Built to capture
what matters.
Hey, I'm Brayden.
I started Closer to Heaven because I believe the work people do — the trades, the conservation efforts, the businesses built by hand on the Gulf Coast — deserves to be seen. Not with corporate polish, but honestly.
CTH is a full media coverage company. I run both handheld and drone — Part 107 FAA licensed and insured — so clients get what they actually need without coordinating two crews.
There's no account manager here and no one to hand you off to. The person you talk to on the phone is the person who shows up with the camera, and the person who cuts it afterward. That's the whole company, and it's on purpose — it's why I can tell you on the first call whether a job is a fit or not.
I'm based in Foley, Alabama. Most of my work is in Baldwin County — Fairhope, Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Spanish Fort, Daphne, Robertsdale — and I travel out from there when a job calls for it. Day to day that means general contractors, landscapers, land-clearing and site-development crews, commercial developers, and outdoor brands.
The nights look different. That's when the thermal drone goes up. 150+ recoveries so far — deer for hunters whose blood trail ran out, and dogs and cats that got loose and couldn't be found on foot. Those calls come in the rain and at 11 at night, and I take them the same way I take a booked shoot. I'll also tell you straight when a flight isn't going to help, because nobody can promise you an animal gets found.
"It's not about the drone. It's about the story."
What I actually shoot
Two sides of the same business: media for people who build things outside, and thermal search for people who lost something out there.
Contractors & land work
GCs, landscapers, site-development and land-clearing crews. Progress documentation on a schedule, before/after proof, and aerial mapping — see construction documentation.
Outdoor brands
Boats, hunting, fishing, gear. Real water, real dogs, real cold mornings — the stuff customers can tell isn't stock. See outdoor brand work.
Ongoing content
Monthly retainers for businesses that need to stay visible without thinking about it — reels, photos, and cutdowns delivered on a fixed schedule. See media services.
Thermal recovery
Deer for hunters, and lost dogs and cats for families. Day or night, across the Gulf Coast — see thermal drone recovery.
Conservation & community
The CCA Alabama STAR Tournament, habitat work, fundraisers. Release footage and angler stories — the work that makes the Gulf worth fishing.
What I don't do
No residential real estate listings. If it's not something I'd do well, I'd rather point you somewhere else than take the job and hand you an average video.
Brayden has been doing drone videos for our land clearing and site development company for several months now and has changed the game for us on marketing to our customers our quality work from an Ariel perspective. His quality of expertise and professionalism is something you don’t see all the time. He cares about what he does, knows what he’s doing and can make your property or project look like something out of a movie.
CTH has been my go to for dog rescue, and Brayden has always been quick to respond to my requests. Not only is he knowledgeable but he also genuinely cares about his work and willing to go that extra mile to help.
Check me out before you call
Anybody can put a drone on a website. Here's how to confirm I'm a real, licensed, local operator before you spend a dollar — and you should do this with whoever you hire, not just me.
The Part 107 certificate
I'm FAA Part 107 certificated. Ask and I'll send you a copy before you book — and remote pilot certificates are public record, so you can look one up through the FAA's airmen registry too.
Proof of insurance
Insured for every flight. If your GC, your property manager, or your HOA needs a certificate of insurance on file before I fly, ask for it and you'll have it.
Reviews with names on them
5 stars on Google — real names, real jobs, and you can click through to each one. Read the reviews.
Local, and you get me
Foley, Alabama — not a national call center routing you to whoever's nearby. The number on this site rings my phone: (251) 223-6144. Call it and see who answers.
No money up front
On a recovery you never pay before I'm on-site. No deposits over the phone, no Cash App, no gift cards. Anyone asking a panicked pet owner for money before they show up is running a scam — here's how to spot one.
The searches that failed
We publish the recoveries that came up empty right next to the ones that worked. Read those before you decide — all recovery stories.
Ready to get started?
Tell us what you've got — we'll come back with a scope, not a sales call.
Start a project