Aaron Bender is a transplant, but he understands what lifelong Tacomans know to be true about their city — even if what they know to be true is hard to put into words.
“Tacoma definitely has a unique feel. Almost a personality,” Bender said. “I don’t know exactly how to describe it. It’s not like dropping into any cookie-cutter area in the country.”
The good kind of unique, as Bender calls it, is easy to spot from the angles he’s capturing with his drone. He’s the photographer behind Over Tacoma, a hobby-turned-passion that Bender started when he moved here about two years ago. Bender is a drone photographer certified by the Federal Aviation Administration. He explores the city from above and shares the images he captures — both photos and video — through his website and social media accounts.
He started flying a drone in his spare time while living in Austin, but Bender says exploring his new home is more fun: diverse terrain, historic buildings, beautiful architecture and, of course, Mount Rainier looming large as the backdrop to the Grit City skyline.
“It’s interesting to see the architecture from that angle versus on the ground,” he said. “A lot of this stuff it looks like it was built with a view above in mind.”
And it didn’t take long for the photos and videos captured from above to inspire a loyal following. It’s not unusual for Over Tacoma posts on Instagram to garner hundreds of likes. “It picked up pretty quickly,” he said.
Bender says he often hears from Tacomans who have moved away. He helps, even in the smallest way, to cure their homesickness from afar.
“It’s surprising,” Bender said. “I’ve moved a lot of places. Some of them I’m homesick for, but nothing like these people.”
And while he admits he’s new to Tacoma and the unspoken “it” factor, he says he’s beginning to understand the deep love many people feel for the place.
“It’s something I’m still finding out.”
This week, we're seeking to find out, too. Similar to the spirit of Over Tacoma, we'll explore the city through our KNKX Connects reporting project — diving deep into the people and places of Tacoma and what makes this place special.
Listen to in-depth coverage scattered throughout Morning Edition and All Things Considered today, tomorrow and Friday, a continued celebration of the grand opening of our new Tacoma station at 930 Broadway.
When it's all said and done, we think you'll like Tacoma.
FOLLOW OVER TACOMA Instagram: @overtacoma | Facebook: facebook.com/OverTacoma
