EL DORADO ROYALE, PLAYA DEL CARMEN, MEXICO. Matt Spangard / mediadrumworld.com

By Mark McConville

STUNNING bird’s eye view pictures have shone a new light on some of the world’s most popular holiday resorts.

The amazing aerial images shimmering blue pools surrounded hotel buildings and palm trees at resorts including Secrets in Playa Mujeres, Mexico; El Dorado Royale in Riviera Maya, Mexico; Wild Dunes in Charleston, South Carolina, USA and Siesta Key Beach in Florida, USA.

PLAYA MUJERES, MEXICO. Matt Spangard / mediadrumworld.com

Other spectacular shots show golden sandy beaches with sun worshippers dotted throughout and boats anchored at a busy marina.

The summery drone snaps were taken by DroneBrigade.com President Matt Spangard (43) from Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.

“In this series, I just want to bring a little joy to someone’s day,” he said.

“You may be sitting at a desk in an overly air-conditioned office tower right now but for a few seconds, I can transport you to the Islands.

“You could easily be one of those little dots down there on the lounge chair at the pool. If that brings a smile to your face — or even better, inspires you to book your own getaway — I consider it a success.

GRAND PAVILION AT WILD DUNES, ISLE OF PALMS, SOUTH CAROLINA. Matt Spangard / mediadrumworld.com

“There’s one more message, actually, and this one’s a bit selfish: if you run a resort in a far flung corner of the world, I hope you will invite me to come photograph your property for my next series.”

Matt took the beautiful pictures with a drone as he is an FAA-licensed smalled unmanned aerial system (sUAS) operator.

He explained that using drones for photogrpahy came with its own set of unique problems but not all of them involved the drone.

EL DORADO ROYALE, MEXICO. Matt Spangard / mediadrumworld.com

“I think being a successful drone photographer means you need to keep an open mind,” he added.

“What looks like a perfect shot from the ground might fall to pieces when you are looking at it from above.

“Being able to quickly scan for and recognize those patterns that make drone photography so unique is key. You also have to work quickly because battery life is still quite short at around 15 minutes.

“That perfect opportunity is fleeting and if you don’t have everything framed up and ready to go, you’re likely to miss it.

SIESTA KEY BEACH, FLORIDA. Matt Spangard / mediadrumworld.com

“There are always problems to overcome when shooting drone photography at resorts.

“Pick your poison: wind, sand, sun and heat. The biggest hurdle to overcome, though, is that of the curious bystander.

“When you’re flying, you need to remain focused on that tiny dot that you are responsible for in the sky, not the curious guy who is trying to peek over your shoulder at your screen while peppering you with questions.”

ISLE OF PALMS, SOUTH CAROLINA. Matt Spangard / mediadrumworld.com

Follow Spangard’s daily photo blog at PhotoJambo.com, on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/photojambo/), or on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/photojambo).