TAKE FLIGHT: Hobby pilots are flying quadcopters retrofitted with cameras.
UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) have been copping a lot of flack lately, but are they the evil invaders of privacy and harbingers of war they are often made out to be?
Like many of the world’s most groundbreaking inventions (e.g. the Internet), drones – flying robots that are either pre-programmed with coordinates or flown by pilots from the ground – were developed by the military for enemy reconnaissance and surveillance.
Recently, drones designed for military use are bigger and, armed with bombs and missiles, are more dangerous than ever before.
On the other end of the scale are hobby pilots who fly quadcopters retrofitted with cameras (GoPros or similar) down at the local park on a Sunday afternoon.
Although some knowledge of practical electronics is an advantage (regular repairs and upgrades are commonplace), flying a quadcopter is a hobby anyone can enjoy.
Prior to take off, the pilot dons vision goggles. That’s right. While it’s being captured on camera, you see the live scenic footage as your vehicle flies through the sky.
Flying does take some coordination and you may very well crash into a tree. However, as with any new skill, with practice comes mastery.
Prior to take off, you can choose whether you want to take a series of high quality photo still images or record lengthy video.
If you like, you can also control what to capture and when. However, the easiest way to capture photos is to set the camera up to shoot stills at random intervals or pull still frames later from the video footage that’s been recorded.
It doesn’t matter where you are – in the CBD, in the country, up a mountain or at the beach – everything looks spectacular from the sky.
As a result, some hobby quadcopter operators, particularly those with photographic talent, are capturing some of the most extraordinary footage – scenery once only experienced by birds or news helicopter pilots and their traffic reporters.
Here are some examples of how beautiful our Australian landscape and lifestyle looks from the sky.
This Australian East Coast Quadcopter Footage will make you want to buy your own quadcopter online:
This family holiday at Boat Harbour Beach, Tasmania looks like one to envy:
These videos from the sky celebrate our beautiful, peaceful Australian way of life. They celebrate family. They celebrate nature. Every still image that’s captured in the myriad of movement conveys a sense of serenity that land photography often struggles to attain.
Interestingly, in Australia, to fly a UAV for commercial gain (e.g. promoting your business via the sky or selling the photos you capture), you need a pilot’s license. Yes, the actual real kind for flying real aircraft.
Regardless, hobby quadcopter photographers, many of whom are producing extraordinarily moving works, can still enjoy gifting their wares to friends and family.
While affordable, professional photo prints taken from the sky may not be available for sale in large quantities yet, many of us with a love of photography are looking forward to the time when peace trumps privacy and serenity trumps war to enable more people to enjoy what birds (and quadcopter pilots) are lucky enough to see when they take flight.
Meanwhile, you can still search ‘bird’s eye view’ in our database and enjoy an artistic selection.
