Chicago Drone Service produces professional aerial photography and 4K drone video for businesses, brands, agencies, and property owners across Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. Every flight is operated by Dan Gierke, an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot in Command who knows the city's airspace — from the controlled airspace around O'Hare and Midway to the downtown skyline and the lakefront. If you need sharp stills, cinematic motion, or both, this page explains exactly what we shoot, how the process works, what drives the price, and why hiring a local certified pilot matters.
Most drone footage looks great and sells nothing. We build aerial content around one job: driving a measurable result for the business paying for it. More views, more qualified leads, faster bookings, a bigger PR moment, or a campaign that actually moves product. The flying is the easy part — the strategy behind the shot list is what makes the footage perform.
4K Cinematic Drone Video
Cinematic aerial video is our most-requested deliverable, and for good reason: motion holds attention in a way a static image can't. We capture smooth, broadcast-quality 4K footage and color-grade it so it drops straight into your edit, your website hero, or your paid social campaign.
- Reveal and orbit moves that introduce a property, venue, or building with scale and drama
- Push-ins, fly-throughs, and tracking shots that follow the action and guide the viewer's eye
- Exterior-to-interior transitions that connect the aerial view to what's happening on the ground
- Color-graded, ready-to-publish files formatted for YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, OOH, and broadcast
High-Resolution Aerial Photography
Sometimes you just need the perfect frame — a hero image for the brochure, the website, or the press kit. Our aerial stills are shot at high resolution and edited for clean color, accurate exposure, and a professional finish. We deliver context shots that show how a site sits within its Chicago neighborhood, top-down compositions for layout and planning, and dramatic angles that make a building or property feel like a landmark.
Event & Venue Coverage
Festivals, conferences, grand openings, sporting events, and concerts all benefit from an angle the crowd can't get. Aerial event coverage gives you footage that gets reshared, attracts next year's sponsors, and rebooks the venue. We coordinate with event staff and plan flights around crowds and timing so the coverage is safe and the footage is usable. Events across Chicago neighborhoods like the West Loop, River North, and the lakefront parks are a regular part of our work.
Marketing & Brand Content
Agencies and in-house marketing teams use our aerial b-roll to give campaigns a premium, cinematic feel without the cost of a full production crew. We shoot to your creative brief, match your brand's look, and deliver footage your editors can cut into brand films, recruitment videos, product launches, and social ads. Because we're local, scheduling a half-day pickup of fresh Chicago b-roll is simple and affordable.
Editorial & PR Imagery
Press releases, annual reports, and news features land harder with a strong aerial image. We produce editorial-grade photography that anchors a story — a grand opening, an expansion, a community project, or a milestone — and gives reporters and stakeholders a visual that makes the moment feel significant.
What Drives the Price
There's no single sticker price for aerial work because every project is different. The factors that shape your quote include:
- Deliverables — stills, 4K video, or a combined package, and how many final files you need
- Location & airspace — sites near O'Hare or Midway, downtown, or the lakefront require LAANC authorization and extra planning
- Editing scope — a quick color pass versus a fully edited, music-scored brand video
- Site size & complexity — a single property versus a multi-acre or multi-location shoot
- Timeline — standard 24–48 hour delivery versus rush turnaround for a deadline
We quote flat, transparent pricing up front so there are no surprises. Tell us the outcome you need and we'll recommend the right package.
Our Process
Every shoot starts with one question: what does this content need to accomplish? From there the process is straightforward:
- Discovery — we learn your goal, your audience, and where the content will live
- Planning — we build the shot list, scout the site, check airspace, and file any LAANC authorization needed
- Flight day — we capture the planned shots plus extra coverage, with safety and your schedule in mind
- Edit & delivery — we color-grade, edit, and deliver finished files in 24–48 hours, ready for MLS, social, broadcast, or print
What You Get
Deliverables are tailored to your project, but typically include fully edited 4K video files, high-resolution still images, and web-optimized versions sized for the platforms you publish on. Need vertical cutdowns for Reels and TikTok, a longer hero film, and a set of stills from the same shoot? That's a common request, and we plan for it from the start.
Industries We Shoot For Across Chicago
Aerial content works for almost any business that lives or sells through visuals. We regularly capture footage for real estate agents and developers, hospitality and venues, construction and engineering firms, manufacturers and industrial facilities, hotels and resorts, golf courses and country clubs, schools and universities, municipalities and parks departments, and marketing agencies producing client work. If your story is bigger than what a ground-level camera can show, an aerial angle gives it scale. Not sure your category fits? Tell us the goal and we'll tell you honestly whether drone content will move the needle for you.
Why a Local Chicago Part 107 Pilot
Chicago is one of the more challenging places in the country to fly legally. Between O'Hare, Midway, downtown restrictions, and lakefront rules, a lot of the metro sits in controlled airspace. Hiring a local FAA Part 107 certified, fully insured pilot means your project is flown legally, safely, and with someone who already knows which sites are flyable, which need authorization, and how to still get the angle you want. It also means fast scheduling and no out-of-town travel fees padding your invoice.
Aerial photography pairs naturally with our other services. Selling property? See our real estate drone photography. Documenting a build? Visit construction documentation. Want the bigger picture on drone value, coverage, and how it stacks up against traditional methods? Read why drones and areas we serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does aerial photography and drone video cost in Chicago?
Pricing depends on the deliverables, the size and complexity of the location, how much editing you need, and whether the site sits in controlled airspace near O'Hare or Midway. A simple still package for one property costs far less than a multi-location branded video production. Tell us the outcome you need and we'll quote a flat, transparent price.
Are you FAA certified and insured to fly commercially in Chicago?
Yes. Every flight is operated by an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot in Command, and Chicago Drone Service carries commercial liability insurance. We file LAANC authorizations for controlled airspace and follow all local restrictions.
How fast can I get my photos and video back?
Standard turnaround is 24 to 48 hours for most projects. Rush delivery is available when you have a listing going live, a press release, or a campaign deadline.
Can you fly downtown near the skyline or the lakefront?
In most cases, yes — but downtown and the lakefront involve controlled airspace and local restrictions that require advance planning and LAANC authorization. As a local Part 107 pilot, Dan knows which sites are flyable and how to plan the shoot so you still get the shot.
What areas around Chicago do you serve?
We cover the City of Chicago and the suburbs across Cook, DuPage, Lake, Will, and Kane Counties, including Naperville, Evanston, Schaumburg, Oak Brook, Aurora, and Joliet. See areas we serve for the full list.
Tell us the outcome you need. We'll capture the footage that drives it.
Request a Free QuotePrefer to talk it through? Call Dan directly at 847-881-4344.