Drone is almost an evil-sounding label, especially when we hear about "spy drones" and "killer drones." What I am using is more akin to a radio-controlled model aircraft but with some higher tech features thrown in.
A better term would be a SUAV (Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) or quadcopter. It must be within the operator's vision in order to operate it.
I use my quadcopter to make photographs from a different point of view, from somewhere above the roof of my truck to that of a low-soaring buzzard. I am finding that with rare exception, this is a view rarely explored.
Sure, there is the view from an airplane, helicopter, or ultra light, but they must fly higher or faster remain safely in the air. The SUAVs are designed to fly in the space in-between and the quadcopter allows you to hover in place.
About a year ago, I started seeing both the still and video work of photographers who weren't using full-size aircraft, but instead were using these small, radio-controlled quadcopters and octocopters. Even National Geographic was using these to film their documentaries. Late last year the price dropped significantly and I bought my first quadcopter.
The equipment I use is very, basic. It consists of a DJI Phantom I quadcopter which, after attaching the landing skids and props and charging the battery is ready to fly. The GoPro Hero3 camera in my aerial vehicle is used everywhere from gathering news to shooting reality programs. It is quite small and durable and has a very wide, fish-eye like lens. Each battery for my quadcopter allows me about ten minutes of flight time depending upon how fast and high I fly.
For my first attempt I took the quadcopter out to a cow pasture and gave it a try. I ran into oaks and barbed wire fences, bouncing it off the pavement and into the grass, but the little quadcopter proved to be very durable. I next drove to a nearby reservoir and I took panoramas showing how low the drought-reduced shoreline was.
I have used the equipment to document landmarks showing them in geographic context and creating a different point of view. I have shot several cattle brandings near my home in Jackson, California. Recently, for the fun of it I went to Daffodil Hill, a local farm near Volcano, Calif. and shot both still and video to post to social media. The only way to get a good aerial in these situations would be to time it just right and use a helicopter, but still it doesn't get you close enough.
While in Winnemucca for Shooting The West, I did several demo flights to show people what was possible with the equipment. My flights included a few from the lawn of the Winnemucca Convention Center to photograph not only the building from a pigeon's point of view but also the intersection of Melarkey Street and Winnemucca Boulevard.
I also did a series of flights east of Lowry High School where the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office and the EMS crew from Humboldt General Hospital staged a mock incident with gunshot victim. This scenario showed journalism students from the high school as well as participants in a Shooting the West editorial photography workshop the proper protocol when assigned to cover such a scene. I photographed this from above to show the incident in context with its environment.
The airport wanted a full-size drone to display to the public but the cost to bring one to the airport was in the thousands of dollars. As I was available, I did a couple of flights for the crowd photographing the airport from above. The flights at the airport were all cleared with the FBO and they were kept fairly close to the ground.
These quadcopters including SUAV (Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), Drones, R/C aircraft, etc.) are not toys and take practice and common sense to fly. There are many useful purposes for aerial drones - from a farmer flying over his fields to check his crops or livestock to the local fire department using these as an eye on a hazmat incident saving lives. They are used in TV and the movies where a helicopter costs too much and can't get close enough. For real estate businesses, they can be used to market a property. Journalists can show the public an overall view of the news in context, such as that used in the coverage of Typhoon Hiyan last year in The Philippines. Quadcopters with video showed the devastation much better than what could be seen on the ground or from a helicopter. During last year's Rim Fire near Yosemite, UAVs were used to map the fire's perimeter. They could go where no one could and do it both willingly and cheaply.
In Nevada, there are plans to use these UAVs to survey both wildlife and the vegetation. These aerial surveys will be faster than ground surveys and much less expensive than using conventional aircraft. In fact, Nevada was chosen by the FAA for one of the "drone" test centers to explore the tech in the near future.
Larry Angier's fascination with photography began in his teens. He studied under Ansel Adams and other West-Coast master photographers. Artistically and well as technologically skilled, he crafts his photographs into fine-art prints in his digital print lab. He is an early adaptor of new technology which he finds expands his creative efforts. His work spans a career of more than 40 years based in California's Mother Lode. Larry's editorial photography appears in magazines and books. He regularly teaches workshops at Shooting The West.[[In-content Ad]]
