24 June 2024

By Solomon Sharp

The sound of boots crunching on gravel reverberates through the darkness as I step out of the car. On this moonless night, the only sound signifying any activity was the soft chirp of crickets. The wind was still, the leaves of the trees silent. I hastily turned to grab my camera and tripod from the backseat, before jogging towards the railroad crossing. The gravel under my feet crunched loudly, yet lacking an echo. Soon, the sound blended into the rustling of leaves as I stepped across the tracks into a field of tall, moist grass that completely swallowed my legs.

As I stopped and angled my camera out towards a calculated section of darkness, I heard it. A shrill, yet musical tone in the distance. A faint light began to appear in the patch of night—first on the camera, and then in my eyes as they adjusted to the darkness. I heard the sound again. A whistle, much louder now. The lights of the crossing suddenly ignited, flashing bright red. Its loud, almost static ringing broke the silence of the immediate area. Now, a distinct, fast-paced chugging could be heard as the train got closer. The forest around me began to flash as the rotating headlight on the locomotive scanned the landscape. The locomotive whistled once more as the train thundered by. The red crossing lights reflected against the glossy black paint of the boiler before the locomotive rolled back into the darkness ahead. 

It is moments like these that got me into photography and videography.

Capturing the essence of life. The colors, the movements, the sounds of the world, and putting them together in a creative way that does justice to the feeling of actually being there. Although my lifelong interests in nature, railroads, history, aviation and animals fuel the passion behind my skills, I invested much time and energy into telling stories through my work. In fact, storytelling through the visual arts is what allows me to share these lifelong interests of mine, and show them in a way that I can represent them best.

As a result, I am a Part 107 Commercial drone pilot, a professional photographer and videographer, a copywriter, video editor, animator and artist. In my work, I have a great understanding of framing and a steady hand. More important than my skills, however, is my approach to the work. I treat each scene, each shot, each character, each edit with a high level of artistry and cinematics. These values and skills are important when taking difficult shots, such as tracking a pod of dolphins in the open ocean, or racing in front of a moving train while avoiding obstacles, all while maintaining optimal framing and precise camera movement. I always look forward to developing these skills every day as I continue to fly drones.  

My introduction into photography started with my father.

For as long as I can remember, my dad and I have been passionate railfans. It started with his father (my grandfather), where he and my dad would photograph historical trains that were restored to their original splendor. They made sure to catch as many as they could that went on excursions through his hometown of Richmond, Virginia.

However, they had never photographed or seen any of the unique trains that were found all over the country. That changed with me. I caught the railfan bug early, and my dad and I bonded over seeing historic trains all over the country. From the rocky mountains of Colorado, to the deserts of Arizona, to the plains of Texas and the rolling hills of Pennsylvania, we got the opportunity to explore the beauty of North America while doing what we loved. I wanted to save these special memories forever, and show their beauty in the same way I not only saw, but felt them. And to me, that is the essence of photography and videography.

In addition to trains, I also found myself catching the aviation bug. After piloting for the first time when I was 13, I knew I wanted to become a pilot. This kicked off my journey in aviation—a path I am still pursuing to this day.

I founded and led an Aviation Club in high school, and organized events and activities that eventually led to my members getting to fly planes themselves. Now, I am studying for my Bachelors Degree in Aeronautical Science at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. Here, I recently obtained my private pilot’s license for fixed-wing aircraft. Ever since my first flight, I was blown away by the unique perspective of seeing the world you live in from the air. Landmarks I recognized such as streets, schools, and offices, could be seen all at once.

Why couldn’t I explore a perspective like this in photography?

Soon, I began dabbling in recreational drone photography with my first “serious” aircraft—the DJI Mavic 2. Some of my first aerial footage was captured during a train trip my dad and I went on. I quickly realized this newfound capability not only changed my world of railfanning, but of photography as a whole, as I could now explore a new angle of something I loved.

As my skills developed, I knew I wanted to take it to the next level. I studied hard and eventually earned my Part 107 Commercial drone license. I also upgraded to the DJI Mavic 3 Pro, confident that I wanted to advance into the professional world of photography careers. For a few years now, I have been practicing with many types of videography and aerial techniques for the perfect shot. Cityscapes, Nature, and of course, trains, have all been a part of my aerial portfolio alone.

My experiences out in the world have enriched my life and my perspective on the earth, full of its wonder and culture. But they also have engaged my creative spirit and fueled my artistic skills. Wherever I go, I see shots. I envision the framing, the motion, and how I would compose it into something grand. I want to save those moments through the arts, and continue to hone my skills. I would do so whether for recreation or profession. I have learned that there I can facilitate the vision for a client, showcase their amazing products, or tell their compelling story. Now, I want to share my skills, showing others a world of unique compositions, settings, and environmental conditions that I know I can showcase in a creative space.

Do you need someone who is reliable and dependable? I’ve built a reputation on it. Do you need someone with a versatile skill set? Not only can I provide artistic and professional drone and video services, I can take care of editing, music selection, writing, creative concept consultation, and much more. Need a safe driver to get to location? That’s me!

In short, do you need a professional, reliable, eclectic, and highly passionate person to work with you on your next projects? Look no further. I would love to work with you. I’m incredibly excited to bring this wonderful world of aerial photography to your life and/or business, and I look forward to meeting many people who are looking to expand their horizons, as I expand mine!

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