aerial photography Archives - Page 4 of 6

Using two planes as light stands while shooting them with a third plane with a Nikon D5

April 4, 2016 by Udi Tirosh 5 Comments

I know that many are using VALs (Voice Activated Light stands) for moving strobes around, but this is the first time I am seeing a Plane Carried Light stand. Prague-based photographer Dan Vojtech (previously) did just that. Dan collaborated with the Flying Bulls aerobatic group. But he did better than going on a plane along side the pilot and shoot, he also convinced two of the pilots to carry strobes in their back sits, and act as light stands.

Actually, kind of a trivial request. The strobes were pointing upwards and Dan had one of the planes fly upside down, so they will light each other.

Dan shot some “trivial images” as well as some “multiple exposure” sequences, all with the new Nikon D5.

[Read More…]

Drone Footage Reveals the Devastation of Syrian Cities

February 8, 2016 by Liron Samuels 1 Comment

The Syrian civil war is often mentioned in news headlines due to the massive immigrant crisis it caused in Europe, but unique drone footage reveals the devastation of Syrian cities, reminding the world that Europe is handling a side effect of the real problem.

Offering an otherwise unattainable point of view, drones are being used to share the ongoing combat and humanitarian catastrophe, in what looks more like a scene from a Hollywood movie than the coverage you’re used to seeing from war zones.

[Read More…]

Drone Operator Arrested After Crashing Into the Empire State Building

February 5, 2016 by Liron Samuels 7 Comments

Major cities and famous landmarks often make for awesome shots, and that’s probably what Sean Nivin Riddle was after when he went filming with his drone around New York City’s Empire State Building last night.

Unfortunately for the 27-year-old his drone crashed into the 40^th floor of the skyscraper, leading to local and federal security forces swarming to the area and arresting him.

[Read More…]

Phase One Announces New 100MP Medium Format Sony Sensor and 100MP Aerial Cameras

January 3, 2016 by Liron Samuels 3 Comments

Kicking off 2016 with a bang, Phase One announced a new 100mp full frame 645 medium format sensor.

The sensor was designed together with Sony, and will be used in the new 100MP Phase One XF camera system.

No to be confused with the standard full-frame sensor, this one got its name simply as it’s not a cropped 645 sensor. Don’t worry about mixing them up, though, as the price will quickly remind you this is a medium format camera.

[Read More…]

An Interview With Aerial Photographer Vincent Laforet about Air

November 23, 2015 by Liron Samuels Leave a Comment

Last time we featured Vincent Laforet’s work he had just finished photographing his AIR project in London and Barcelona and was preparing to shoot above Paris, Berlin and Venice.

Now that he has completed the project and released a book containing high-altitude aerial night-time photos from 10 iconic cities, Leo Laporte of The New Screen Savers interviewed Vince about his experiences up in the sky.

Other than discussing some of the technical aspects of the shoots, Vince also discusses why these photos will never be captured again.

[Read More…]

DJI’s Concept Phantom X Presents the Future of Drones

November 8, 2015 by Liron Samuels 1 Comment

The future has never seemed less exciting.

A new video released by DJI presents the Phantom X Concept drone, including a bunch of new(ish) and (kinda) useful technology.

Claiming to “turn wide-eyed dreams of future possibilities into fact”, the Phantom X includes multi-angle shooting, artificial intelligence, obstacle avoidance and free-flight object tracking.

Enlisting help from companies and brands such as Adobe, Lexar, House of Cards and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., DJI also presents what I predict could become the next biggest PITA – drone sky painting.

[Read More…]

Drone Maker DJI Buys ‘Strategic Minority Stake’ To Gain Hasselblad Technology

November 5, 2015 by Liron Samuels 4 Comments

Chinese Drone manufacturer DJI and the Swedish medium format and aerial camera company announced earlier today that they have formed a ‘corporate partnership’ after DJI acquired a strategic minority stake in Hasselblad.

As DPReview points out, the reason for this move is to help DJI dominate the aerial photography market in the movie-making and surveying sectors, using Hasselblad’s technology and experience.

On the other hand Hasselblad will receive an undisclosed amount of funds, though definitely significant, to help with the development of future products other than medium format cameras.

Despite the partial acquisition, the companies will not be merging any of their businesses and say consumers will not notice any change.

[Read More…]

No Budget For A Drone? Put Your GoPro On A Kite Instead

July 24, 2015 by Tiffany Mueller 9 Comments

If you’ve never heard of the method being used before, attaching your camera to a kite may sound kind of sketchy at first, but the aerial photography technique has actually been around since the late 1800’s. In 1912, a french inventor by the name of Pierre Picavet invented the Picavet suspension, which allowed photographers to mount cameras to balloons and kites while providing leveling to the camera as it flew through the air.

Though the art of kite aerial photography has mostly gone to the wayside, there’s still a devoted group of enthusiasts out there that are keeping the hobby alive. Once of them being YouTube user, QueDecree. In the video clip below, the Australian kite aerial photographer shows you how to get your kite and camera up in the air, and also shares some pointers on assembling the rig. [Read More…]

Before ISIS: Hot Air Balloons Over Syria

June 27, 2015 by Liron Samuels 2 Comments

Entering Syria these days as a foreigner poses a serious risk and is hardly a recommended travel destination.

With over 300,000 estimated casualties since the Syrian Civil War began in 2011, along with millions of others displaced, fleeing the country or left without sufficient food and drinking water, the war is the first and only thing that comes to mind these days when one thinks about Syria.

Back in April 2007, however, things were quite different. Foreigners were welcome in the country and hot air balloon teams were invited from all over the world to decorate the Syrian skies as part of the mayor of Homs’ birthday celebrations.

German balloon operator and photographer Michael Spar shared with us the photos from his once-in-a-lifetime trip to Syria, when instead of fighter jets and aerial strikes there were hot air balloons and aerial photos.

[Read More…]