Tex Kelly Productions
Aerial drone photograph from Battery Point Lighthouse Aerial in Crescent City, California

Drone Photographer · Crescent City, California

Drone Photographer in Crescent City, California.

Drone FAA Part 107-certified aerial photography and cinema.

Inquire Call (707) 382-1108
Tex Kelly, drone photography and videography for Crescent City, California

Hi. I'm Tex.

Welcome to FAA Part 107 drone, Crescent City 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 Crescent City 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 Crescent City airspace. LAANC authorization handled on every commercial flight, all coordination documented in writing.

Now booking Crescent City drone projects and real estate aerial.

Book your Crescent City flight →
Tex Kelly piloting a DJI drone on a commercial FAA Part 107 flight, Crescent City, California

FAA Part 107 · The Operator

The pilot, on every flight.

Every Crescent City 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 Del Norte County skies for clean takeoffs, golden-hour windows, and the airspace boundaries that matter for the flight.

Drone Photography and Videography in Crescent City, California. Tex Kelly Productions

A note from Crescent City

FAA Part 107 certified commercial drone photography and videography in Crescent City, California. DJI Mavic 3 Pro aerial cinema for destination weddings, tourism brand work, real estate, and harbor documentation. Mostly Class G airspace.

The Approach

Drone in Crescent City. Flown with intent.

The Crescent City airspace

Crescent City from above, shot legally.

Crescent City drone work is mostly Class G airspace, unrestricted, fast turnaround for most flights. The exception is the Crescent City Airport (CEC) zone, which we plan around. Battery Point Lighthouse aerial is the signature Crescent City shot, coordinate strictly around tide tables since the island is land-bridge accessible only at low tide.

Drone Photography and Videography, Crescent City, California
Aerial composition, Del Norte County.
Drone Photography and Videography, Crescent City, California
FAA Part 107, LAANC-coordinated.

The Crescent City flight

FAA Part 107. LAANC-coordinated.

Every flight is Part 107 compliant. Unauthorized commercial drone work, including aerial footage used in real estate listings, tourism marketing, or any business context, exposes the client to FAA civil penalties that escalate into the tens of thousands per violation, and standard commercial liability insurance won't pay out on a flight that violated FAA regulations. Hiring a registered, insured Part 107 pilot moves that exposure where it belongs.

The Del Norte County scouting advantage

Crescent City, Scouted from above.

Knowing Crescent City matters. Regular travel into Del Norte County for drone work over the years means the airspace scouting is already done. LAANC-controlled boundaries, clean takeoff/landing zones, and microclimate wind patterns. Not a resident, but the regional knowledge is built and ready before the flight day.

Drone Photography and Videography, Crescent City, California
Hometown aerial scouting, Del Norte County.

Now booking, Crescent City

Now booking Crescent City drone projects for the year ahead.

Crescent City 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 Crescent City flight → or call (707) 382-1108

Recent Work

Drone Photographer in Crescent City. 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 Crescent City.

  • Battery Point Lighthouse Aerial

    Tide-dependent. The signature Del Norte aerial shot.

  • Crescent Beach Aerial

    Long uninterrupted Pacific shoreline. Wide editorial-scale aerial compositions.

  • Smith River Aerial

    Clear-water summer aerials. Class G, unrestricted.

What's Included

What's included with drone photography and videography in Crescent City.

  • 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 Crescent City.

  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 Crescent City. FAQs

Frequently asked questions.

  • Do I need a permit for drone work in Crescent City?
    Most of Crescent City is Class G unrestricted airspace, no LAANC required. The exception is the Crescent City Airport (CEC) zone, which we plan around. Coordinate property-owner permission for private land. We handle all permit logistics.
  • Can you shoot Battery Point Lighthouse aerial?
    Yes, the signature Del Norte aerial shot. We coordinate strictly around the low-tide land-bridge access window for ground crew positioning. Drone flight itself is straightforward in unrestricted airspace.
  • 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.

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