Aerial and drone photography in Palm Beach CountyThe Aerial View Flown by the Book
Epic Wolf plans and produces aerial and drone photography for properties, developments, marinas and events in Palm Beach County, from its base in West Palm Beach. Commercial drone flights legally require an FAA-certified remote pilot, so a certified pilot flies every job. We check airspace, permits and privacy rules before the flight and direct the shots to fit the rest of your marketing.
Aerial and drone photography
Some things only make sense from above. A waterfront lot's relationship to the inlet. A development's distance from the interstate and the beach. A marina's slips, a golf community's routing, the full footprint of an estate behind its hedge. One aerial image can explain what ten ground-level photographs cannot.
Flying a drone for a business is aviation, and it is regulated as such. The FAA requires a certified remote pilot for commercial flights, parts of the county sit in controlled airspace that needs authorization first, and Florida has a privacy statute written specifically about drones and private property. Hiring someone's nephew with a drone puts the client's name on the result.
Our role is the planning and direction. We decide what the aerials need to show, check where and when the flight is legal, book a certified pilot and brief the shots so they match the ground photography in light and color. The pilot flies. The pictures arrive ready to sit beside everything else in the brand's library.
What it includes
Flight feasibility check
Airspace class, local rules and any restrictions reviewed for the address before a date is set.
FAA-certified remote pilot
A vetted, certified pilot engaged for every flight, with proof of certification available to the client.
Airspace authorization
Authorization requested by the pilot when the site sits in controlled airspace.
Shot direction
Altitudes, angles and time of day chosen to show context, access and scale.
Property and neighbor consent
Written permission from the property owner and a plan to keep neighboring homes out of frame.
Aerial stills and site context
Overheads, obliques and wide establishing views for listings, pitch decks and websites.
Editing and annotation
Color matched to ground photography, with lot lines or labels added where they help.
Matched ground coverage
Ground-level photography planned for the same day so the full set shares one light.
Send us the address and what the aerial view needs to show.
We will check the airspace and local rules for that site and tell you what can be flown and what it takes.
What to know
The rules behind aerial and drone photography
- A certificate is required
The FAA states that to fly a drone under its Small UAS Rule, Part 107, a pilot must obtain a Remote Pilot Certificate from the FAA, which involves passing an aeronautical knowledge exam. Part 107 is the rule the FAA applies to flying a small drone for work or business.
- Controlled airspace needs authorization
The FAA says drone pilots planning to fly under 400 feet in controlled airspace around airports must receive an airspace authorization before they fly. Its LAANC system can return that authorization in near real time, and it covers airspace only, so the pilot must still check restrictions and weather.
Source: FAA: LAANC
- Remote ID
According to the FAA, drones that are required to be registered, including those flown for business, must comply with the Remote ID rule. Remote ID is a drone's ability to broadcast identification and location information in flight that other parties can receive.
- Florida's drone privacy law
Florida Statute 934.50 says a person may not use a drone with an imaging device to record privately owned real property, or its owner or occupants, with intent to conduct surveillance in violation of a reasonable expectation of privacy without written consent. The statute provides for civil actions and attorney fees.
Source: Florida Statutes 934.50
- The county's permit process
The Palm Beach County Film and Television Commission says production companies planning commercial filming with a drone need to follow the FAA's Part 107 rule, which is incorporated into its permitting process, and that normal processing takes a minimum of three full business days.
Source: Palm Beach County Film and Television Commission: drones
- The Town of Palm Beach
The Town's event permit FAQ says no additional Town permit is required to use a drone beyond what the FAA requires, and that drones operated in the town must be operated and registered under all FAA and State of Florida rules, citing Sec. 14-35 of its code.
How the work runs
Check the site
Before quoting a date, we look up the airspace over the address, the local rules and who owns the land the pilot would launch from. Some sites need FAA authorization, some need a county permit and a few cannot be flown the way a client first imagined.
Brief the flight
We write the shot list with the pilot: what each image must show, from what height and in which light. The owner's written consent is collected, and neighbors' properties are planned out of the frame.
Fly and finish
The certified pilot flies the plan in suitable weather while we direct from the ground. Selects are edited to match the rest of the shoot and delivered with any labels or boundary lines the marketing needs.
Questions
Aerial and drone photography questions answered
Yes, when a certified pilot follows the FAA's Part 107 rules. The FAA requires a Remote Pilot Certificate for commercial drone flights, registration and Remote ID for the aircraft, and prior authorization in controlled airspace. Florida's privacy statute and local permit rules apply on top of that. Epic Wolf does not fly drones itself. We engage an FAA-certified remote pilot for every job.
Not from the Town. Its event permit FAQ says no additional Town permit is required for a drone beyond what the FAA requires, and that drones must be operated and registered under FAA and Florida rules. That does not waive federal airspace authorization or Florida's privacy law, and commercial photography on Town property by other means still needs a filming permit.
Often yes, with FAA authorization first. The FAA requires drone pilots to receive an airspace authorization before flying under 400 feet in controlled airspace around airports, and its LAANC system can grant many of those requests in near real time. Altitude ceilings vary by location and some requests need manual review, so we check the address before promising a date.
It can, which is why the flight is planned to avoid it. Florida law prohibits using a drone to record private property or the people on it with intent to conduct surveillance in violation of their reasonable expectation of privacy, without written consent. We get the owner's consent for the subject property and choose angles and altitudes that keep neighboring homes and yards out of the frame.
Weather and airspace are the usual reasons. Wind, rain and low cloud can ground a flight, and the FAA can issue temporary flight restrictions that close an area on short notice. The pilot makes the final call on safety. We schedule aerial work with a backup date, and we plan ground photography for the same day so the visit is still productive.
Keep reading
Go deeper before you decide
- Drone Rules for Commercial Shoots in Palm Beach CountyThe rules for commercial drone photo and video in Palm Beach County: FAA Part 107, airspace authorization, Florida privacy law, parks and local permits.
- Filming and Photo Permits in Palm Beach CountyWhen a commercial photo or video shoot needs a permit in Palm Beach County, who issues it, how the Town of Palm Beach differs and how far ahead to apply.
- Planning a Brand Photo or Video Shoot in Palm Beach CountyHow to plan a brand photo or video shoot in Palm Beach County: the shot list, locations and permits, releases, image rights, weather and a checklist.
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