Somehow I find myself back at Handley a lot these days. I just like shooting here. And that’s not dirt or dust on the lens – those are the birds that like to attack my craft. I’m very concerned about what’ll happen to the bird if it gets to close. It’s pretty much a flying weed eater.
So do you call the people who “float” the river “floaters?” Or “tubists.” Or “tubers?” Not sure I’d want to be referred to as a floater. Gross.
“So did you go to the river?”
“Yeah, but it was really dirty”
“How do you know?”
“It was full of floaters”
Gross.
It’s late – what do you want from me?
Since I’m not allowed to launch inside a national park I had to hike down to the river edge from the road and launch from there. That’s Harpers Ferry in the distance on the left.
As it is with any government agency, the FAA has a “crap ton” of regulations and the hottest topic these days is UAV – Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. There are huge numbers of differing opinions about their use and with them becoming much more accessible and affordable it’s gonna get really crazy really quickly very soon (already in some instances). There are no-fly zone maps, advisory circulars from 1981, COA application procedures, and so on, and so on and so on. It’s dizzying to say the least. So here are some simple pieces of advise from me to other/future “droners:”
This post was initially going to be a rant about a confrontation I had with an individual this evening who wanted to make me aware of all the regulations that prompted his company to “ground” their drone and that I shouldn’t be flying if they can’t. I was initially ticked off, but after careful thought, I decided to go this route to help promote awareness for common sense when it comes to this extremely touchy subject. I began to realize that I’m just as guilty of not following these tidbits of advice at one point or another so I want to make sure that I ultimately keep myself in check, too.
All I wanted to do was take some pictures of my elementary school…
My elementary school, which is no longer a public elementary school. This one’s for all those who attended Bridgewater Elementary School when it was located in “downtown” Bridgewater.
Aerial images of a golf course – no-brainer.
Rock Harbor Golf Course in Winchester, VA
Every sunset and every sunrise is different to me, which is why shooting them will never get old. But if you’re wondering “how can I shoot them differently?” Simple answer…turn around. You’d be amazed at what it sometimes looks like behind you.
I’m surprised none of the birds that were attacking the drone showed up in this image. | Check out my other sunset/sunrise images.
I’m always concerned about what the reaction will be when I send my camera soaring into the air. I was especially concerned while visiting WIlliamsburg this weekend. I don’t know specifically why, but it just felt weird to me to be flying over Duke of Gloucester Street. It just seems like such a proper place and I didn’t want to distract or disturb. I ended up launching from the fields behind the Wren Building and flying to just over the Wren Building. So, for all the Tribe alumni – enjoy.
37°16’15” N 76°42’41” W. | Order a print of this image.
“A vacation is having nothing to do and all day to do it in.”
– Robert Orben
Our weekend home. | 37°16’5″ N 76°47’35” W
Those scenic view overlooks along the highway take on a whole new look when you bring a drone to the party!
That’s me on my roof with my son. Turns out there’s no difference in flight distance from my roof compared to the ground. Might as well have launched from the driveway. Oh well, it was fun anyway.
I can do your house, too – just contact me.
It’s sometimes difficult for some folks to make it back to their alma mater to visit. Life has a way of getting in the way sometimes. I graduated 21 years ago this year and JMU is such a different school (physically – I won’t get into the politics of all that’s been in the news lately). I know I enjoyed my time there and hopefully this video will spark some memories if you’re also an alumnus. Before I did the video of Handley I actually had this one started, but I didn’t have enough footage yet. I’ve finally collected enough footage – enjoy.
Madison, James Madison
We’ll Be Forever True
Our Loyalty Will Always Be To JMU
While Friends Remain Within Our Hearts
And Knowledge Guides Our Way
James Madison Will Lead Us On
To Conquer Each New Day
I’ve wanted to shoot aerial images of a train. I just think it would be cool, but I just haven’t been in the right place at the right time so far. Today I heard the train, but I was at home when I did. I figured I’d try to catch it. And I did. The image isn’t that impressive, but in capturing this image, I was at the limits of both distances (altitude and distance from transmitter). I have to fly it higher if I want to go further from me to maintain a solid signal between transmitter and receiver. It’s more than a little unnerving when you’ve lost sight of the craft and you’re just about to lose visuals and geo-location in the monitor. It doesn’t look very far on a map, but it’s a good 500-600 meters away from me.
It’s pretty cool that the geo-location of the image includes the altitude – 389.2 feet by the way.
I know that a lot of apps and cameras and software will emulate the Tilt & Shift effect these days – it became really popular really quickly. I experimented with it, but never really got into it because it was hard to get the camera into the right position to accomplish one of the primary requirements of the effect – shoot from an overhead angle. Well, I think I have that covered now. This effect was done entirely in Lightroom, by the way.
Handley High School in miniature.
There’s a lot of down time when I shoot a road race. Even though there are 3 fields on the course at once, they pass by me within 10 minutes of each other leaving me a big gap of about 25-30 minutes until they come by again. What do I do during those breaks? These days I attract a lot of attention with the drone.
Whenever I shoot a race I’m always concerned about being on somebody else’s property because most road races are out in the country and the only place to park is along the road. And when I’m in their way it’s even worse. At my first location today I ended up blocking the entrance to a farmer’s field. He needed to pull in and I was in the way. Great! Not a good way for me to start the day. Fast forward to the last location of the day. I had pulled over near a very colorful barn because I thought it would make a great background in my shots. Next thing I know, a truck pulls up and I get that feeling that I’m about to get chewed out – you know the feeling. But no, that same farmer (the one I had blocked before) pops out of his truck and excitedly asks about my aerial camera. We get to talking and I discover that he’s in the Screen Actors Guild and he’s met some amazing people through that work. He asks how long I’ll be there because he wants to go get his daughters to watch me fly. Then he flags down a buddy to pull over and watch, too! Party at Jimmy’s place! He tops the day off by telling me that he respects all the riders in the races and thinks it’s a great thing for the county. There are some awesome people in Page County! Thanks Jimmy for letting me park on your property today.
Click here for more race photos from today.
“Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning.”
– William Arthur Ward
It definitely draws attention. Glad these kids had some fun with it. It’s always interesting to see people’s reaction to it when I rev it up.
I’m self-taught on several subjects. Specifically bike maintenance and mechanics and videography/photography. The two areas that have essentially dominated my life for the past 20/30 years. I’ve turned both into successful professional careers at one point or another.
As a side note, I have a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from James Madison University.
My kids think it’s hilarious that I have a BS Degree.
It’s really a tough way to do it for many reasons, but mostly because you’re at the mercy of your own motivation and commitment. Freelancing is a tough road, but it can be rewarding. The one thing I’ve learned through my “travels” is that whatever the new technique is or whatever the new trend in the industry is, you gotta jump right in to stay current. Learn as you go, make mistakes and improve your craft. Whatever it is. Just go for it – head on.
Trying to take my photography to a new level. Ha! I just heard that in my head.
“Flying is learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”
– Douglas Adams
Yep. Guess who got a new toy? Look out world, here I come!
Cedarmeade Studios 