Aerial and visual storytelling project
National investment campaign across 12 locations
aerial photography across multiple regions
Overview
This project with 23red involves capturing aerial imagery across twelve locations to visually communicate investment to support local businesses, communities and regional growth. The imagery encourages businesses to apply for grants and access funding, using place-based visual brand storytelling photography to make investment visible, tangible and relevant at a local level.
Working across multiple regions, involves a technically complex production, combining strategic planning, risk management and responsive decision-making in live conditions. Bringing together my experience in destination and infrastructure storytelling with advanced drone operations, allows investment narratives to be communicated clearly and compellingly through aerial perspective.
The brief
To create a cohesive set of aerial images to be used across a national campaign. Highlighting where funding and support is being directed. Each location needed to feel distinct and locally rooted, while still sitting within a consistent visual language that works across the wider campaign.
Key objectives included:
- Showing investment in real, recognisable places rather than abstract concepts
- Creating imagery that feels accessible and grounded for local businesses
- Delivering visuals to be used across digital, social and campaign materials
- Working safely and compliantly across complex, often high-risk environments
The work requires careful coordination. As well as detailed planning and the ability to adapt quickly. As conditions often change during production.
Approach & Planning
This project demands a high level of preparation before stepping into the field. Each location requires detailed flight planning, risk assessments and permissions. Alongside an understanding of local airspace restrictions and environmental considerations.
My approach focuses on planning for precision while allowing flexibility on the ground. Weather windows, light conditions and airspace access are all factored into a rolling production schedule. This ensures each location can be captured safely and effectively without compromising quality.
The planning process includes: Detailed location research and site assessments and comprehensive risk assessments for each flight area. Airspace checks and permission applications where required. Weather forecasting and contingency planning. As well as coordinating logistics across multiple regions and locations.
This groundwork allows production to move efficiently once on site. Even when conditions required rapid changes to the plan.
Production in the field
Over the course of the project, I worked across twelve locations. Adapting to changing weather, light and access constraints while maintaining consistency across the visual output. Many locations requires working within busy, complex or sensitive environments. Demanding a calm, methodical and safety-first approach.
Capturing Aerial imagery alongside an understanding of how each place functions on the ground. This ensures the final visuals reflect not just geography, but lived context. Timing is key, planning flights around optimal light conditions to ensure each location feels considered and intentional rather than rushed.
This is a project where problem-solving, responsiveness and experience is essential. Particularly when working within narrow weather windows or adapting flight plans in real time.
What this project involved
- Planning and delivering aerial photography across 12 locations
- Comprehensive risk assessments and flight planning for each site
- Navigating complex and restricted airspace environments
- Adapting production schedules around weather and light conditions
- Coordinating shoots across multiple regions during a single campaign
- Creating a cohesive visual narrative across diverse locations
Outcomes & Impact
The final imagery formed part of a national campaign designed to encourage businesses to engage with funding and support opportunities. By showing investment in real places, the visuals helps bridge the gap between policy and people. Making support feel visible, relevant and grounded in local communities.
Using the images across campaign assets communicates opportunity, growth and access. As well as supporting the wider goal of encouraging businesses to apply for grants and investment.
For me, this project sits at the intersection of technical excellence and purpose-led brand storytelling photography. Using aerial imagery not just for scale or spectacle, but to communicate meaning and impact.
reaffirming how powerful aerial storytelling can be
Reflection
This is one of those projects where everything I love about my work comes together. Complex planning, technical challenge, collaboration and storytelling with purpose. I love the problem-solving nature of the production, as well as the responsibility that comes with operating in high-stakes environments.
It reaffirms how powerful aerial storytelling can be when used thoughtfully. This is why I am drawn to work that sits within infrastructure, investment and place-based narratives. I would love to do more work like this. Collaborating on projects where visual, brand storytelling photography plays a role in shaping understanding, access and opportunity.