We all know that drones are capable of shooting some incredible footage from above, but this British photographer put a new twist on aerial photography. One of the greatest technological features on a well-equipped drone is that ability to hover above a single location without budging. Knowing this, photographer Jamie Brightmore is building a brand new niche of drone cinematography called satlapse. It’s essentially time-lapse photography, but from above. And it’s awesome.
Time Flies
For the past 8 months or so, Brightmore has been tinkering with his DJI Phantom 2, GoPro Hero 4 and an H3-3D gimbal to put a new spin on an old photography technique. Basically, Brightmore flies his Phantom up to about 350 or 400 feet, sets the autopilot and snaps a series of individual photos in short intervals over a set period of time. In other words, true time-lapse photography. The results speak for themselves:
According to Brightmore’s personal website, here’s what you need to get started yourself:
A reliable, stable multi-rotor aircraft
Exacting weather conditions
A time-lapse camera, capable of very short intervals
A location with action conducive to shorter time span captures
UAS piloting experience
Extensive post-production (the drone, after all, isn't completely still, so some post-production aligning is needed)
Bucket loads of patience
If you’ve got a little patience and a creative eye, you might want to try your hand at “satlapse” footage. Who knows? Maybe in a few years we’ll be adding “satlapse” to our dictionaries.
Photo credit: Screengrab from Vimeo/Jaybee
