Aerial Video: Drone does snow
An aerial video shot with a Dji Phantom 2 and a Gopro Hero 3+
About a month ago I went and picked up a second battery for my DJI Phantom 2. Since October most of my shoots were short enough that I was able to capture what I needed with the life span of a single battery. I made the trek through Boston on the day we were getting pounded with a snow storm. I needed to get the battery as I was contacted and asked if I could capture aerial video for the marketing department of a Massachusetts based ski resort. We were to get a 24-48 hr snow storm and I was requested to be up on the mountain the day it stopped snowing. With some mismanagement on the part of the "would be client," I never shot anything for them. One word, "burned." Enough about that matter...
Aerial Still from the short.
We had an incredibly beautiful day following the snow storm. I was eager to get to a location that I knew would be just incredible with the right sunlight. I put my ski pants on one foot at a time, suited up in multiple layers, from a shell to an under jacket, to stay warm. I grabbed my Phantom 2, both batteries, my Gopro and drove to a location that I had been thinking about since the first snow flakes of the 2015 winter season fell. I chose two spots to focus on. Following about 14 minutes of filming I began a trek to the second spot within the location. I found a nice spot, cleared a take off spot, replaced the battery and powered up.
I noticed something a little "off." After setting the gps, connecting to the satellites and getting the green light to go I set the throttles into position to take flight. Nothing happened. I let go of the sticks and tried again. Nothing. I took my hat off, exposing my head to the cold, and scratched my scalp saying WTF? I was in the right spot at the right time. Literally. I could not have planned a better trip. I could not have asked for better conditions. I could not have desired anything more perfect for what I wanted to capture. The only problem, the only unforeseeable component that I could not calculate, technical difficulty. Welp, cant fly. Can't get it in the sky. There was not little blue pill to get this thing up. I was let down, very let down. I began the walk through the 2 feet of snow, head down, quadcopter in one hand and half a project in the other.
Over the next couple of weeks I spoke with tech support on the DJI side of things and the store that I bought the battery from. No one had any clue. No one had any idea why this was happening. With my schedule I was unable to get myself to the store until a week ago. The guy behind the counter tried 3 batteries. Nothing. Still the same thing. Would turn on but not fly. Replacing the battery didnt seem like it was going to be an option. The old battery worked just fine. Odd issue to have, ehh? The man behind the counter was eager to do the latest firmware update. After a few minutes the update was installed and we were ready to try again. I was able to get off the ground. It seems that the little blue pill came in the form of a firmware update. There was no trouble with lift off. Success!
Please take note:
In order to operate my Dji Phantom 2 with a brand new battery I needed to do the firmware update. The battery came ready to fly with the update or for the latest V2 Dji Phantom 2. The guy at the store had never seen this issue before. It was a guess that the firmware update would correct the issue, and it did.
Even though I was unable to complete the intended project I was still able to capture some stellar footage and have some stock video for a future project I am working on. I have compiled a short of the footage, which you can watch below.
New England: This is why winter doesn't suck!
Here is why winter doesn't suck. Snow. If you are the type of person that looks outside after a fresh snow dump and your head spins while you vomit uncontrollably as if you were staring in a particular movie, you might want to rethink you future in 4 seasons demographic, consult with a physician, because you are possessed with the winter blues. No matter what I say or show you, you will continue to hate the snow more than anything else.
If you love the winter, love the snow, and when you draw the curtains back and see a fresh coating of white stuff and your eyes gleam harder than if you saw a Red Rider bb gun under your tree, you will enjoy the following photos.
I went out last night for about an hour. It was much colder than I thought it was going to be. I had a pair of jeans on, winter boots, an interior jacket and a shell to keep me dry. I wore a pair of gloves and a winter hat to also fight off the effects of the cold. I went to a place that I frequent. The time of day was different than the last time I was there and I knew I would find something visually appealing. I moved around a bit, making photos. I decided to switch locations when a large plow came and sat behind my truck. I was unsure if he was waiting for back up to come and tow me or if he was there to pop a few beers down the hatch to stay warm and lubed up on his snowy conquest that evening. I didnt want to chance it so I took off.
