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Created as a sister company to aerial photography businesses in Georgia and Florida, Aerial Innovations of Tennessee Inc. has landed contracts to take photos of some of the area's biggest building projects, including the StoneCrest Medical Center, the Nashville Symphony and RoundAbout Plaza. Founded by Wendy Alexander and Rachel Paul, the start-up shoots photos of construction projects from either a helicopter or a small airplane through a relationship with Colemill Enterprises Inc., which provides certified flight instructors to captain the aircraft. On a typical trip, Aerial Innovations will have numerous assignments, flying from photo site to photo site. That allows the company to keep costs down. The photos, showcasing the architecture and the entire building, are used as marketing tools for businesses, which post the updated photos on their Web sites or hang them on office walls. "You can use maps and you can use ground photography, but to get a real view, aerial is needed," says Alexander, company president, who spent three years at the Georgia business. Aerial Innovations has performed projects from Tri-Cities to Memphis. Going statewide provides a steady stream of business and avoids relying on Nashville to support the business by itself. Costs range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars depending on the project and how many clients are booked on each flight. "I don't think Nashville could support the company we wanted, and our clients build all over the state," Alexander says. With the economy picking up, the aerial photography business is doing better, says Julie Belanger, president of the Professional Aerial Photographers' Association International, a trade group representing some 300 photographers across the globe. She estimates there are some 2,000 aerial photographers worldwide. "Aerial photography is either a tool in their business or it's something a company will spend their money on for art for their walls," says Belanger, owner of Morgan Hill, Calif.-based 111th Aerial Photography Squadron. "If there's no money to spend for art on the walls, they aren't going to spend money on photography." Barge Waggoner Sumner Cannon Inc., the area's second-largest engineering firm, used Aerial Innovations for ground shots of the Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge and aerial photos of a regional water treatment plant in Dickson County. The Dickson photos, needed for an award submission, may also be used for promotional pieces and on the company's Web site, says Steve Campbell, senior vice president. "They did a great job," he says. "I'm very pleased with their work and I'm sure we'll use them some more." For her part, Alexander points with pride to the Schermerhorn Symphony Hall planned for downtown Nashville. "That's one of those projects that's skyline-changing, a job that everyone's proud to work on," she says. rmoore@bizjournals.com, 615-248-2222 ext. 117 |
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