Rising Stars: Meet Robert Stewart

Today we’d like to introduce you to Robert Stewart. 

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Way back in high school, I was friends with many young, smart folks that were choosing to tread the path of engineering as we moved into college. This was something I expressed interest in the more time I spent around them. I like math and school enough to pursue a four-year degree in Electrical Engineering where I learned a few different hobbies. I have always liked to tinker with mechanical and electrical objects. When I went to college it was no different other than I had no money left over for my hobbies. Despite that, I worked and started to buy parts to build race drones. This kicked off a very important hobby to me because I started putting camera on the drones and recorded my flights in many different locations. This began picking up some attention and I started to learn more about cameras and photography all while continuing into my career as an engineer. All of this leads me to where I am now in Milwaukee working full time as an engineer and in my free time, I take photos and videos for myself and anyone else that is interested in my work. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The path to where I am now has been smoother than what many others might experience but I attribute that to always having a strong support system. My family has always been there for me as well as my friends. For a while, the main struggle for me was time and money, which I am sure is the case for most people. Between school and work, it felt like I had no time to pursue my drone “career”. Not to mention the facts that drones are upwards of $1000 USD and I was flying them in some risky situations to get different types of videos which meant I was losing drones once or twice a year. For a college student with no fun money, this was extremely hard to keep doing. On top of that, I went to school in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where the winters are quite rough. Flying during the winter months was especially risky but the videos that came out of it were always my favorites. Nowadays it is more about keeping the motivation and discipline to keep being creative and making videos even on the days where I am feeling down which has proven to be a tough barrier to break down. 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I never thought of myself as an artist but the more I create videos and photos the more I realize how creative I actually am. My main source of inspiration and pride creatively comes from FPV (First Person View) drones. It is very special because it takes a lot of skill to fly these drones since they are completely manual and have no safeties or assists to help you. I also built all of mine so if something mechanically or electrically goes wrong, it is my own fault. On top of the drone sits a GoPro which I had to learn to use properly and mount to the drone to capture some of the most unique perspectives possible on camera. To me, this is what sets me apart creatively since most drones are flown with sensors and GPS with gimbaled cameras whereas my flights are very raw and come down to the pilot’s skill. I am very hopeful for the future of FPV drone pilots, and I plan to be a part of the community as it picks up traction and becomes a popular way to film and record entertainment. 

Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
Covid-19 reinforced my drone hobby because it allowed me to isolate myself with my hobby and explore the outdoors with my drone more. Rather than going to bars or clubs, I found that I preferred working on my craft and getting outside which was a new side of myself that was locked away prior to Covid. There were struggles, of course, but overall Covid, in a way, helped me get in touch with my creativity. 

Pricing:

• GoPro 11 $450
• Custom Drone ~$1300
• Creativity $Priceless

Contact Info:

• Website: https://aerialvisuals.wixsite.com/services?cardCode=Zcboo_Lvd2Ry
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robertstewartav/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@robertstewart5600/featured
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@robertstewartyt