Autumn Aerial view from hot air balloon, Milford, Michigan c. Oct 1998 | Fuji Velvia 50 35mm transparency film, Nikon F5 camera, Tokina 20-35mm f/2.8 ATX lens

Early Exposure

Riiiiinggggg.   “Hello Mark – I think we are all set for tomorrow – the winds look good”   That’s a phone call I remember getting from Scott of the Westwind Balloon Company back in October of 1998.   It’s hard to believe that was 20 years ago.   It was all part of a plan to surprise my wife for her birthday with a hot air balloon ride over the terrific Autumn colors in Michigan.    I admit it has been kind of hard to top that present since then.

“Nadar élevant la Photographie à la hauteur de l’Art” (Nadar elevating Photography to Art). Lithograph by Honoré Daumier, appearing in Le Boulevard, May 25, 1863 via Wikipedia Commons /  – Online Collection of Brooklyn Museum;  Public Domain

Technology was pretty amazing in 1998 compared to the very first days of aerial photography.   I can imagine Gaspard-Félix Tournachon (aka Nadar), known as the first person to make an aerial photo in appx. 1858, would be thoroughly impressed by relative ease of planning this photogenic aeronautical event.   We had these small mechanical boxes that could make many photographs on small pieces of film, and see the results in the matter of a day or so.   Quite a contrast to the wet plates Nadar was dealing with and hydrogen sulfide he was using in his balloon.

I remember how intimate the relatively low-altitude, aerial perspective felt in a balloon versus being in an airplane. The closest experience I had before then was from a helicopter ride along the Na Pali Coast of Kauai.   The balloon, however, was able to get so much closer to everything.  It was much more precise in its movements, with a cooperative wind of course.  

Autumn colors and nature’s patterns just look amazing from this bird’s eye view.   The familiar turned unfamiliar view that surely fueled Nadar’s animated passion during his time.  It was a great way to celebrate this special day, and gave me a small taste of what precise aerial photography was like.    

Fast forward 20 years and my collection of aerial photographs amounted to mostly blurred snapshots captured from various small plane rides and that helicopter on Kauai.   Today, of course, the rising technology for aerial photography is all about small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS aka. drones).   I have watched it with interest over the years, mostly waiting for the still photograph quality to begin catching up with what we are accustomed to with current DSLRs and mirrorless cameras.

The rise of technology and ease of use of drones has also brought with it something Nadar once stated about photography itself.

“Photography is a marvelous discovery…a science that engages the most elevated intellects, an art that sharpens the wits of the wisest souls – and the practical application of which lies within the capacity of the shallowest imbecile.” ~ Gaspard-Félix Tournachon (Nadar)

Getting Educated and Regulated

Yeah, drones today are also in use by those with not a lot of common sense.   The ease of use and availability path has greatly outpaced the educational one, and regulatory one, leading to thousands of YouTube accident videos and the need for the government to get involved.   They have also, understandably, provoked the ire of many landscape photographers wanting to preserve some of the last vestiges of a quiet wilderness.   So as my interest grew with this technology, so did my caution.   As early as 2008, the FAA began investigating adding sUAS into its regulatory authority, and since then has come out with a lot of different rules.   The National Park Service has rightly outright banned their use in many parks because of noise, safety, and wildlife harassment concerns.   All attempts to police and get a handle on this emerging technology, where rules continue to evolve to this day.

DJI Photo Academy instructor Stacy Garlington sharing drone wisdom in Detroit, Michigan 22Jan2018

Earlier this year, I enrolled in a DJI Photo Academy class that was offered here in the Detroit.   I went in with a blank slate and simple curiosity.  I did not own a drone, but was curious about the latest in the technology and what they could do.   I would say the class does a good job of infecting you with a fever to fly.   Most importantly, they heavily emphasized how important it was to be responsible.   They even created a “subtle” slide for it.    That was nice to see.  After all, just like irresponsible photographers can give many other photographers a bad reputation, so can drone operators.  

Of Pixels and Prints

One aspect I thought was lacking from the class was discussion about making prints.  In fact, I asked a question about print sizes given the generally small camera sensors found in “affordable” drones.   One of the instructors told me it should be good for 11×14 to 16×20 or so.   Those sizes were not all that impressive to me.   That’s no big deal in the age of social media or video.  As for fine art print sales, I left with the impression I might be waiting a bit for larger sensors to develop.

Fall Color Aerial from balloon, Kensington Metropark, Michigan c.1998 | Nikon F5, Fuji Velvia 50 film

Then in March 2018, I went to a gallery show of Brian Day’s now famous Detroit from Above series.   These were beautiful black and white, top down aerial portrayals of various Detroit buildings and landmarks, all photographed from a DJI Phantom 4 Pro drone (20 MP / 1 inch sensor).   Print sizes in this show were 56×37 inches or so (142 cm x 94 cm) and looked just great.   I am sure some small nits could be picked with ultra fine details, but they would be criticisms more suited for a camera forum of pixel peepers vs. a fine art gallery.   So respect for Brian as an artist and these prints were all the proof I needed.   The technology was already here despite the smaller than the latest DSLR sensors.

