Droneographer shares unparalleled views to highlight beauty around Battle Creek

Nick Buckley, Battle Creek Enquirer
·3 min read

Patrick Bush aims to provide a glass-half-full, bird's eye view of his city.

The owner of Patman Droneography uses its social media platforms to highlight beauty around Battle Creek and southwest Michigan through high-definition aerial photos and videos.

A licensed commercial drone pilot, Bush recently asked his roughly 10,000 Facebook followers which local spot they would like to see from above, resulting in an aerial photo shoot of Historic Bridge Park in Emmett Township.

"It’s really cool that I can produce this content that is giving flashbacks of happy memories of Battle Creek," he said. "Just trying to spread a little more beauty and positivity on your news feed.”

Patrick Bush, owner of Patman Droneography, uses social media to promote his business and highlight beauty around Battle Creek, Michigan.
Patrick Bush, owner of Patman Droneography, uses social media to promote his business and highlight beauty around Battle Creek, Michigan.

Launched in 2019, Patman Droneography typically shoots weddings, real estate and special events from his drone, or unmanned aerial vehicle, with "residential" packages ranging from $120 to $250, and "commercial" packages from $150 to $300.

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While Bush provides free content on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, he has monetized it through subscriptions to his "First Class Flyers" page, where he says monthly membership for behind-the-scenes info is directly reinvested back into his business. He additionally has received a handful of drones to review on Amazon and YouTube.

In addition to capturing aerial images and video of local parks, landmarks and events such as the annual Festival of Lights in downtown Battle Creek, Bush has shared updates on demolitions and construction projects, such as the recent razing of the former McCamly Place atrium.

A native of Midland, Bush has lived in Battle Creek since 2014. Calling the city "beautiful," he said he wants to shine more light on local assets and things to do in the area to combat negativity he sees online. He has also posted commentary on traffic issues in Battle Creek. In one video, he pointed out vehicles incorrectly or illegally using turn lanes at the Beckley Road/B Drive North and M-66 intersection.

Bush is far from the first person to take aerial photographs of Battle Creek, as photographers have long used hot air balloons, airplanes and helicopters to show the city from above. In fact, two pioneers in aerial photography hail from Calhoun County in Battle Creek's Fred Zinn and Tekonsha's Talbert Abrams, considered the "father of aerial photography."

What sets Bush's images apart from Google Maps and other aerial views is the high definition capabilities of his drones, and his ability to broadcast them in real time. His fleet includes a Mavic 3 with a 20 megapixel camera and 4K video at 120 frames-per-second, capable of 75 minutes of flight time between three batteries.

Patrick Bush, owner of Patman Droneography, flies a drone in downtown Battle Creek, Michigan on Wednesday, May 11, 2022.
Patrick Bush, owner of Patman Droneography, flies a drone in downtown Battle Creek, Michigan on Wednesday, May 11, 2022.

That drone is a big step up from Bush's humble beginnings with the hobby-turned-business.

“My first drone was teeny-tiny with no camera," he said. "My cousin and I went out to Radio Shack and picked them up. At the time, they had this 'No questions asked' replacement policy on all their stuff. So we would crash them, go in and get a brand-new box. We probably went through 20 drones. That’s what really sparked it."

Patrick Bush, owner of Patman Droneography, uses social media platforms to promote his business and highlight beauty around Battle Creek.
Patrick Bush, owner of Patman Droneography, uses social media platforms to promote his business and highlight beauty around Battle Creek.

Bush and his wife, Kylee, used drones to create a gender reveal video that went viral in 2020. In it, Patrick plays the part of excited expectant father before a football is dropped via drone from above, revealing a blue powder upon impact.

The video was made with both heartbreak and joy, as the first portion was filmed in the summer of 2019, before the pregnancy ended in miscarriage. The video was later completed and shared after Kylee again became pregnant with their son, who turned 1 in September. The couple is again expecting a baby to arrive in August, filming another gender reveal video using a drone.

"It’s fun to share," Bush said. “I love flying drones, and the fact I could make money doing it — good money because you have to be licensed to do it — it’s like a win-win... I do it all if I have time. I’m open for business."

Contact reporter Nick Buckley at nbuckley@battlecreekenquirer.com or 269-966-0652. Follow him on Twitter:@NickJBuckley

This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Battle Creek droneographer shares views highlighting beauty around city