By Christine Graf
After the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily halted the cruise industry, Capital Region native Chris Spangler found himself in need of a new job. Spangler had been employed as a tour guide in an Alaskan town that was a stopover point for cruise ships.
“Thanks to the pandemic, the cruise ship business obviously tanked which removed my Alaskan job,” said Spangler.
As a result, he decided to open his own business, Down to Earth Aerial. The Saratoga-based company specializes in drone photography and video production.
“I really enjoy aerial photography and flying drones, so I tapped into some of the contacts I have in this area in the construction industry and the real estate industry and worked to build a photography business specializing in aerial photography as well as virtual tours,” said Spangler.
He said it can be especially helpful in the effort to market commercial real estate to investors who are not familiar with the area. It is also useful in marketing residential real estate because it offers a different perspective on the property.
“It’s really nice for people who aren’t from the area to be able to look at a plot that they are considering and be able to see the surrounding area from the air,” he said. “And with the real estate industry for homeowners, it’s just a really nice way to show off the entire space as well as break up the images from just standard terrestrial shots of the house inside and out. It gives you a different viewpoint from up in the air. The big thing we try to talk to clients about is showing what they have from a different perspective.”
Spangler’s customers also include homeowners interested in purchasing aerial photos of their homes.