Tex Kelly Productions
Aerial drone photograph from Verde Valley Vineyards in Cottonwood, Arizona

Drone Photographer · Cottonwood, Arizona

Drone Photographer in Cottonwood, Arizona.

Drone FAA Part 107-certified aerial photography and cinema.

Inquire Call (707) 382-1108
Tex Kelly, drone photography and videography for Cottonwood, Arizona

Hi. I'm Tex.

Welcome to FAA Part 107 drone, Cottonwood edition.

I'm a North Coast filmmaker and FAA Part 107 commercial drone pilot, voted Humboldt County's Best. Commercial drone photography and videography in Cottonwood runs across real estate aerial, construction-progress documentation, brand campaigns, and the kind of broadcast-grade aerial cinema that lifts a property listing or a brand film into a different category.

My job is to fly the FAA Part 107-rated DJI Mavic 3 Pro and DJI Matrice 350 RTK platforms safely, legally, and at cinema-grade quality in Cottonwood airspace. LAANC authorization handled on every commercial flight, all coordination documented in writing.

Now booking Cottonwood drone projects and real estate aerial.

Book your Cottonwood flight →
Tex Kelly piloting a DJI drone on a commercial FAA Part 107 flight, Cottonwood, Arizona

FAA Part 107 · The Operator

The pilot, on every flight.

Every Cottonwood drone flight on the calendar is operated personally by Tex. FAA Part 107 commercial Remote Pilot Certificate current and valid, LAANC airspace coordination handled in-house, and the local-knowledge advantage of years scouting Yavapai County skies for clean takeoffs, golden-hour windows, and the airspace boundaries that matter for the flight.

Drone Photography and Videography in Cottonwood, Arizona. Tex Kelly Productions

A note from Cottonwood

FAA Part 107 commercial drone work in Cottonwood, Arizona. Verde Valley vineyard aerials, Old Town historic district overhead, Tuzigoot National Monument-adjacent cinema, and Verde River corridor aerial editorial.

The Approach

Drone in Cottonwood. Flown with intent.

The Cottonwood airspace

Cottonwood from above, shot legally.

Cottonwood's Verde Valley vineyards, Old Town historic district, and the Verde River corridor all photograph beautifully from above, vineyard rows, brick-and-stone heritage commercial, and the Verde River bottomlands. FAA Part 107 work for winery brand, hospitality, and real-estate cinematics in the Verde Valley.

Drone Photography and Videography, Cottonwood, Arizona
Aerial composition, Yavapai County.
Drone Photography and Videography, Cottonwood, Arizona
FAA Part 107, LAANC-coordinated.

The Cottonwood flight

FAA Part 107. LAANC-coordinated.

A shoot in Cottonwood starts with the paperwork. The pilot holds an FAA Part 107 certificate, and the LAANC airspace authorization gets cleared in writing before anyone drives out. Over the Verde Valley vineyards we fly working-vineyard aerials. In Old Town we shoot the brick-and-stone storefronts overhead. For builders along the river we log construction progress, and for brands we cut it into short films one team handles end to end.

The Yavapai County scouting advantage

Cottonwood, Scouted from above.

The Verde Valley sits low, so the light pools in the morning before the heat builds. We know which vineyard rows read clean from above and where the Verde River corridor opens into riparian bottomland minutes from downtown. Tuzigoot sits just up the road, so the airspace near the monument needs care. Old Town's roofs catch gold late in the day. Knowing that ahead of time keeps the flight short.

Drone Photography and Videography, Cottonwood, Arizona
Hometown aerial scouting, Yavapai County.

Now booking, Cottonwood

Now booking Cottonwood drone projects for the year ahead.

Cottonwood aerial flights book on a rolling calendar, real estate listings often need 24–48 hour turnaround, commercial brand work books 4–6 weeks out. Send a note with your timeline and we'll scope the right LAANC authorization window.

Reserve your Cottonwood flight → or call (707) 382-1108

Recent Work

Drone Photographer in Cottonwood. A look at the work.

  • Tex Kelly piloting a DJI drone on a commercial FAA Part 107 flight
  • Aerial view of Eureka rooftops and the Humboldt Bay
  • Drone aerial captured by Tex Kelly Productions. FAA Part 107 commercial flight
  • Aerial composition from a Tex Kelly Productions drone flight
  • Coastal cliffs and Pacific surf shot from above
  • High-altitude drone aerial by Tex Kelly Productions
  • Pink Lady Victorian at sunset, drone aerial over Eureka
  • April 2024 drone flight composition. Tex Kelly Productions
  • Redwood canopy and coastline aerial composition
  • October 2025 drone aerial. Tex Kelly Productions
  • September 2023 drone flight. Tex Kelly Productions
  • July 2025 drone aerial composition. Tex Kelly Productions
  • Sequenced drone aerial. Tex Kelly Productions
  • Working harbor and fishing boats from drone elevation
  • Aerial composition over a North Coast country estate
See full drone photography and videography portfolio →

More from the studio

Beyond the aerial. Selected wedding films.

Drone work is one capability inside a broader cinematic practice. Here's the wedding-film side, feature-length wedding documentaries and editorial cinema. Click any thumbnail to play in place.

