How Aerial Photographer Akil Henley Has Changed The Perspective On Photography

Over the years, photography as an art form has grown from the black and white pictures in the 20th century to clear and detailed photos in modern times. Among the many changes that have changed people's perspectives on photography is aerial photography. Though not a new concept, the modern generation of photographers has greatly revolutionized aerial photography. It is now considered to be the most creative and attractive form of photography. Drones are being extensively used to capture gorgeous images from the sky. While there are a lot of photographers, only a few have caught on to the use of drones for aerial photography to add a whole new dimension to people and places. These pictures give a whole new perspective on things from the point of the viewer.

Akil Henley is an African-American aerial photographer who has traveled the world, capturing creative and captivating images. He is a creator who believes that everyone should grow and showcase their talent to the world. Through his breathtaking aerial shots, Akil can show the world from a different impressive perspective, one from up above.

Growing up in New York City, particularly in the Bronx, greatly influenced his career path. He started learning music from a young age, which sparked his interest in learning more about photography and capturing life from a different perspective. Since then, he has stuck to photography and has visited over 46 countries across continents.

Akil started his career as a photographer six years ago when aerial photography was not a big thing. The most common aerial shots were only seen in movie scenes and were extremely rare. Drones were not a thing either, and photographers relied on helicopters to scale to greater heights and capture aerial shots. But now things have changed. Drones have now become the norm in the aerial photography scene. Among the many global photographers, Akil has stood out as the most creative and influential aerial photographer. Akil says he immediately knew that there was another way of viewing life the first time he flew a drone. To him, the world would have had more impressive photos or paintings if the likes of Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Lawrence, Pollock, Basquiat, and Van Der Zee had a drone.

His work speaks for himself. In 2018, the Eiffel Tower page reposted one of his photos captured during the French protest. This had a resounding impact on his career as several Parisian periodicals reached out to use his photo in their publications. His social media page also received a lot of love and grew as a result. The same thing happened again in 2019 when the NYC Instagram page reposted several of his photos on their stories. The photos caught the eye of one of NYC artists, Elizabeth Sutton who requested him to photograph one of her artworks on Roosevelt Island.

Akil believes that aerial photos possess the power and ability to present the world uniquely and magically. As an aerial photographer, he does not only view the beach from the sand and water hitting his feet perspective but from 100 feet above the air capturing the shape of the ground.

He recently launched his influencer app for iOS, a one-stop destination for all photo editing needs. You may check out more of his works on his Instagram page.