Tex Kelly Productions
Aerial drone photograph from Glass Beach Overhead in Fort Bragg, California

Drone Photographer · Fort Bragg, California

Drone Photographer in Fort Bragg, California.

Drone FAA Part 107-certified aerial photography and cinema.

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

Hi. I'm Tex.

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

Now booking Fort Bragg drone projects and real estate aerial.

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

FAA Part 107 · The Operator

The pilot, on every flight.

Every Fort Bragg 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 Mendocino County skies for clean takeoffs, golden-hour windows, and the airspace boundaries that matter for the flight.

Drone Photography and Videography in Fort Bragg, California. Tex Kelly Productions

A note from Fort Bragg

FAA Part 107 commercial drone work in Fort Bragg, California. Glass Beach overhead, Noyo Harbor aerial, Pomo Bluffs sea cliffs, and the northern Mendocino coast's most distinctive aerial cinematics.

The Approach

Drone in Fort Bragg. Flown with intent.

The Fort Bragg airspace

Fort Bragg from above, shot legally.

Fort Bragg's Pacific coastline, the Noyo Harbor working fishing fleet, Glass Beach's sea-glass shore, and the dramatic Pomo Bluffs all photograph cleanly from above. FAA Part 107 work for hospitality, real estate, tourism, and small-business brand marketing along the northern Mendocino coast.

Drone Photography and Videography, Fort Bragg, California
Aerial composition, Mendocino County.
Drone Photography and Videography, Fort Bragg, California
FAA Part 107, LAANC-coordinated.

The Fort Bragg flight

FAA Part 107. LAANC-coordinated.

A drone shoot here runs under FAA Part 107, with the LAANC airspace authorization filed and confirmed in writing before we ever launch. We fly real estate exteriors, construction progress sets, and brand films for the hospitality and tourism work along the northern Mendocino coast. Glass Beach overhead is the one most people ask for. Noyo Harbor wants the fleet in the frame, so we time the pass to the boats.

The Mendocino County scouting advantage

Fort Bragg, Scouted from above.

Knowing Fort Bragg from the air means knowing where the coast cooperates. Pomo Bluffs gives you a dramatic cliff aerial minutes from downtown, no long hike to reach it. The light off the Pacific turns hard by midday, so the cleaner angles on Glass Beach come early. Noyo Harbor and its historic bridge read best on an incoming tide with the fleet still in.

Drone Photography and Videography, Fort Bragg, California
Hometown aerial scouting, Mendocino County.

Now booking, Fort Bragg

Now booking Fort Bragg drone projects for the year ahead.

Fort Bragg 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 Fort Bragg flight → or call (707) 382-1108

Recent Work

Drone Photographer in Fort Bragg. 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 Fort Bragg.

  • Glass Beach Overhead

    Sea-glass shore + Pacific surf from above, the signature Fort Bragg aerial.

  • Noyo Harbor + Working Fleet

    Fishing-fleet aerial, boat docks, harbor entrance, historic bridge.

  • Pomo Bluffs Sea Cliffs

    Dramatic Pacific cliff aerial minutes from downtown, accessible without long hike.

What's Included

What's included with drone photography and videography in Fort Bragg.

  • 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 Fort Bragg.

  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 Fort Bragg. FAQs

Frequently asked questions.

  • Do you need a permit to fly over Glass Beach?
    Glass Beach is inside MacKerricher State Park. Small commercial drone flights don't always require a state-park filming permit, but more elaborate setups do. We pull the permit when the flight scope warrants it.
  • 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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