Meet Jeremy Lewis | Aerial Photographer and Videographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jeremy Lewis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jeremy, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
I have always been interested in the idea of flight. As a boy, I wanted to be an astronaut. As a senior in college, I applied for OCS (Officer Candidate School) to be a pilot in the Navy. I was accepted into the program but sight limitations ultimately kept me out. In the back of my mind, however, I never stopped thinking about seeing the world from the air. Approximately 10 years ago, I was flying a small remote controlled airplane in a field by my house and I thought about putting a small camera onto it just to be able to see how everything would look from the air. I spoke to my dad about possibly helping me get a camera because he was the head of security for a local company at the time and had a lot of experience in dealing with video cameras. Not long after, I was at a local high school football game and I saw something I’d never seen before. This small, white, strange looking thing that sounded like a hive of bees, was hovering over the field at halftime while the announcer made special presentations to people on the field. That was my first experience with the world of drones. I had no idea who made it or where I could get one but I was hooked. As fate would have it, about 30 minutes later, a man with a fairly large white box came into the stands and sat directly beside me. On the box was a picture of that drone and the name DJI Phantom 3 Professional. That was it. Within two months, I had my own Phantom 3 and was taking photos and videos all over the area. As I started posting them, people started asking for more photos of places close to them, or videos of different areas. As that happened, I started to really see the potential in treating aerial photography and videography as more of a business than a hobby.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I started out flying my drone out of a love of the idea of seeing the world from the air. Just being high above everything and seeing life from a different perspective was exhilarating to me. As time progressed, I began to develop a passion for capturing those views and sharing them with others. I wasn’t interested in just capturing a photograph, however. I wanted for each image to be a piece of art by itself. I wanted for each one to create an emotional response in those who view it. I hadn’t known very much about photography prior to my drone work, but I slowly taught (and still teach) myself through whatever avenues I can find. It certainly hasn’t been easy but its been incredibly rewarding. I love to capture images that make people happy and encourage them to realize all of the beauty that surrounds them.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would absolutely take them to the bike path in Wheeling, WV. It runs along the Ohio River and is so incredibly peaceful. As the seasons change, it takes on completely different feels. I would also take them to Drover’s Inn in Wellsburg, WV. That is my favorite restaurant and has the best chicken wings around.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Wow, that is a really hard question actually. It is tough to pinpoint one person or group of people that have influenced me over the years. I would say that it is more accurate that many people have had influences over where I am in life. From my parents and family, to the local community, to common interest groups, each has offered support, direction, and encouragement in their own way. Each comment or act has taken me a step closer to where I am today.

Website: https://www.flyingdreamsimaging.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flyingdreamsais/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FlyingDreamsAerialImagingServices/