We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Matthew Boyd a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Matthew, appreciate you joining us today. Going back to the beginning – how did you come up with the idea in the first place?

I’ve always enjoyed taking pictures but it was more just for my own enjoyment. I never really put much time into it other than if I happen to come across a scene that looks like it would make for a great picture. A few years ago, I started flying toy drones and got pretty good at it but the camera on the drone wasn’t all that great. So, I decided to combine two things I really love doing, taking pictures and flying drones! I started out with a DJI Mini and began practicing and honing my skills. I enjoyed using it so much and saw the potential in it, so I decided to upgrade to a somewhat more professional drone. Which brought me to the DJI Mavic 2. With this one, I was able to capture higher quality content and so the obsession began! A not so cheap obsession at that. Currently I am flying the DJI Mavic 3, which has been a solid workhorse.

Taking it a step further, I wanted to offer the unique angle as a service to anyone that wanted pictures of their property or an event going on. During my early years of snapping pictures with the drone, friends and family would always call out how great they thought the pictures were coming out. Which is what led me to really pursue it more professionally.

Another big push for me was my older brother, BG Boyd, who is a photographer in Tucson, AZ. He really encouraged me to get into it and continuously motivated me to improve my skills. Which made me into the photographer I am today.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

In my professional career, I am a Systems Administrator. Technology has always been fascinating to me and I try to keep up with the new “toys”. I started messing around with drones in 2018 in upstate NY where I lived at the time. The technology that goes into drones is just amazing. Though I was able to capture some great pictures of the countryside, it got boring quickly. In early 2021, I moved to Atlanta and had a vast number of opportunities for new content. This is really when I started looking at aerial photography more seriously.

Thankfully, one of the first things I did after getting a drone that was a little less of a toy, was to get my FAA Part 107 Drone Pilot Certification. The main reason I did this was to know the regulations around using a drone and to certainly operate it in a safe manner. There’s a lot more to just buying a drone and flying it all over. I won’t go in depth about it but there are rules around how and where you can fly. So, this was very important to me to make sure I was following the rules and being safe about it.

The second reason was if I ever wanted to use the drone commercially, the certification is required by law if the drone is being used for any type of compensation. It’s a great thing to mention to customers as well because they will know that I am a trained and certified drone pilot.

Now having my pilot certification and hearing comments from my friends about how much they were enjoying my new content around the city, it gave me the idea of expanding into more of a business. I began building my brand, which is Boyd’s Eye View Photo. For those that don’t pick up on it, it’s a play on words – a bird’s eye view. From here I worked to build my social presence, which is incredibly hard by the way! Anyway, the main service I strive to provide is aerial photo/video for real estate, events, or business functions. I like to think I have an eye for unique perspectives and getting an angle most don’t.

On that note, I also have a store showcasing these unique pictures for all to see and purchase. This has been where most of my focus has been, selling my content in more of a physical format. The market is pretty flooded right now for drone photography, especially here in Atlanta but I continue to push forward and work hard to get my name out there!

How did you build your audience on social media?

Social media is truly a tough beast. It requires constant attention and as soon as you slip a little, it’s like you lose the growth. It’s most definitely not an easy thing to conquer with all the algorithms and constant changing of said algorithms. It certainly is a great place to share your work and get your name out there though! The most important thing I can say to anyone just getting started with social media for their small business is to keep pushing forward. Regardless of how daunting it seems or lack of growth, it’s not easy, you just need to stick with it and keep showing your amazing work. I do feel that it can become addicting, so try to keep it as the powerful tool it is and don’t get lost in it!

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Being an artist is very invigorating! Especially starting from just about nothing in the field and seeing where I am today. Looking back at my early photography versus the photos I capture today, it’s almost night and day. This is what pushes me to do even better and continue to produce great content for all to see and enjoy. This is what’s so rewarding to me, knowing that I’ve come so far yet at the same time, knowing there’s always more to learn and improve on.

Of course, knowing others enjoy my work as well! Hearing that they can’t wait to see the next great snap is truly a nice feeling. It solidifies that I made the right decision in taking up photography and even with the downs, it is all worth it in the end.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.boydseyeview.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boydseyeviewphoto/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/boydseyeviewphoto
• Other: http://store.boydseyeview.com/