Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time
These days, drone videos have all become a bit… samey. But that’s largely because most people shooting drone videos are all using the same drones. The vast majority of which are made by DJI. DJI makes some fantastic drones, capable of shooting some incredible video. But they’re too “safe”. Designed to be stable, steady, predictable, and easy.
But what happens when you take away that safety? That stability? That predictability? Well, that’s when you’re really forced to learn how to fly.
Nature can often present us with some rather wonderful and rare sights. Sights such as spinning ice circles in slow-moving rivers. One particularly giant and impressive example popped up in the Presumpscot River in Westbrook, Maine recently.
Fortunately for those of us who live nowhere near Maine, Todd McKee, founder of Bulldog Aerials, managed to capture some beautiful footage of the formation so that the rest of us could take a peek.
Drones are no stranger to the articles on this website, so a movie that features a drone it’s pretty relevant, right? Well… I don’t even know what to say about this one. Unless this is supposed to be a comedy, and I genuinely can’t tell from the trailer, I cannot think of a dumber idea for a movie than this.
So, it’s like Child’s Play? But Chucky’s a drone? Yes, folks, that’s basically the plot of “The Drone”. “A serial killer transfers his consciousness into a consumer drone”, the trailer description says. In this case, some model of DJI Phantom.
When you first get a drone, every single video you shoot looks amazing. At least to you, the person who made it. Because you made it. But after a while, when the initial buzz has worn off, you look at your footage and perhaps feel a little deflated. It wasn’t as good as you remembered it being. So, you need to push yourself. Use drones in a more interesting way. Use them to tell a story.
In this video, Dirk Dallas of From Where I Drone walks us through five cinematic drone techniques. Each can be used to help tell a different part of your story and connect with the viewer in a different way. And, they’re visually impressive manoeuvres, too.
Almost 2,000 years ago, in the year 79, the Roman city of Pompeii was annihilated by Mount Vesuvius. Buried under ash, with many of its residents trapped and unable to escape it’s said to have killed around 2,000 people. It’s been a great source of interest ever since. Especially to archaeologists.
After centuries of excavation, much of the city has now been uncovered. It can be difficult to really grasp the scale of a city like Pompeii from the ground, though. But thanks to this 45-second drone video published by the Porta Stabia archaeological group, we can see a better overview of the area.
We’ve seen plenty of amazing drone footage so far. But, what about a long take with a drone, indoors, at some impossible angles? Katsu FPV created a video which demonstrates the impressive shots you can get indoors with a nano-drone. Long takes can generally hold my attention, but this one just blew me away.
You know how you’re not supposed to fly a drone above 400 feet altitude? Well, a pilot from Russia managed to fly a 1.06 kg (2.3 lbs) drone at 33,000 feet, the altitude most airplanes use for cruising.
So, you want to take your drone to your travels and add a new perspective to your travel videos. It sounds like fun, but before you do it, you need to be prepared. Mark Wallace from Adorama TV has brought his DJI Mavic Pro to travels around the world and he’s learned a lot about shooting travel videos from the air. In this video, he shares his experience and the lessons he’s learned. They will not only help you get great drone shots on your travels, but also help you do it safely and legally.
Earlier this month, DIYP featured some of the most beautiful lava shots I’ve ever seen. But there was a price to pay for these photos: photographer Erez Marom melted his drone. Seeing the images, I’d say it was definitely worth it. And now, Erez has published the drone footage of the lava flows which caused his drone to melt. And guess what – the video is just as beautiful as the photos.
You can find out more about John on his website and follow his adventures on YouTube and Facebook.
can change a lens mid-rappel, swap a memory card while treading water, or use a camel as a light stand.
To see more of his work please visit his studio website blurMEDIAphotography, or follow him on Twitter, 500px, Google Plus or YouTube.
JP’s photography is available for licensing at Stocksy United.
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