estate areas
What is new in our galleries
How aerial photography can help you

Till next time,
Debbie Cruikshank: debbie@coloradoaerial.com
Brian Cruikshank: brian@coloradoaerial.com
Colorado Aerial Photography, LLC