RESUME
FAA Part 107-certified drone pilot and built-environment documentation professional with 20+ years of experience supporting architectural, construction, and infrastructure projects through photography, drone operations, and field-based documentation. Currently expanding expertise in photogrammetry, orthomosaic generation, RTK/GNSS workflows, GIS, and reality capture technologies including Pix4D, DroneDeploy, WebODM, and QGIS. Combines extensive field experience, technical documentation skills, and construction-site awareness to support Reality Capture, VDC, and project documentation teams.
TECHNICAL SKILLS
Reality Capture & Geospatial Technologies
Photogrammetry • Orthomosaic Processing • Point Cloud Fundamentals • RTK/GNSS Fundamentals • Ground Control Points (GCPs) • Coordinate Systems & Projections • GIS Fundamentals • Construction Progress Documentation • 360° Documentation • Existing Conditions Capture
Drone Operations
FAA Part 107 Certified • Aerial Mapping • Flight Planning • Site Assessment • Mission Execution • Data Collection • Safety Procedures • Equipment Management
Software
WebODM • QGIS • OpenStreetMap • Pix4D • DroneDeploy • Insta360 Studio • Adobe Photoshop • Adobe Lightroom • Adobe Premiere Pro • Microsoft 365 • Google Workspace
Construction & Documentation
Field Documentation • Existing Conditions Documentation • Progress Documentation • QA/QC Awareness • Digital Asset Management • Technical Reporting • Stakeholder Communication • Workflow Coordination
WORK EXPERIENCE
FoxFury Lighting Solutions
Oceanside, California
Drone Pilot | Video Producer
01/2016 – 04/2020
Conducted on-location visual documentation and UAS operations across industrial, infrastructure, public safety, and technical environments.
Planned and executed complex field productions involving multiple teams, technical specialists, equipment, logistics, and site-specific requirements.
Collaborated with engineers and subject-matter experts to accurately document technical systems, procedures, products, and field conditions.
Managed capture equipment, data, post-production, and delivery from field acquisition through final documentation.
Troubleshot technical and operational challenges in dynamic field environments, adapting workflows to changing site conditions and production requirements.
Developed educational content and training materials covering photography, video production, forensic documentation, and UAS operations.
Content Marketing Manager
05/2020 – 06/2022
Managed technical documentation and digital assets supporting engineering, product, sales, and operations teams.
Coordinated complex content and documentation workflows across internal teams, subject-matter experts, and external contributors.
Translated complex technical information, product specifications, and field-testing insights into clear documentation and educational materials.
Created and implemented a structured digital asset management system to organize and distribute technical and visual project assets.
Chris Giles Images, LLC
Encinitas, CA – Durango, CO
Owner | Photographer | Video Producer
01/1997 – 01/2016
Founded and operated a commercial photography and video practice specializing in architectural, construction, commercial, and built-environment documentation. Conducted projects almost entirely on location, working directly with architects, designers, builders, developers, and other project stakeholders.
Documented hundreds of architectural, commercial, and built-environment projects through systematic on-site photography and video capture.
Conducted detailed site observation and visual assessment to determine capture requirements, perspectives, equipment, lighting, and logistics for each project.
Managed complete field-to-delivery workflows including project planning, site coordination, equipment preparation, capture, data management, post-production, and final deliverables.
Worked independently in active and occupied environments, adapting capture strategies to site conditions, access constraints, weather, lighting, and project schedules.
Coordinated directly with architects, contractors, designers, and clients to understand project requirements and accurately communicate existing conditions, completed work, and design intent.
Managed multiple concurrent projects from initial scope through delivery, maintaining schedules, budgets, documentation, and client communication.
Construction Experience
Whole-Home Remodel — Owner-Builder / General Contractor | 2023–2024
Managed permitting, subcontractor coordination, scheduling, procurement, budgeting, sequencing, and field execution for a complete residential remodel.
Custom Home Construction — Carpenter
Early-career hands-on experience in custom residential construction, including jobsite operations, carpentry, materials, and construction sequencing.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Arts, Business & Marketing
Fort Lewis College
CERTIFICATIONS
FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate (2019)
DroneDeploy Construction Analyst Certification
DroneDeploy Fundamentals Certification
Drone Deploy Ground Certified Certification
OSHA 10 Construction Safety
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Strong Towns Encinitas Local Conversation
Encinitas, CA | 2025–Present
- Founded and led a local community group focused on improving Encinitas’ built environment, street safety, housing, and financial resilience.
- Coordinate monthly meetups, newsletter and social media communications, and educational programming with local civic leaders and community stakeholders.
- Organize site-based research and field projects, including a commercial-corridor walk audit and a collaborative Finance Decoder analyzing the city’s financial health.
Bike Streets
Encinitas, CA | 2026–Present
- Maintain and develop the Encinitas Low-Stress Bike Map through spatial analysis, field observation, and OpenStreetMap data management.
- Evaluate real-world transportation conditions, recommend low-stress routes, update OSM geometry and attributes, and collect GPS ride data to develop activity heat maps and a library of mapped route.
Video Production
Encinitas Bike Walk
Encinitas, CA | 2013–Present
- Advocate for safer, more accessible transportation infrastructure through campaign development, civic involvement, community engagement, and analysis of roadway and bikeway conditions.
- Curate bicycle routes through Bike Streets and contribute to OpenStreetMap-based mapping and spatial data maintenance.
- Manage website and social media platforms supporting public communication, outreach, and community organizing.
San Diego Green Building Council
Video Production
- Created an educational video series documenting the design and build of the J. Craig Venter Institute’s net-zero laboratory
- Produced a video series on the Green Assistance Program (GAP)
- Produced multiple promotional and fundraising videos for the SDGBC chapter
American Lung Association
Video Production
- Produced promotional video showcasing the San Diego Airport Terminal 2 renovation
- Developed multi-day time-lapse videos of solar installations
- Worked with multiple leading health care institutions to document their programs benefiting lung health.