Adam's Aerials
- Adam Garrett
- May 11, 2023
- 1 min read
Updated: Aug 11, 2023

Above, photo from a former listing of mine in Hampton. Image by Adam
I wanted to share more details on my aerials in this article.
Aerial Examples for Listings On Property

Image by Adam in Smithfield at a former listing he sold

Image by Raider Photography in Kingsmill in Williamsburg at a former listing Adam sold prior to acquiring his current drone & FAA Part 107 certificate.

Image by Adam in Hampton at a former listing he sold

Image by Adam in King & Queen County at a former listing he sold
To see area amenities I often include in listing photography near the end, go to the next section, or see how I integrate the photography including ground shots & aerials in this example.
Aerial Examples for Area Amenities
Go here for examples of Adam's area photos, including pole shots, aerials, and ground shots. Here is an example of some of the photos in a single city Adam covers (Hampton).

Image by Adam in Norfolk

Image by Adam in Newport News

Image by Adam in Williamsburg

Image by Adam in Richmond

Image by Adam in Hampton

Image by Adam in Smithfield
Pole Shots
In some cases, whether due to time constraints (i.e. a manual authorization typically takes at least a few days to be processed by the FAA & ATC), no willingness for authorization from the tenants (or seller if Adam's representing a buyer), requirement for a special permit in a location (i.e. all Hampton city parks if standing in the park coupled by an FAA regulation with maintaining ability to have a visual of the drone at all times), desire for higher quality than what a comparable drone can produce at a low altitude, or the FAA prohibiting all aerials in an area, there are a number of cases where a drone is not the best way to get a shot from the air. In those cases, Adam has a 30' telescopic pole with an attachment for his phone which projects to his Ipad Pro which is attached to the pole. His method is highly effective for pole shots. Here are a few examples from Bethel Park in Hampton where a permit is required if you're flying a drone and located in the park.


Adam's FAA Part 107 Info
In case you're wondering, here's my FAA information:

Image courtesy FAA Drone Zone
Credential #: 4402152
Advanced Notice
Prior to a listing appointment with Adam or a showing with Adam if you're a buyer, it's best to provide Adam with advanced authorization/desire regarding aerials. If you have tenants in place, be sure to inform them prior. While aerials don't always occur at Adam's listing appointments, they're a standard feature when time permits and when a manual FAA waiver isn't necessary (which typically takes a few days after the request for the FAA/ATC to process). If you'd like aerials to be taken at your listing appointment, it's best to inform Adam, that way he can be sure to delay the appointment if needed based on manual authorization, the limits of his time, or weather. In limited cases, no manual request will be able to go through, but pole shots will still be possible.
Aerials for Buyers
In addition to aerials for sellers, I also have availability for aerials for buyers, whether at the time of inspection, time of initial showing, during a second showing when an offer not contingent on a home inspection is being considered, when showing large parcels of land, when taking aerials soon before closing on a new property (including with the buyer in the picture if desired), etc.

Above: buyer before closing - image by Adam
Some listing agents are hesitant to ask sellers about me doing aerials, especially if the listing agent didn't do aerials themselves with the listing (since it demonstrates the disparity between agents & the seller can be disappointed that the listing agent didn't do aerials themselves). In cases where no authorization is available from the seller, pole shots are helpful.
Adam's Area Photography Isn't Limited to Aerials & Pole Shots...
Sometimes, ground shots capture that which wouldn't be possible at a particular time or wouldn't be as good as a shot from the air. Here are some examples of my photos from the ground:

Image by Adam in Hampton

Image by Adam in Norfolk

Image by Adam in Newport News

Image by Adam in Portsmouth

Image by Adam in Yorktown

Image by Adam in Virginia Beach

Image by Adam in Hampton

Image by Adam in Smithfield
What About Photographers? Adam Uses Them for Still Photography on Property
Part of Adam's standard operating procedure with listings is to employ the services of a professional photographer for on property still photography from the ground. It's not uncommon for Adam to feel that the photographer missed 1 or more shots, no matter what photographer he uses, so you may find him adding on property still photography at times that he shoots himself as a supplement to a photographer's photos.
In the rare cases where a photographer has area photos available, they are often not in close proximity to the home & often do not include any aerials. It's also not uncommon for all area photos of a photographer to be shot on the same day for a whole city/county, meaning that differing positive seasonal elements aren't possible.
While Adam used to hire out others for virtual tours, he also found that the virtual tours were lacking, including never going outside, sometimes not using Matterport (the top virtual tour platform, including doll house view, a more immersive experience, & an overall superior platform), often skipping unfinished space, & sometimes even skipping whole rooms (even a bedroom as well as a bathroom in a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom house on one occasion!). Here's an example from Adam including an exterior element to the virtual tour:
Adam also used to hire out aerial photography, but again, like virtual tours, he found that the performance of many shooting aerial photography was lacking and that often shots that he wished they had taken weren't taken.
Also, when a seller has photography from the past of elements like a gorgeous past sunset, trees in bloom that aren't in bloom closer to listing &/or closer to the time between when the seller alerts Adam and when the property is listed, etc., Adam will sometimes integrate 1 or more of those photos along with Adam's aerials, Adam's area's pics, a professional photographer's still shots on property, & sometimes Adam's fill ins. Here's an example from a waterfront property he sold at 776 Court House in King & Queen County:

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