  • David & Monica's Wedding Documentary, 35 Years Before They Met, His Dad Saved Her Dad's Life

    Feature-length wedding documentary

  • Brunton Wedding Film

    Northern California wedding cinematography

  • Shane & Sofia Weekly. A 45-Minute Wedding Documentary

    Northern California long-form wedding film

  • Mrs. & Mrs. McClurg

    Cinematic wedding film

  • An Emotional, Romantic & Cinematic Wedding Film. Trinidad Elopement

    Trinidad, California elopement

DaVinci Resolve wedding-film edit in progress. Tex Kelly Productions editing suite

The Editing Process

Months in the edit suite, curating the story.

A wedding film isn't shot in a day, it's made over months. Hours of raw cinema footage, multi-camera audio, drone aerial, and second-shooter coverage get assembled, color-graded, and scored frame by frame in the edit suite.

Every transition is intentional. Every cut earns its keep. The goal is a film couples actually want to re-watch, not a montage of clips. That kind of editorial discipline is the difference between a wedding film and a wedding highlight reel, and it's why these turnarounds run weeks instead of days.

Locations + Airspace

Where I fly in Cottonwood.

  • Verde Valley Vineyards

    Working-vineyard aerial. Arizona wine country from above.

  • Old Town Cottonwood

    Historic-district commercial architecture overhead in golden hour.

  • Verde River Corridor

    Riparian bottomland aerials minutes from downtown.

What's Included

What's included with drone photography and videography in Cottonwood.

  • FAA Part 107 Certified Pilot

    Current, registered, and current commercial drone pilot license. LAANC airspace authorization for restricted areas. Insurance documentation on request.

  • Five-Platform Drone Fleet

    DJI Mini 3 (sub-250g, for tight regulated airspace and travel); DJI Mavic 3 Pro (broadcast-grade 4K cinema, Hasselblad sensor, three-camera array); DJI Avata 2 (cinematic FPV, immersive single-take flythroughs); DJI Matrice 350 RTK (enterprise-grade industrial workhorse); Zenmuse L2 (LiDAR payload on the M350 for survey-grade scanning). The right drone for the right job, every time.

  • Pre-Flight Risk Assessment

    Documented airspace check, weather review, property-owner permission, and flight plan for every commercial flight.

  • Commercial Insurance

    Fully insured for commercial drone operations. Certificate of insurance available before the shoot for venue or client requirements.

  • Edited Aerial Deliverables

    Color-graded 4K video clips, high-resolution stills, and any specialty formats (vertical for social, broadcast 16:9, slow-motion sequences).

  • Permit Coordination

    FAA LAANC clearance, state park permits, and venue authorizations handled ahead of the shoot, no day-of surprises.

How It Works

How it works in Cottonwood.

  1. 01

    Inquiry & Scope

    Send the location, intended use (real estate, wedding, brand, industrial), and timeline. I pull the airspace map for the location.

  2. 02

    Authorization

    LAANC permit if needed (1–14 days lead time depending on airspace). Property owner releases for private land.

  3. 03

    Weather Window

    I monitor forecasts and identify the best-light, lowest-wind window. Coastal Humboldt fog often dictates timing.

  4. 04

    The Flight

    On-site arrival 30 minutes early for visual airspace check. Pre-flight checklist. Multiple altitude and angle passes for editorial flexibility.

  5. 05

    Post-Production

    Color grade, stabilization polish, format export. Standard turnaround 1–2 weeks for video, 3–5 days for still imagery.

Investment

Drone work is priced per shoot, half-day, full-day, and multi-day rates scale with scope. Most real estate aerials run a few hundred; wedding integrations and brand campaigns scale up. Send the project and timeline for a quote.

Drone Photographer in Cottonwood. FAQs

Frequently asked questions.

  • Can you fly drone work near Tuzigoot National Monument?
    Tuzigoot itself is NPS-controlled and restricts drone flights without a permit. Surrounding Verde River corridor land is mostly open airspace. We coordinate the NPS permit when the flight scope warrants it; for most commercial flights we stay outside the monument's protected boundary.
  • Are you FAA Part 107 certified?
    Yes. Tex is FAA Part 107 certified, fully insured, and operates as a licensed commercial drone pilot. All flights comply with FAA regulations including airspace authorization, altitude limits, and visual line-of-sight requirements. Insurance documentation is available on request.
  • What can drone footage be used for?
    Wedding aerials, real estate listings, brand and commercial campaigns, event coverage, construction progress documentation, industrial inspections, and editorial storytelling. Output ranges from short Instagram clips to broadcast-grade 4K cinema and high-resolution stills for print.
  • What about restricted airspace?
    Most of Humboldt County is unrestricted Class G airspace, but locations near the Eureka airport, Arcata airport, or military airspace require pre-flight FAA authorization. Tex handles all permitting through LAANC. Plan two extra days of lead time for restricted areas.
  • Can you fly over private property?
    Yes, with the property owner's written permission. Tex provides a release form for property owners. For shoots over public land, we follow Park Service and BLM regulations, some redwood and state parks require special permits, which Tex coordinates ahead of the shoot.
  • What weather conditions limit drone work?
    Coastal fog, sustained winds above 25 mph, and rain are the main limits. Tex monitors forecasts in the days leading up to a shoot and will reschedule if conditions don't allow safe flight or quality footage. Coastal Humboldt fog can lift mid-morning, so we often plan flights for a forecast window with a backup time.

Nearby drone photography and videography cities

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Flexible on where you shoot? Many clients book a hometown location + a destination second location in the same day. Below are the other cities where I'm currently booking drone photography and videography, same playbook, same editorial eye, different backdrop.

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