Detroit Aerial Photography

Detroit Aerial Photography. I received a call on a very cold Saturday morning in January inquiring about the possibility of doing an aerial photography project that day. Andrie Inc is a marine transportation and equipment company located in Muskegon, Michigan. They were transporting a loaded barge through the ice filled waters and wanted aerial photographs as they came through the St. Clair River north of Detroit.

Because of the thick ice, barges are not normally brought through the lakes during the winter. By using two boats and some help from the Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker Samuel Risley, Captain Phil Andrie was able to navigate the ice filled waters. In sprite of 2013/2014 being one of coldest winters on record for this area, the loaded barge was successfully delivered to its final destination.

Pilot Nick McMahon of McMahon Helicopters circled the ships at differing altitudes and distances while I did the aerial photography using a Nikon D800. After 20 minutes of shooting we called it a wrap and headed back to the warmth of the hanger.

The objective of the aerial photography was to illustrate the difficult conditions that Captain Phil Andrie was facing in bringing the barge through the ice. My client and I were both happy with the photographs and hopefully, the next time that they need a Detroit Aerial Photographer they’ll call again!