Makes you completely disregard the fact that this is actually a cemetery, right?
The gatehouse entryway to Mt Hebron cemetery in Winchester, VA. | Order a print of this image.
winchester
Due Diligence
Ok, now that I’ve done the “heavy lifting” to be allowed to fly a sUAS legally it should be as important for you (the consumer of photography and video) to complete your due diligence. Make sure the person/company you’ve just hired to shoot your video is also legally allowed to perform the sUAS work for hire. It concerns me that anybody can walk into Best Buy or Target or Wal-Mart or hop on Amazon or any number of other online retailers and purchase these flying machines. And young kids these days are seeing the proliferation of drone videos and YouTubers flying with reckless abandon that it seems glamorous and risk-free. It’s certainly not risk-free, but kids tend to simply plow forward without a second thought. It worries me to no end that a very young middle-schooler recently proudly announced to me that he just got a DJI Phantom 4 – a fairly expensive flying camera. Yeah, kids are amazing at video games and technology in general these days, but the decision-making skills are simply not there. It’s comparable to a drivers license. There are reasons that teens go through a process to earn a driver’s license which includes an age requirement. Decision-making skills folks. And I’m certainly not saying that you have to hire me – just make sure the person/company that you DO use is qualified and legally allowed.
Ok I’m done. Enjoy this image of Fall colors knocking on our door.
Fall colors are popping up quickly. My goal is to get this shot with much more Fall color in the next couple weeks.
Luck
I completely stand behind my statement that I tell a lot of people about my photography. There’s certainly a lot of luck involved. Right time, right place. As I gain experience, though, it’s becoming easier to be in that right place at that right time.
As the double rainbow was strengthening, I was able to spin it around and catch the lightning! | Order a print of this image.
The magnificent double rainbow over Winchester tonight. | Order a print of this image.
Absence
Has your heart grown fonder? It seems like it’s getting longer between posts for me. I suppose that means I’m busy these days with my studio work, which is good for me, but I need those days wheere I can just go out and shoot what moves me and just be creative.
One of the few landmarks around Winchester that I haven’t really shot – The Museum of The Shenandoah Valley. | Order a print of this image.
Teaser
The weather wasn’t perfect for the shoot and I’ll probably go back when it is better, but there are so many more possibilities in this space. In the meantime, here’s a teaser image.
If you’re familiar with Winchester, you’ll recognize the Loudoun Street parking garage in the reflection. | Order a print of this image.
Point of View
One of the first things I try to instill in my photography students is to change up the stereotypical way that they take a photograph. Most people view the world from essentially the same vantage point, but as a photographer you need to break that mold of seeing “as usual.” Some of the most interesting images (at least IMHO) are ones that take full advantage of a different point of view. Go ahead, take that picture you were going to take from the standard photography stance (standing, feet slightly wider than shoulder width with one in front of the other for more stability, camera level, SNAP!). Now that the obligatory image is out of the way, move around and get into some unconventional positions and take the more interesting images. It’s always cool to see a familiar scene from a different point of view, isn’t it?
The flagship buidling of the Handley Reginoal Library in Winchester, VA
Did You Miss It?
With all the commotion going on with the super storm of 2016/Snowmageddan/Jonas/Storm of the Year or whatever you want to call it, did you miss the full moon last night? We saw it while we were watching The Shining on our sun porch which was surrounded by the blizzard. Cool.
January’s Full Moon. #theshining #blizzard #heresjohnny #stephenking #whydidtheyhavetokillscatmancrothers #lolololololololol
Fall
I’m not as much about Halloween anymore as I am about the Fall colors. I read a blog post just now commenting on how Halloween is “an adieu to Fall.” Really?! Fall is 3 months you know and we’re only really 1 month in. Come on. Go outside, kick some leaves up and have fun today. Happy Halloween Fall!
The Soul
Everybody needs something in their life that’s stress-free. You know, that activity that satisfies the soul. I didn’t realize how much just shooting does that for me. I was able to get out the other day and just shoot for nothing more than the fun of it. That’s good stuff. For me at least
The dome of the Handley Regional Library in Winchester, VA. | Order a print of this image.