Click the left or right arrow buttons. This blog is kind of sophisticated like that.
I cruised around with 4 wheel drive on for a few minutes and settled on this location. I was just out to take a break from editing a few projects and needed a creative break from being creative. So escaping the desk was a health decision. I am not one to complain about the cold unless I am suffering. By suffering I mean if I found myself naked and buried in a snow bank. I might be a little "whiny" then. For the most part the cold doesn't bother me. The snow, I love the snow. I always have. Growing up in New England you adapt to the changing seasons and welcome the transitions between. However, when I arrived at the second location I figured, I will only be here a few moments, I don't need my gloves.
I moved around and made a few photos. I was searching for something unique and think I was able to capture that quite well. It felt a bit colder than when I first left the house. I wasn't sure if it was because my hand was stiff and I couldn't bend my fingers or if it was because my fingers were becoming stuck to the buttons on my camera remote. I figured it was time to leave if my skin was starting to morph into the controls.
I would like to take a moment to address the City of Boston: Mother Nature doesn't hate you, I promise. New England doesn't hate you, I promise. You are seeing some unusually high amounts of snow this year, enjoy it. Find ways to enjoy it because winters in New England are shifty. Snow one year, not the next. Blizzard upon blizzard one year, flurries the next. Snow is a wonderful texture to the cold. It makes being cold less cold if you have a reason to be outside. Go line the Boston Common with an army of snowmen. Have random snowball fights. Build unique sculptures out of snow, but whatever you do, avoid the yellow, brown, light brown snow.
New England: Winter Photographs
January and February in New England see the most amount of snow fall. As I write this post I am excitedly awaiting the arrival of a "blizzard," scheduled to land in less than 24 hrs. This past Saturday we woke up to a coat of snow the covered the ice that formed throughout the previous week. I am not one for early mornings on weekends. However, I found myself wide awake by 6:30 am, well before any amount of snowy cloud-diffused light could illuminate the accumulating snow.
It took me all of about 10 minutes to decide to go out and shoot. I checked the light a few times while dressing and prepping my camera bag. I was satisfied with what I was seeing and knew what I would be able to capture. For the last several years one of my longest projects has been photographing the urban landscape in our town. I will not dive into the motivating details at this moment. I left the house with the intent of making it downtown and leaving it to intuition to make photographs. While there are a few places I have visited during snow storms, I wanted to avoid them and focus on some new images.
I did however visit one specific location that I tend to use as a location for shoots. I made a few photos treking through the snow. Even though I have been visited this location in the snow many times, I aways find something new. I want to preface the following by hopefully giving your imagination and memory a run for its memory. If you are not from New England or did not spend any time in the winters in New England, on the slopes skiing or ridding during the winters, then you will not be able to understand this quite as well as a native will. New Englanders, you know that moment when you play in the snow till everything hurts? You are so cold your body is in pain, you may have a slight headache, but you do not want to go in because you are having so much fun? That is exactly what my morning was like. I was outside, making photos, enjoying the falling snow. My hand, cold, firmly molded to the grip of my camera, was slightly red from the snow falling. I wear gloves while shooting when I know I will be outside for more than a few minutes at a time. Having been navigating around the empty streets via 4x4, I wasn't worried about gloves.
As I began walking down the snow covered walkway of the park I periodically stopped to make photos. I wanted to make my way to the far end of the park and see the recently cut open view of the river. I managed to find a patch of ice covered with snow. I began to break dance, moving in ways I did not know I could move. I tried 2-3 times to gain my balance. Like an ill attempted back flip, my feet came out from under me and I went backwards. I hit the ground with enough force to knock my hat off. I did not drop the camera from my hands until I realized I was horizontal, catching snow flakes on my tongue that was now hanging out of my mouth and my eyes that were wide open in shock. It took me a few seconds to asses my situation and come to the conclusion that I was not injured. I grabbed my head to make sure I was not bleeding. Once I realized I had not bashed my head on the ice I placed the camera in the snow for a second so I could rotate and get up.
