Tag Archives: aerial photography

International drone film festival showcases winning films at London screening

I am glad to publish the following release from Insidercomm

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BRITAIN COMES UP TRUMPS AS RED RUN SNATCHES BEST ACTION AWARD

Last night (Thursday 15th October), The Rise of the Drones Film Festival revealed its winners at a screening in front of hundreds of members of the public. The event was arranged by EpicTV – the online action and adventure sports media group – and DJI – the world’s biggest drone manufacturer.

WIN-One-Take-WonderWINNER

Whilst the night celebrated action sports from across the globe, the evening started with a nod to British talent as London production company Salt Street collected the first award, Best Action, for their film Red Run. Continue reading International drone film festival showcases winning films at London screening

Dronelife Launches droneservicefinder.com, the First Comprehensive Aerial Photography Services Finder Application

A Dronelife Press Release
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Dronelife.com Launches droneservicefinder.com, the First Comprehensive Aerial Photography Services Finder Application for the Burgeoning Commercial Drone Industry

Photo by Michael MK Khor https://www.flickr.com/photos/mk-creatures/
Photo by Michael MK Khor

Online Publisher SAJ Technologies, Inc. today launched droneservicefinder.com, the first comprehensive aerial photography services finder application for the burgeoning commercial drone industry. Continue reading Dronelife Launches droneservicefinder.com, the First Comprehensive Aerial Photography Services Finder Application

Taking Flight: Drone Photography & Video with Jeff Foster

This Monday on Treasure Island CreativeLive (founded by well known photographer Chase Jarvis) is broadcasting a live-streaming workshop with Drones to teach the world about safe and effective flying techniques for Drone photography and video.

drone-video-course

Here is some info, make sure you check out the official website for full details

Capture stunning aerial shots

Aerial photography and videography captures some of the most stunning images out there, but the tools, techniques, and gadgets used to capture the action are often confusing and difficult to master. Join Jeff Foster and special guests for an exciting and highly informative class and get a running start at unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photography.

In this course, you’ll learn how to capture stunning aerial shots with an impressive range of aerial gear – including; 3D Robotics multicopters, DJI multirotors, GoPros, DSLRs and more. You’ll get an introduction to the best tools for beginners and see demonstrations of the sophisticated gear used by the most in-demand professional photographers and filmmakers. You’ll learn essential skills for controlling a UAV flight; basic flight controls, necessary equipment for successful shooting, planning and lining up the perfect shots, flight prep and safety, waypoint navigation and more. You’ll gain an understanding of the production and post-production techniques unique and essential to aerial photography – including how to stabilize video, create stunning panoramic photos, and remove lens distortion in your photos and videos.

If you’re ready to explore this wonderful world from a new elevated visual perspective, then this is the course for you!

Guests include:
Colin Guinn – 3drobotics.com
Mark Johnson and Romeo Dursher – www.visual-aerials.com
Stephen Wheatcraft – www.aerovisionpro.com
Peter Sachs – dronelawjournal.com
Russell Brown – russellbrown.com

How to create stunning images from drone video with HDRInstant

I am glad to publish the following press release from HDRInstant

Create stunning images from drone video

Have you ever filmed with your drone and wanted to create a great image from your video? Now you can with HDRinstant.

HDRinstant is a program that allows you to transform your drone videos into fantastic looking images. Before our technology, you had to resort to getting still grabs from videos. These were often of poor quality, contained lots of grain and lacked in detail. Now with HDRinstant, you don’t have to settle for poor images. You can create HDR (High-Dynamic-Range) images from your video.

HDR images contain stunning color and high detail and better represent what the human eye can see in a scene. Not only can you get fantastic aerial views with your drone but you can turn them into something truly amazing with the software. Simply choose your favorite moment in the video and let your creativity flow by making an HDR image from it. You can choose your own settings to create something natural or surreal.

