Silicon Valley is synonymous with innovation, high tech, and grind. Home to some of the most innovative companies—from large corporations to small startups—the region provides us our blueprint for solving and addressing some of our biggest problems.
Aerial photographer Cameron Davidson sees those same big ideas translate from inside company walls to hundreds of feet above ground. He sees architecture as a reflection of a company’s mission and characteristics, and captures it for us to see.
“What’s really interesting to me is that Apple has this spaceship aura amongst the greenery, and you see it’s typical Apple [with] their attention to detail,” Davidson told Fortune.
NVIDIA, the powerhouse of AI graphics, is seen from above as a strong, stable unit with textures mimicking its graphic cards, while Facebook is a giant sprawling campus near the Ravenswood area.
“I don’t know what that really says [about Facebook] except meandering fingers are everywhere.”
On his two-day journey photographing from up to 2,000 feet above, the award-winning photographer knew exactly what he was getting into. Plotting everything out with software beforehand was essential in order to get the shots he needed with the time he had.
“Working with the pilot is very much a partnership,” Davidson said. “I’m also a pilot so when you can talk in the same language, it’s very much working as a team and being on the same page.”
Fortunately, Davidson isn’t afraid of heights for his line of work.
“The only time it feels really weird is when you’re really really high say at 12,000 feet. That sort of scale makes you feel like you’re in a foreign environment.”
Davidson enjoys flying drones just as much as being the real eyes above, but he doesn’t flaunt the adrenaline that comes with being so high above ground.
“The best flights are the ones that are uneventful,” Davidson said. “Any landing is a good landing.”
Cameron Davidson is an award winning photographer. Check out his Instagram here.