Drone Photography and Aerial Video in Dallas, for Construction, Energy and Industrial Sites

I'm Ray Payne, an FAA Part 107 certified drone pilot, photographer and director based in Dallas. I fly over plants, solar and wind farms, rail yards and job sites for TrinityRail, ENGIE, Invenergy, Oncor, Gray Construction and Balfour Beatty.

I'm on the ground with a camera on the same visit, so the aerials and the ground shots match. You book one person and sit through one safety orientation.

Aerial drone photography of a freight train crossing a bridge against the Dallas skyline, highlighting Texas transportation infrastructure and urban connectivity.
Aerial drone photograph of technicians positioning wind turbine components with heavy lift equipment, highlighting precision energy infrastructure installation.
Aerial drone shot capturing crews installing facade panels on a Dallas high-rise, highlighting active commercial construction, safety, and urban development.
Aerial drone photography documenting an active mid-rise construction project, showcasing concrete framing and vertical progress for commercial marketing.
Aerial drone photography of a modern glass corporate headquarters in Dallas, Texas, showcasing architectural symmetry and professional business environments.
Aerial drone view of a storage yard with rows of tanker railcars, illustrating logistics scale and transportation infrastructure for the energy and rail industry.
Aerial drone photography capturing wind turbine blade installation using a heavy-lift crane, highlighting precision engineering and renewable energy infrastructure.
Aerial drone photography of the Dallas skyline featuring modern skyscrapers and urban density, captured during early evening to highlight city architecture.
Aerial drone photography of a multi-building corporate office campus with landscaped grounds, emphasizing commercial real estate and executive office environments.
Aerial drone photography capturing a major Dallas highway interchange at golden hour, highlighting transportation infrastructure and commercial development.
Professional drone photography documenting wind turbine blade installation via crane basket, emphasizing industrial safety and renewable energy construction.
Aerial drone view of intermodal freight trains running alongside elevated Dallas highways, illustrating large-scale logistics and transportation networks.
High-altitude drone photography of a technician atop a wind turbine hub, showcasing a vast wind farm, renewable energy infrastructure, and industrial safety.
Aerial drone photography of a modern commercial office complex in Dallas, Texas, showcasing clean architectural lines, glass facades, and urban development.
Aerial drone photography of downtown Dallas at sunset, capturing high-rise construction, active development corridors, and urban growth for commercial clients.
Aerial drone photography of a Texas wind energy operations facility and active turbines, showcasing renewable energy infrastructure and industrial operations.
FAA-certified drone photography of wind turbine technicians performing maintenance at height, emphasizing industrial safety and renewable energy infrastructure.

Clients and projects

Balfour Beatty: aerials on an award-winning annual report.

My drone stills and video of a downtown Dallas high-rise under construction ran on the cover and inside Balfour Beatty's annual report. That report won Best Annual Report (Mid Cap) at the IR Magazine Awards Europe, and the drone video ran on their website. Since then I've flown and photographed several more of their projects under construction, around Dallas-Fort Worth and in Atlanta.

TrinityRail.

Drone stills and video of railcars in service, maintenance facilities and manufacturing plants across North America, plus employee action videos.

ENGIE.

A battery storage facility and solar farms, including a large solar farm in Central Texas.

Invenergy.

Drone video of wind turbine maintenance, plus aerials of their wind farms.

Oncor.

Drone stills and video across Texas, including storm damage repair and equipment installation.

Gray Construction.

Drone stills and video of large construction projects, including a chip manufacturing facility.

Also:

Stantec (the State Highway 121 project in North Texas), Paligen Technologies (their DFW manufacturing facility), Berryman Products (their Arlington plant), Cummins (a fracking facility in West Texas), Cushman & Wakefield (exterior video of 2400 Glenville).

What I fly

  • Construction projects in progress, from site work to high-rises

  • Industrial plants and manufacturing facilities

  • Solar farms, battery storage and wind farms, including turbine maintenance

  • Rail yards, maintenance facilities and railcars in service

  • Highways and infrastructure projects

  • Commercial real estate and corporate campuses

Flying legally in Dallas airspace

I'm FAA Part 107 certified and insured. Dallas has busy airspace around DFW Airport, Love Field and downtown. I fly anywhere in Dallas-Fort Worth I can get clearance, from downtown to McKinney, and I plan every flight around the airspace and get FAA authorization through LAANC when a flight needs it. On industrial sites I wear the PPE your site requires, go through your safety orientation, and fly around your production schedule.

Gear and delivery

I fly DJI drones and shoot both stills and 4K video. I edit and color-grade in DaVinci Resolve Studio, so the aerials match the ground footage I shoot on Sony.

Related services

For ground-level stills of the same sites, see my industrial photography. Drone footage can be cut into a full production on my video production page. Finished buildings are on my architectural photography page, and executive portraits and events are on my corporate photography page.

Related reading: The Unique Power of Drone Photography in Architectural Marketing.

Send me the site address, what you need to show from the air, and your timeline. I'll check the airspace and come back with a plan and a full estimate.

Get an estimate

Questions I get about drone work

Can you fly near DFW Airport or downtown Dallas?

Often, yes. Near airports I get FAA authorization through LAANC before I fly, and I plan the flight with your site contact. Send me the address early so I can check the airspace.

Do you shoot drone photos and video?

Both, on the same flight if you need them: stills and 4K video.

Can you fly over an active industrial or construction site?

Yes. I'm insured, I follow your PPE rules, and I plan the flight around your production schedule and your crews.

Can you shoot ground photos on the same visit?

Yes. I'm a photographer and director first, so one visit gets you aerials, ground stills and video.

Do you travel outside Dallas-Fort Worth?

Yes. I'll fly anywhere I can get clearance. Around Dallas that includes McKinney and the rest of North Texas, and I've flown in West Texas, Central Texas, Atlanta, and across North America for TrinityRail. Travel is estimated up front and billed separately.