Collinson Tensile designed and built a full-size indoor football training facility for AFC Bournemouth at the club’s Canford training complex near Wimborne Minster, Dorset. I was commissioned to photograph the completed building, combining ground-level architectural and construction photography with CAA-licensed aerial drone imagery.
- Project: AFC Bournemouth Indoor Football Training Facility
- Client: Collinson Tensile
- Location: Canford, near Wimborne Minster, Dorset
- Services: Architectural Photography | Construction Photography | Commercial Photography | Aerial Drone Photography | Aerial Video
The Project
The substantial tensile structure forms part of the wider development of AFC Bournemouth’s training facilities. The building is a 77-metre-wide by 107-metre-long clear-span structure, with a ridge height of approximately 17 metres and a footprint of around 8,239 square metres. It combines a precision-engineered steel frame with a high-performance tensile membrane covering.
The scale and distinctive architectural form of the building presented an excellent opportunity for professional architectural and construction photography, particularly to show the relationship between the tensile structure, the internal training environment and the wider Canford site.
The Brief
Collinson Tensile needed a strong collection of professional images documenting and presenting the completed project.
The images had to do more than simply record the building. They needed to communicate the scale, engineering, construction quality and architectural character of the facility, and give Collinson visual content suitable for its project portfolio, website, marketing, PR and future business development.
For a specialist construction and engineering company, project photography must demonstrate not only what has been built but also the quality and technical capability behind the finished structure.
My Role
I was responsible for creating all the professional photographic content for the project, combining ground-level architectural and construction photography with aerial drone imagery.
My approach was to photograph the building from a range of carefully considered perspectives, showing both the overall form of the tensile structure and the architectural and engineering details that distinguish the project.
Ground-based photography provided controlled views of the structure, materials, internal environment and architectural details, while aerial photography offered a completely different perspective on the facility’s scale and its relationship with the surrounding site. For a project of this size, some of the most informative views could only be achieved from above, giving a full understanding of the structure’s footprint and form.
Aerial Drone Photography
Alongside the ground-based images, I provided professional aerial drone photography, creating high-level views that complement the architectural photography. Aerial imagery is particularly valuable for construction, engineering and architectural projects because it can communicate:
- The overall scale and footprint of a development
- The relationship between a building and its surrounding site
- Architectural form that may not be apparent from ground level
- Access, landscaping and site context
- The relationship between different elements of a larger development
I am a CAA-licensed and fully insured professional drone operator, with experience providing commercial aerial photography and 4K drone video for construction, engineering, architecture, property and corporate clients. Where appropriate, aerial photography and drone video can be included in the same commission as conventional photography, giving clients a coordinated collection of ground-level and aerial content from one experienced professional.
Delivering More Than a Record of the Building
The objective was to create imagery that works commercially for Collinson Tensile rather than simply a documentary record of the finished building.
The resulting photography presents the project as an example of specialist tensile construction, structural engineering and sports architecture, helping to communicate the capabilities behind the finished facility. For specialist contractors, architects and engineering companies, professional project photography is an important part of demonstrating previous work to prospective clients.
Commercial Photography for Construction & Engineering
This project reflects my wider specialism in commercial, architectural, construction and engineering photography. I photograph buildings, structures, construction projects, industrial facilities, engineering projects, workplaces and completed developments for companies that need professional visual content for websites, project portfolios, marketing, PR, social media, presentations and business development.
Where a project benefits from it, I can combine architectural photography, construction photography, aerial drone photography and 4K drone video within a single coordinated commission. Collinson Tensile received a comprehensive visual record of their project without needing to manage several separate photographers or suppliers.
Project Gallery
Looking for an architectural, construction or drone photographer in Reading, Berkshire, the Thames Valley or across Southern England? Whether you need a completed project photographed, construction progress documented, aerial drone imagery or 4K drone video, I’d love to hear about your project.
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