Aerial Cinematography
Aerial Cinematography
Pigeon Point Lightouse
Pigeon Point Lightouse
Pigeon Point Lightouse
A personal aerial cinematic capturing California's Pigeon Point Lighthouse during a rare break in a coastal storm, using natural light and atmospheric conditions to create a dramatic visual story.
A personal aerial cinematic capturing California's Pigeon Point Lighthouse during a rare break in a coastal storm, using natural light and atmospheric conditions to create a dramatic visual story.
A personal aerial cinematic capturing California's Pigeon Point Lighthouse during a rare break in a coastal storm, using natural light and atmospheric conditions to create a dramatic visual story.
Overview
Pigeon Point Lighthouse is a personal aerial cinematography project filmed near my hometown of Santa Cruz, California. The inspiration came entirely from the environment. During a brief break in a thunderstorm, sunlight broke through the clouds and illuminated only the lighthouse while the surrounding cliffs, crashing waves, and storm clouds remained dark. Rather than simply documenting the location, I wanted to capture the emotional contrast between light and darkness. The project became an exercise in patience, composition, and allowing nature to tell the story through lighting, weather, and camera movement.
My Role
Everything
Tools Used
DJI Air 3 • Adobe Premiere Pro
Process / Workflow
Process / Workflow
Process / Workflow
The project required careful observation of the changing weather conditions before launching the drone. Once the sunlight broke through the clouds, I planned slow cinematic flight paths that emphasized the lighthouse against the dramatic coastline. During post-production, I focused on preserving the natural atmosphere while enhancing the contrast and color to emphasize the mood that originally drew me to the scene.
The project required careful observation of the changing weather conditions before launching the drone. Once the sunlight broke through the clouds, I planned slow cinematic flight paths that emphasized the lighthouse against the dramatic coastline. During post-production, I focused on preserving the natural atmosphere while enhancing the contrast and color to emphasize the mood that originally drew me to the scene.