YARNS WITH...SKY VIEW PHOTOGRAPHY

YARNS WITH...SKY VIEW PHOTOGRAPHY

by Kimberley Torrie

  1. Picky: When did you first pick up a camera? Please tell us your backstory!
    Andrew Underwood: My Dad is a keen amateur photographer and growing up his passion for picture taking definitely rubbed off on me. He went as far as building a dark room in our loft to develop the film from his Nikon SLR and I was fascinated by his Kodak photography manuals. I remember learning about things like the rule of thirds, the golden ratio, long exposures, polarising lens filters and how to construct overlapping panoramic stitches whilst still at primary school.

    At some stage I was gifted my first digital camera - I think around the age of 11 or 12, which could shoot at a 1.3 megapixel resolution. This was state of the art at the time believe it or not. Since that time, I’ve never not had a camera on me, upgrading over time to various point and shoots, action cameras, to full frame DSLR’s, and eventually drones.

    As I got older, my interest in aviation led me into a career as a pilot. Whilst building my experience towards an airline job, I was employed at an aerial survey company flying an aircraft fitted with belly mounted cameras that captured images of the ground below the flight path. The survey company was an early adapter of drone technology, and I was also taught how to fly and capture images with their survey grade quadcopter. After getting a taste of drone photography commercially, I purchased my own DJI drone and the rest as they say is history.

    Seven years later, I’ve owned about 10 different drones as the inbuilt technology in the consumer level drone market is constantly being improved and superseded. I formed Sky View Photography in 2015 to monetise my passion, and have since completed over 550 shoots for more than 250 different clients!

    Graphic aerial image of roads merging on a suburban Auckland roundabout.

  2. How would you describe your photographic genre / style?
    Vertical (nadir) perspectives are my go-to, shot from the above looking down towards the ground at an angle 90 degrees. I enjoy finding patterns and geometric shapes, both natural and manmade that either are not as obvious or unseen from ground level. I also enjoy shooting in twilight back towards the sun, playing with the contrast and angle created by shadows.
  3. What’s your motivation to create the work which you create?
    I see lots of elevated perspectives of the world from above during my day job as a pilot. Being able to easily visualise the world in three dimensions gives me ideas of new ways to frame shots of locations with drone cameras that showcase these places uniquely. 
  4. What sort of imagery / content would you like to see more of around Aotearoa? Why do you feel it’s important to see such imagery?
    The documenting of our country’s natural beauty whilst it remains largely untouched by mankind. We’re fortunate enough to still have so much of the country we like in appearing as it would have originally been seen by the first settlers which cannot be said by many other nations around the world.

    That being said, I always enjoy seeing before and after shots- particularly aerial scenes from above NZ captured by biplane in the early 20th century, and comparing them to modern day. Auckland in particular is almost unrecognisable.

    Aerial image of crystal clear waters of rocky coastline.

  5. Favourite subject to photograph?
    Definitely coastlines. It’s almost impossible to get a bad shot with natural contrast between water body and land mass. 
  6. Pick your favourite image of yours on Picky. What is it, where was it taken and what’s the story?
    The oblique shot of Wellington waterfront at sunset. This photography was captured on a whim, with the drone hovering just overhead the front deck of my old house on Palliser Road, on the slopes of Mount Victoria. It reminds me of good memories I had whilst living here as it matches the view out of the living room window.
  7. If you could only photograph one person / place / object for the rest of your life, what would it be?
    Coastlines again. Depending on the tide, the wind, sky conditions and time of day, the same location will never appear the same twice. 

  8. How do you feel about the current creative climate in NZ?
    I guess you can say great minds think alike. A lot of Kiwi drone photographers seem to be sharing very similar content when it comes to aerial perspectives at least. This is both good and bad, with the positive here being the ability to outsource work with contemporary photographers around the country knowing that they have a good eye. The negative that I have experienced is certain drone photographers making the mistaken assumption that your own original work is derivative of their shots rather than realising we share a mutual appreciation for a certain aesthetic. 
  9. “Picky Pointer” – Is there one tip, trick or life hack which makes your job easier? 
    PPPPP – Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance, when it comes to aerial photography. Research shoot locations on Google Earth. Consider using SunCalc for sunlight angle and shadow direction. Look at the weather forecast for expected cloud coverage. All this prep can save disappointment and wasted time, especially if your shoot location is a bit of a drive to get to!
  10. What’s next for you?
    With summer around the corner, we’re looking forward to getting out in the sunshine. Think swimming pools, tennis courts, beaches and jetskis.

    Find Sky View Photography's collection on Picky here.