That was the hardest part. Trying to get up was a bit of a challenge. I had fallen with such force that I could already feel a sharp pain in my shoulders, neck, upper back. With a low groan I moved to my side. The soft snow was comforting, but the pain was increasing and I wanted to get up and regain my partially murdered consciousness. My upper body was stiff, my camera wet, my ego shattered. I had a similar fall in 2009 when I was in Boston studying at the Art Institute of Boston. I was walking through the Boston Common when I went to walk onto the ice of one of the ponds. I stepped over a short chain fence, at least I tried to. Some how as I was placing my leading leg over, the snow gave way from the opposite foot and I slipped forward. My legs became a tangled mess in the chains. I fell with force face down into the snow. The film body I was shooting with went down with even greater force right into the snow. The camera was fine, my legs cut up, my ego scarred. I stood up and bowed to Boston for hitting me hard. I had a mile walk back to the school to catch the shuttle back to my dorm. I was cold, wet, limping, and mentally writing the story down for a later point and time.
Back to our snowy Saturday, 3 hours later I was on location in the snow to make some family photos of one of my clients. Loaded up with two bags and my Profoto light mounted to a stand, I went to step around the corner of the gate to enter the reservoir. I was lucky enough to find another hidden patch of ice. I slipped, once again losing my balance. This time I wasn't trying out for "Dancing With The Stars," I just fell fast and hard. I was also fortunate enough to cut my hand on a phantom object. It was the light, stand, or the bag, but it was a nice little scratch. They say chicks dig scars, not sure if the fiance digs them, but it was just another wound for some sympathy, as if I needed any more. By the time night fell I was in a bit of agony. I have had my share of bad ass shitters. I have a displaced knee cap from snowboarding. I've had 4 staples in the back of my head. I have bad ankles from skateboarding. I have had numerous falls from bikes. Numerous scars from the pedals of my bmx bike, as well as a few other injuries. But this icy, break dance themed fall was hard. What saved me from smacking my head like I was trying to head butt some jerk was that I twisted my body during the fall. I tend to do that when I fall.
In 2012 the fiance and I were ridding our bikes on the rail trail at the cape when she nearly fell off her bike. To avoid hitting her I swerved. I laid the bike down on its side and slid some 20', grinding a nice patch of skin of my right side, arm, back fat, and leg. She enjoyed my fall with a bout of laughter and fear. She noticed that I instinctively turned my head away from the pavement to avoid any concusing bashes. I have always had great balance. I was surprised that I had actually fallen as hard as I did on the ice. By Sunday morning, waking up was rough. I was in pain with spasms. As I write I am comfortably numb on the couch. Out of it all I got some great photos of the early morning coating of snow. Was it worth it to bust my ass so hard? But of course. The small price to pay for a photograph. The moral of the story, be careful, tred carefully, and always watch your footing when you're in compromising places. While I was on solid ground, I didn't evaluate the landscape or expect fresh smooth ice to want to cuddle. Enjoy the photographs below.
Fall Foliage: A few quick shots
Fall in New England is such a beautiful time. There is a variable color shift and transition as the seasons change. Those elements make things come to life. The Autumn months are, slightly, arguably my favorite months out the year. But I say that for every season, being a New England boy at heart. Here are a few shots I made the other day. I am disembarking the U.S for the first time this Sunday. I will be back in 7 days and look forward to seeing more color.
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After the shoot...
This morning I had a shoot, nice and early. I was on location for about an hour or so. It went fast, quick, and even though it was an over-cast fall day in New England, I was still able to get some great shots. After the shoot I was heading out and found that the landscape in the immediate area was very nice. Fall is encroaching very fast. The leaves have started to change colors and drop in some areas. I had a few minutes to spare, so I turned my lens onto the landscape before setting out with the rest of my day.
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