I don't know much about aerial photography. How do I decide if it's right for me?

Many of our aerial clients had never used aerial photos before. Now, they find them to be a valuable asset to their business.

These FAQ’s and some on-line research are a good start, you can also contact us at info@peakaerials.com or by phone 403-969-9796. We can quickly get you up to speed on the basics of aerial photography, with straight answers and no pressure.

What does it cost?

Our prices range from $600 for smaller, centrally located sites to $10,000+ for multi-site, multi-city portfolios and major construction projects in remote locations. The majority are between $800 and $1600.

How do I get started?

Email or phone us with some general information about your project. Things we will need to know:

  • Location – Street Address, GPS coordinates, Google Earth markup or map
  • Short Project Description – Warehouse, Roadwork, Shopping Centre, Infrastructure Project, Mine, Gas Plant, etc.
  • Purpose of Aerial Photos – Marketing, Property Portfolio, Construction, Planning/Design/Proposal, etc.
  • Timing and Deadlines
  • Specific photography requirements or creative design brief (optional)

We are happy to discuss options that have worked best for similar client projects and quickly provide a quote to you, often within the hour. Sometimes we need to contact others (Aircraft charter companies, Air Traffic control, etc.) to give you an accurate quote, usually within 24 hours.

Once a quote is accepted, we will make the appropriate arrangements and photograph your project.

What are the deliverables? Can I see what a typical aerial photo package looks like?

We supply high resolution, professionally edited images taken on the best weather days available.  We shoot both wide angle and zoomed in photos from all directions to showcase your project in context with its surroundings and to capture all the small details.

We do not charge by the number of photos. We promise to deliver a set of excellent quality photos that will likely cover any current or future usage.  For a small project, such as a warehouse or small commercial site, we typically supply 25 to 40 photos.  For the largest sites, such as a major freeway construction project or large subdivision, we may supply 500+ photos to ensure that every aspect of the project is covered.

Low resolution (emailable) versions of the images and a pdf index sheet document with thumbnails and file names of the photos are included as part of our standard package.

Please contact us for samples, they will also be available on our website soon.

High resolution photos and video can be very large. How do you deliver them?

We utilize WeTransfer, Dropbox, Google Drive, AWS, portable hard drives (couriered) or client supplied secure server access.

What kind of cameras do you use?

We use image stabilized high resolution professional cameras and lenses (Nikon, Canon, Sony) with 36, 50 and 60 megapixel sensors.

What aircraft do you use for your aerial shoots?

Depending on availability, photography requirements and distance between sites, we either use helicopters (Robinson R22/R44, Bell 206, EC125) or small high wing aircraft (Cessna 172). Occasionally we require larger twin-engine helicopters for specialty work or work over water.

What are "Dedicated" and "Shared" photo flights and how do I choose?

“Dedicated” flights are for tight deadline projects, projects that require specialized photo or video work (dusk or nighttime, over airports, etc.), or that are required to be flown at times of the year and/or locations where we only photograph your project on the flight.

“Shared” or “Tag-on” flights are a popular solution to lower costs.  The volume of our aerial photography work allows us to photograph multiple projects for multiple clients on a single flight. This significantly reduces per-project aircraft charter costs for us and our clients.

Exactly what does your price quote include?

  • Mission planning, booking aircraft charters, pilot briefings, special permits, maps and flight details for Air Traffic Control, review of client requirements, etc.
  • Aircraft charter and all associated expenses (Pilot, fuel, landing fees, etc.).
  • Aerial photography and travel, including time, travel expenses, photography equipment usage, etc.
  • Editing, preparation of the deliverables, and electronic delivery of the photography package.
  • An invoice will be emailed to you with the deliverables.
  • Unforeseen delays due to weather, scheduling or mechanical issues are the responsibility of Peak Aerials. Rarely, we may not be able to complete a mission due to circumstances outside our control.

Do you guarantee the quality of your work?

We are not satisfied until you are.

If we have technical problems or miss critical photos that were agreed upon, we reshoot at our expense. Photo missions that are interrupted or cancelled by Air Traffic Control or by poor weather are rescheduled and redone, at no extra charge.

Decisions to fly or not fly, or to cancel a flight midway, are based on safety, ability to re-fly in a timely manner and whether photos taken in less than perfect weather conditions are acceptable. When in doubt, we contact clients to discuss options before we start.

 

We reserve the right to cancel any mission at no charge to you if there are safety issues or it is unlikely that we can meet the project requirements.

Why should I choose Peak Aerials?

We believe that our strong and diverse portfolio of aerial images and our track record of successfully completing thousands of aerial missions for our clients, some of whom we have worked with for over a decade, tells our story best.

We love what we do and trust that this shows in our work.

What restrictions are there on usage of the photos?

We want you to be able to use the photos as you see fit.  As with our Stock Aerial Photos, the primary constraints are on reselling the photos or making copies of the photos for purposes outside of your company’s interests.

We would be happy to send you a copy of our usage rights.

How long after the flight can I expect to receive our edited photos?

Our goal is to deliver within 3 to 5 business days. For time sensitive projects we may deliver photos the same day or next day.

What about drones?

Due to the recent drone regulation changes, especially over cities and build-up areas, we have discontinued our drone services.

We often can use planes and helicopters to do projects that we used drones for in the past, at similar prices.  We collaborate with several drone companies to either do projects for their clients where drones are restricted or they fly projects for our clients where drones are the best aerial solution.

Can I come along on a flight?

For a standard daytime photo flight in calm weather, we can occasionally fly with an extra person(s) on-board. There may be an additional charge for larger aircraft and other restrictions.

We can fly with clients and provide photography services on a flight chartered by the client.

For photo flights done under special permitted conditions (low altitudes, dusk or night flights, over airports, over water etc.) only personnel required for the photography assignment are allowed to be on-board.

How can I pay? Credit Card, invoice? Payment Terms?

We can email you an invoice to you, with a link to a secure credit card payment or you can pay by cheque or money transfer.  We accept Visa and Mastercard.  Payments are due in 45 days.

For new clients or for large projects, we reserve the right to request partial or full payment prior to the flight.

Can I get the unedited RAW files?

Yes.  Generally, we supply edited photos for most clients, but we will supply the raw files of specific images upon request.

Can I set up a corporate account with you to provide your services in a specific city or across the country for different divisions of our company?

Yes. Our goal is to be your go-to aerial photographer for locations in one city or across Canada. Our clients count on us to deliver high quality aerial photos, on time and on budget.  Additionally, we offer discounts on our stock aerial photos for our aerial photography clients.