“It was a truly incredible experience,” says Smith. Smith’s impressive resume also includes serving as chief drone pilot for the 2020 World Games held in Birmingham. He also shot additional footage around campus that the directors used before going to commercial breaks. His drone footage added visual interest to the shots of the set and showed crowds of students at the highlighted university. He was the network’s first drone pilot, retiring just this fall. Until very recently, Smith worked for ESPN’s College GameDay and Baseball Tonight on the Road as a drone videographer. I wanted to take photos and videos.” His DJI Mavic 3 Cine is just one of seven he currently owns. “When drones were brand new, I knew I wanted to be a part of that. The first mass-market drone was the DJI Phantom, hitting the market in 2013.

From RC planes, he graduated to the latest when drones became available beyond their military origins.

Smith grew up loving radio-controlled planes and had been flying them since he was 15 years old. After that, extensive training was required to be a licensed drone operator, but not to the extent of full pilot certification. Because he was already a pilot, he was among the few who could fly a drone commercially before 2016, when the rules regarding unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were reevaluated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). And they’re doing it from 400 feet in the air.ĭavid Smith is a certified pilot and a professional drone operator. They’re bringing smiles to our faces with a different perspective of those amazing sunrises and literal birds-eye views of our local wildlife. They are chasing storms to help forecast and cover weather events.

They are producing comprehensive coverage of sports programs. They have received acclaim for their photography in and around the lake and beyond. There are a few local photographers who have taken it a huge leap above for a different perspective. Getting that perfect picture is an art form. Whether you’re shooting a closeup of one of our hundreds of bird species, an awe-inspiring sunrise or yet another breathtaking sunset, we live in a place rich in photographic potential. If you live on or near Logan Martin Lake or Neely Henry, you know that both offer endless opportunities for breathtaking pictures. David Smith, Joe Paul Abbott, Mike Callahan and Heath Lollar

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