Earlier in the autumn we were commissioned by Kent-based scaffolding specialists Scaffolding Access to document a large and very complex installation on the roof of the Royal Engineers Museum in Gillingham, Kent. The existing roof had become too expensive to maintain, so a brand new roof would be installed in its place – but only once the existing roof had been covered by a scaffolding exoskeleton that would allow the building work to proceed regardless of the weather conditions.
Photographing at the site in question posed a number of challenges as it was bounded by an active military barracks on two sides, and by a main road for the remainder of the site’s perimeter. These restrictions meant it was not possible to use our drone to take the photographs whilst operating within the regulations enforced by the CAA.
The next challenge was that the building’s roof was already approximately 40 feet above ground level, and the location of the site’s boundary fence meant that vehicular-access was not possible at all points around the building – so a traditional vehicle-mounted mast would also have been inadequate for taking progress photographs of the work. Enter our fully-portable telescopic mast!
Mast aerial progress photographs taken during the installation of a complex scaffolding structure above the Royal Engineers Museum in Gillingham, Kent. Click any image to enlarge.
As our mast is completely portable, we were able to carry it up onto the roof of the Royal Engineers Museum and erect it in three different locations every time we visited the site for the duration of the project.
As well as photographing the progress of the installation itself, we also used our mast to document the ‘big lift’ day where two enormous mobile cranes worked together to lift two 9-ton scaffolding cross-beams onto the roof (these would share the entire weight of the flat roof sections that would be installed later). This was the most challenging part of the project for the scaffolding company, and they were keen to have it documented from the air as well as from ground level.
Mast aerial progress photographs taken during the installation of a complex scaffolding structure above the Royal Engineers Museum in Gillingham, Kent. Click any image to enlarge.
Once the scaffolding installation was complete (which included two sliding plastic-wrapped roof sections as can be seen in the photo on the right), the scaffolding company asked if we could help produce 15 framed collages that they could give to all the companies involved in the roof renovation project. We worked with the scaffolding company’s Managing Director to design the collage which was then printed, framed and shipped directly to the scaffolding firm in time for them to distribute to the Directors of the other companies they have worked with.
Mast aerial progress photographs taken during the installation of a complex scaffolding structure above the Royal Engineers Museum in Gillingham, Kent. Click to enlarge.
A collage that we produced using a selection of the progress photographs we had taken during the 2 month installation project. 15 of these collages were printed at 30×20 inches, framed and shipped directly to our client. Click to enlarge.
Scaffolding Access have used us a number of times over the last year to document their scaffolding installations, and they recently sent us the following kind testimonial:
“David constantly delivers an efficient and professional service and the images he has taken will be key to giving our brand a facelift as we are in the final stages of launching a brand new website, and consistency across all our marketing photographs was very important to us.
The perspective offered by Horizon Imaging’s telescopic mast has helped to convey the scale and complexity of even our largest and most complicated scaffolding installations – helping our potential customers appreciate our ability to tackle scaffolding projects of all shapes and sizes.
During one of our latest and most prestigious installations at the Royal Engineers Museum in Gillingham, Kent, David handled the design and print of an outstanding framed collage of all the progress photographs that had been taken during the 2 month installation process. We gave 15 of these framed prints to the directors of all the companies that are involved with the redevelopment work at the Museum and they were all utterly delighted with them.
We look forward to using Horizon Imaging’s photography services again in the future as we continue to grow our scaffolding business and reach for the skies!”
Do you undertake large and complex projects which can only truly be appreciated from an aerial perspective? Do you have a site with awkward access restrictions that would prevent a traditional vehicle-mounted mast from capturing the angles you’re after? Or perhaps you’re simply looking for affordable elevated progress photographs of your project? Start taking your marketing imagery up a level by giving us a call today and finding out more about our aerial photography services.