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I’m Back…
It felt like a surgical scene as I was reassembling the drone last night, but I’m back. It’s back. My nerves are going to really keep me in check for a while after that incident. Perhaps that was a good thing.
I think I’ll need to go through all the settings again. The rebuild must have sent everything back to factory default. I typically shoot at 100 ISO, but this one was shot @ 1600!
The Bloom
There’s definitely a dichotomy when it comes to Apple Blossom. I know people who avoid it like the plague and I also know people who go to every single event. Regardless of how you feel about it here’s a little aerial eye candy to start your week.
note – make sure you click the little gear wheel and watch in HD
Parade
This was my 21st year of Apple Blossom Festivals. I realize that’s still fewer than a lot of people, but when you want to shoot unique images, it starts to get difficult. Every year I think to myself “self, there’s nothing new to shoot. You’ve seen it. Yep, that’s another fire truck.” But this year I got to see a different vantage point. Yep, you guessed it – here’s a bird’s-eye view of that same parade.
A fun new perspective on an annual event in Winchester, VA.
Low Light
Just out testing the low light capabilities of this aerial rig. So far – I like it a lot (spoken in the best Lloyd Christmas voice possible). I also had my first (and most likely NOT my last) encounter with law enforcement. It was a really quick response (guess it makes sense if you look closely in the bottom left of the frame). I hadn’t even depleted one battery yet. It was a positive experience and I’m hoping that goes a long way in my efforts to represent this new technology.
The results of my late-night low-light endeavor. Well worth it all in my opinion.
Prep
I wanted to get some “before” images and the sunset was perfect today. Can’t wait to really test out the low-light performance of this rig. The video is gonna be off-the-chart awesome!
The beginning stages of set-up and prep for the carnival at this year’s Apple Blossom Festival.
First Question
“How far can you go with that thing?”
It’s inevitable – people want to know how far this thing goes. And I was bitten by that bug when I first started using these aerial cameras last year. My answer has shifted now and is more in line with being creative and practicing common sense and a lot of safety. It’s no longer about how far it goes, but more about what kind of imagery can I get from it? Where can I put it to shoot totally different perspectives? How can I differentiate myself from every other photographer out there?
By the way, it goes pretty far!
I’m standing on the front steps of Handley. Line of sight becomes an issue this far out so I didn’t go any farther (but I wanted to).
Free
I don’t know if it’s writer’s block or what, but sometimes I struggle with my posts. Or even figuring out what to write. I’m sitting here staring at this image and am coming up short. Maybe I have nothing to say or maybe there’s too much to say. All I know is that I truly enjoy finding new images to make. There is an endless number of possibilities and I’m constantly drawn to this place.
I love how art is so subjective. I see what I see. You see what you see. It’s all up to the viewer. | Order a print of this image.
Compression
Before anybody gets too upset, the camera was really nowhere near the cupola. Photographers use compression all the time – it’s what makes objects in z-space look so much closer than they really are. A longer lens will make the objects’ relative size so drastically different and they appear closer to each other. I was using a 400mm lens (which, on my crop frame camera is essentially a 640mm lens). I was probably 40-50 meters away from it.
I always err on the side of caution. I quickly grabbed this shot and then got the heck out of there.
Waking Up
Every morning I sit at my desk and watch the sun rise from inside. It looks awesome, but today I wanted to do it properly. I also have to do some night shooting with the Inspire 1 to test its low-light capabilities. I’m thinking it’s going to impress.
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Pi Day
Did you have your pie today, we did. Blueberry – YUM!
The image has nothing to do with Pi Day – just thought the sky was awesome tonight. This is directly opposite the actual sunset! Order a print of this image.
I’m High
I know my pilot friends are gonna hate me, but I just wanted to test the limits. The whole flight took less than a couple of minutes. The Inspire 1 has incredible propulsion and it descends almost as fast. I was nervous the entire time (for what it’s worth).
Cedarmeade Studios 