Today we’d like to introduce you to Ron Shuller.
Hi Ron, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My photography career began back in college at the University of Cincinnati. I was a student photographer for the campus newspaper and yearbook, which gave me access to everything happening on campus — and, more importantly, a press pass. Since the university newspaper was accredited, that pass also got me into events around the city.
This was 1968, before FM radio had even taken off. The big AM radio station in town sponsored all the major concerts at Cincinnati’s legendary Music Hall. One day, a fellow student reporter asked me if I wanted to cover a concert there. He said our press passes would let us go backstage. And he was right. Back then, photographers could walk right up to the edge of the stage — no one stopped us.
At that concert, I captured some great shots. The program director from the sponsoring radio station saw my photos and invited me to bring them down to the station. He liked what he saw so much that they hired me as the official station photographer. Suddenly, I was covering every big event the station was involved in — concerts, parades, press conferences, media appearances.
Back in those days, whenever a major recording artist came to town, there was always a press conference. DJs would take photos with the artists, and the artists would record teaser lines for the station. I just missed the Beatles, but I was there for the next huge teen sensation — the Monkees. I shot both of their Cincinnati concerts and their press events. The DJs even let me sell my Monkees photos on-air to fans calling in. That income helped me buy all the camera gear I had dreamed of.
Thanks to the contacts I made at the radio station, I soon started working with local TV stations and advertising agencies. That led to launching my own full-time photography studio. And not long after that, I photographed my first wedding. One wedding led to another, and eventually I became one of Cincinnati’s most well-known wedding photographers — a career that spanned over five decades.
When the pandemic hit, the wedding business came to a sudden stop. That’s when I pivoted. I took everything I had learned from a lifetime behind the lens and applied it to a whole new perspective — aerial drone photography. For the past five years, I’ve been flying drones for real estate, construction, marketing, and more.
It’s been quite a journey — from crouching in front of rock concerts to soaring above city skylines. And I’m still capturing the world, just from a higher vantage point.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My Struggles Along the Way
My career path started off relatively smooth, thanks to the connections I made early on with local radio and TV stations. That opened a lot of doors. The wedding photography side of things took a little longer to build, but through persistence and hard work, I eventually gained a strong reputation across Cincinnati.
But if there’s one challenge that’s been consistent throughout my 50-year career, it’s been keeping up with change.
Change has been the biggest constant — and the biggest struggle. The biggest shift? The invention of digital photography. It completely turned the industry upside down. Back then, no one could imagine a world without film. Suddenly, you could see the image you just took — instantly. And it didn’t cost anything extra to take more shots. So instead of capturing 150 photos at a wedding, we were now taking 800 to 1,000.
Photos could now be posted online, retouched, manipulated — all without ever touching a darkroom.
Then came the smartphone revolution, and suddenly, everyone was a “photographer.” You no longer had to study photography or understand light and composition — just learn to operate a camera. And while many people could take decent shots, they didn’t always know why the photo worked. The artistry started to get lost in the convenience.
Consumer expectations also changed. People no longer wanted printed photos or albums. They only wanted digital files. That shift hit hard — album sales dropped in half almost overnight. Adapting to that new reality was one of the toughest parts of my career. But because of the strong foundation and reputation I had built over the years, I was able to weather the storm and move forward.
Then came the next big leap: drones. A camera that flies. The creative possibilities felt endless, and even after all these years, I still get excited every time I take one up in the air. It opened a whole new chapter in my journey.
At the end of the day, I’ve been a content creator and visual storyteller for over five decades. The tools may have changed — but the passion and creativity are still the same. That’s what continues to drive me today.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Over time, my aerial video work has naturally narrowed into two core areas:
• Construction documentation and progression
• Indoor drone video flythroughs
I’m especially excited to dive deeper into flythroughs, they’ve become a real passion of mine.
Flythroughs are one of the most powerful ways to showcase a space. They’re created using small, lightweight FPV (First Person View) drones that are flown manually through tight indoor areas — weaving around corners, gliding down hallways, even flying through doorways or under machinery. It’s a smooth, cinematic way to walk people through a facility without ever setting foot inside.
What really makes it exciting for me is the experience of flying. With FPV goggles on, it feels like I am the drone — like I’m physically flying through the space myself. It’s thrilling, but it’s also incredibly creative. I’m not just flying; I’m designing a visual experience. Every turn, every move, every reveal is carefully planned to tell a story and make a lasting impression.
These flythroughs are being used across so many industries — manufacturing plants, warehouses, real estate, event venues, gyms, schools, and more. Anywhere people want to give an engaging, immersive look at their space, a flythrough makes that possible in a way that no traditional video ever could.
But there’s one thing that truly sets me apart from most others in this space: I’m not just a guy with a drone. I’m a full-time, FAA-licensed, professional visual storyteller with over 50 years of experience in photography and videography. The drone is simply my latest tool — but the artistry behind it comes from a lifetime of understanding lighting, composition, perspective, and narrative.
When I take on a project, I’m not just capturing footage — I’m creating something meaningful. Whether it’s a construction site or a product launch, I treat every project like a blank canvas. My goal is to create something that’s not just informative but also visually memorable and emotionally impactful.
So here’s the real question:
Do you want to hire someone who flies a drone?
Or would you rather work with an artist who uses a drone to tell your story in a way that leaves a lasting impression?
That’s the difference I bring to every project.
Although this interview gives a glimpse through still images, it’s the motion that really brings it to life. I highly recommend checking out my website and seeing the videos for yourself. Once you do, you’ll understand exactly what makes this work so powerful.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Where is drone photography and video headed over the next 10 years? Honestly, it’s already happening. Just turn on the TV or scroll through social media — the future is unfolding right in front of us.
The buzzwords are “autonomous” and “AI.” The goal is to have drones that can do everything on their own — flying pre-programmed routes, avoiding obstacles, even capturing footage — all with little to no human input.
But here’s the truth: no matter how advanced the technology gets, a drone will never know the best light to shoot in. It won’t recognize when a different angle would tell the story better. It won’t wait for the perfect moment when the shadows fall just right or instinctively adjust to highlight a client’s key message. It might follow a programmed path, but it won’t make a creative decision.
Because real storytelling isn’t something you can automate.
Telling a story with impact — whether it’s a construction update or a flythrough of a brand-new space — takes more than just flying a drone. It takes an artist. Someone who sees the world differently. Someone who understands how to shape light, movement, and perspective into something memorable.
That’s where I come in. While the industry moves toward automation, I stay focused on creativity — because no amount of AI can replace the human touch when it comes to visual storytelling.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cincinnati-drone.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cincinnatidronephotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RonShullersCincinnatiDroneServices/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ronshuller
