VIRGINIA BEACH — Standing on the rooftop deck of an Oceanfront apartment building at 5:30 Wednesday morning, Antone Nixon launched his camera drone. The buzz from the contraption’s spinning propellers quickly faded into the distance as it soared toward the ocean, nearly 150 feet above the water.
The sun was about to rise.
“I’m just trying to find the perfect lighting and what view is going to look the best,” said Nixon, watching the live image on the remote controller in his hands.
Nearly every day Nixon wakes up before the crack of dawn to shoot videos of the sunrise and post them on his popular social media accounts.
It’s a hobby that all started with his dog, Boomer.
“She’s the reason behind VB Sunrise,” said Nixon, 37. “We would wake up, and she’d say, ‘Hey, we got to go for a walk.'”
Nixon originally created an Instagram page for Boomer a few years ago, posting photos and videos of her on the beach while the sun was rising over the ocean. Some of his initial followers would comment on how much they loved his dog but also the sunrises. He decided to focus on daybreak, invested in a drone and created the @vb_sunrise handle on Instagram.
Now, his hobby has grown to attract more than 30,000 followers across several social media platforms.
Nearly every morning, Nixon posts a short video with music that pans across the resort area, at times capturing dolphins gliding through the surf, sunlight shimmering off of the King Neptune statue or iconic sites along Atlantic Avenue.
For the Fourth of July, Nixon plans to highlight the American flag.
Each post comes with a brief caption from Nixon — “Good morning Virginia Beach,” or “Rise and shine.”
He’s received positive feedback from followers around the world.
“A lot of people thank me for providing that sunrise that they couldn’t get up for,” he said.
By day, Nixon manages a security company. He also offers wedding videographer or drone photography services for a fee. He’s certified by the Federal Aviation Administration, licensed and insured to fly the drone. He must notify Naval Air Station Oceana before and after every flight.
Nixon has filmed several race events and festivals in Hampton Roads. When he worked with the first Jackalope adventure sports festival last year, professional skateboarder Tony Hawk, who participated in the event, tagged VB Sunrise on an Instagram Reel. Nearly overnight, Nixon gained thousands of new followers.
His 11-year-old son, Maddox, calls him a meteorologist because he always has a thumb on the weather.
“If it’s a cloudy weekend, he’s excited, because Monday, he knows it’s going to be a good sunrise,” said his son.
Unless it’s raining or he’s out of town, his followers can count on a daily dose of earth rotation.
“It’s almost like I’m addicted to doing it,” said Nixon. “If I were to miss the sunrise in the morning, I feel like I’ve let everybody down in a way.”
Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com