HDRinstant works by using image stacking and morphing technology. Watch this short video of what it can do

The software lets you start with this:
hdrinstant-1

And transforms it into this:
hdrinstant2

Continue reading How to create stunning images from drone video with HDRInstant

The Senate of the State of Hawaii issues a bill that would severely restrict drone photography and videography

The Senate of the state of Hawaii issued a bill for an act that would severely restricts the possibility to use drone for taking aerial pictures or video.

The main concern seems to be related to the protection of Hawaii citizens privacy. The title of the document is “Unmanned Aircrafts; Right to Privacy“. Using drones for video application would be restricted to just a few selected cases.

Use of unmanned aircrafts prohibited.  Except as provided under this part, it shall be unlawful for any law enforcement agency, state or local public agency, person, or entity to use an unmanned aircraft to gather information, including but not limited to images, photographs, or recordings.Continue reading The Senate of the State of Hawaii issues a bill that would severely restrict drone photography and videography

GoPro goes anamorphic with Letus AnamorphX adapter

GoPro cameras are widely used in sports and are possibly the more popular action cameras on the market.

They are also possibly the cameras of choice to mount on a multirotor to shoot aerial video. A wide range of accessories, namely gimbals and video-out cables are available to mount and use a GoPro on a quadcopter or multirotor.

The typical, very wide field of view of the GoPro also makes these cameras useful to pilot in FPV, although many suggest to instead use a second, simpler board camera for the flying itself,  because possibly more things can potentially go wrong with the GoPro with respect to a simple camera with less functions. However the GoPro often remains the camera of choice to take the footage for video production.

A TBS Discovery quadcopter with a board camera for FPV and a GoPro for video footage -  Source
A TBS Discovery quadcopter with a board camera for FPV and a GoPro for video footage – Source

The GoPro wide angle lens gives GoPro images a distinct fish eye touch that is very easy to spot, as in the image below.

An image taken with a GoPro, with the characteristic fish eye look - Paul Toogood on Flickr
An image taken with a GoPro, with the characteristic fish eye look – Paul Toogood on Flickr

Continue reading GoPro goes anamorphic with Letus AnamorphX adapter

BeetleCam project goes aerial with the BeetleCopter multirotor

In 2009 Burrard Lucas, an British wildlife photographer started the Beetle Cam project, aimed at getting close up photos and videos of african wildlife. How? A look at the equipment will get you the picture:

Burrard Lucas Beetlecam - Source
Burrard Lucas Beetlecam – Source
Burrard Lucas Beetlecam, camo setup - Source
Burrard Lucas Beetlecam, camo setup – Source

Continue reading BeetleCam project goes aerial with the BeetleCopter multirotor

Terry and Belinda Kilby – Drone photography in Baltimore – Elevated Element

The Baltimore Sun features a terrific interview to drone photographers Terry and Belinda Kilby, who just published a book about drone photography in Baltimore: Drone Art: Baltimore and run the site Elevated Element.

elevated-element-baltimore
A photo from the book Drone Art: Baltimore by Terry and Belinda Kilby – Source

The interview is very generous and covers nearly all aspects of their activity, from equipment, both drones and cameras, to considerations about the workflow they have established and to the management of security.

They tend to select places and timing to ensure as few people as possible are around. Say sunday at 6AM. If required, they define a clear area for takeoff and landing, and they communicate clearly to bystanders what is going on and where to stay to remain secure.

They apparently are well known drone operators in the area, as they got a phone call from the FBI as someone else was flying a drone outside hotel rooms. They state they would never do that and  take every precaution, such as the ones mentioned above, to ensure everything remains safe for everyone.

They stepped up through a couple of generations of GoPros, to Cannon S90 an then Sony NEX 5N.

They build all their multirotors themselves.

Terry and Belinda Kilby hexacopter equipped for drone photography
Terry and Belinda Kilby hexacopter equipped for drone photography – Source

This was just a little appetizer, read the full article at the Baltimore Sun