The thing is, in March 2018, there were already rumors floating around about the new models coming out from DJI.    Just as with digital camera technology, drones + cameras are in continual update cycles.   You basically just have to decide when you want to enter, because waiting for the next best thing will result in always waiting.   The Phantom 4 Pro is a mid-sized drone that requires a pretty large carrying case with all the accessories.    I wanted something much more compact.

Commercial Aspect

Huron Autumn Aerial, Lake Huron, Michigan

Commercial pilot certification was mentioned often in the DJI Photo Academy class (which operates independent of DJI the manufacturer).   Bottom line, if you will be using a drone for any commercial projects – which includes print sales, or even just making a YouTube video where you may get ad revenue from, you need to obtain a FAA Part 107 remote pilot license to be legit about it.   Even if a farmer uses a drone to survey his field, doesn’t sell or publish any footage – he is using it to further his business, which is defined as a commercial application by the FAA.   As my objective was eventually to sell prints from any footage, I knew I had to go after this certification.   Playing chicken with discovery by the FAA is not my idea of fun, and the fines can be huge.

The odd thing is, unlike a driver’s license, you don’t need to have any flight experience to obtain this pilot license.   It is all about FAA regulations, where / when you can or can’t fly, weather systems and how they effect the mechanics of flight, and reading charts — lots and lots of charts.  So while I was waiting for whatever drone to come out that I wanted to invest in – I enrolled in RemotePilot101, a course that came highly recommended.

RemotePilot101

I suppose I can’t say enough positive things about this class, and instructor Jason.   It is an online video / quiz / practice test training course that walks you through the FAA regulations, definitions, and a lot of their trick questions.   (Jason mentions many times how the FAA has trick question masters!)  You can watch it at your own pace, and they are frequently adding updates as people write to them about the latest test questions.   The section quizzes and practice final exam at the end are simply invaluable.   I took it many times until I got a really good score without referencing any of my notes.   Jason is a top-rated manned flight school instructor, and they have created the nation’s leading remote pilot course for this FAA Part 107 exam.   You simply can’t go wrong with them.

VFR Sectional Chart of Martha’s Vineyard. You become quite familiar with what these communicate to you as a pilot for the Part 107 exam.

K-2SO is born

As I was finishing up my RemotePilot101 class, DJI announced their Mavic 2 Pro drone with a Hasselblad 20MP / 1 inch sensor camera.   A Hasselblad!!  The Mavic series are much more compact than the Phantoms, and now have equivalent or better sensor technology.   A leapfrog trend I’m sure will continue.   It was the right fit for what I wanted.   I ordered it the day it was released.   Because of similarities I saw in the forward face of the drone to the Imperial security droid / pilot from Star Wars Rogue One, I named mine K-2SO.

“K-2SO”, a registered drone (droid?) of Graf Photography. 🙂

A Tripod in the Sky

I passed my Part 107 test in September this year, and began practicing my flying with K-2SO.   I was a bit nervous at first.  I am not used to being so far from my camera equipment, let alone let it fly in the air or over water.    Thankfully there are plenty of videos out there about DJI drones for advice, and DJI does a pretty good job with their own training videos.   The Mavic 2 Pro has obstacle avoidance sensors on all sides except the top that provide some comfort level about crashing into things.    The tech is pretty darn “smart.”  I think the noise level has also been reduced from previous generations.   Once it is around 100 feet (30 m) or so, I can barely hear it.    So that helps with my concerns about creating a disturbance.

Autumn in Northern Shiawassee Basin Preserve – Davis Lake Overlook, Michigan

Being a proponent of Leave No Trace principles, I am still approaching this new technology with caution.    In some ways, flying over sensitive areas, like I recently did in the Shiawassee River Basin Preserve, limits my impacts because I can explore from a parking lot.   However, we need to recognize that just because we can fly there, doesn’t necessarily mean we should fly there.   I am sure I will learn more as I continue to gain experience, and as a community we should speak up when something is not right.

Autumn view Clinton River, Clinton River Park, Sterling Heights, MI

While having a camera in the sky is no substitute from actually experiencing it like in a hot air balloon, it provides me an option for visual exploration that would otherwise be more difficult to obtain.     It helps exploring the connections between the patterns I see in small macro sections of rocks to views of vast landscapes from above.    It helps further explore this amazing planet we live on, and perhaps showing more habitats that desperately need our protection.

Imagine the delight on the face of a pioneer like Nadar if he had the opportunity to experience today’s technology.  Could he imagine such an advancement?  Perhaps someday the technology will allow us as individuals to explore and photograph other planets in our solar system.    We know it is an achievement possible today through the vast resources of agencies like NASA or SpaceX.    With the power of flight and aerial photography now a reality in the palms of my hands, my imagination knows so much more is possible.

~ see more of my growing collection in my Michigan Aerial Photo gallery

UPDATE 2018-Nov-08: I would like to share a good article in the Atlantic about a recent viral video of a bear cub.   It discusses the unethical uses of drones when it comes to wildlife harrassment.   It also points out examples where they are using the technology in biological studies for the greater good.   I have no doubt there will continue to be examples of each as these flying machines become more sophisticated.   Experienced pilots must remain diligent in promoting responsible behaviors.

The Atlantic:  The Problem Behind a Viral Video of a Persistent Baby Bear by Ed Yong

Kensington Metropark Aerial view in Autumn, Milford, Michigan | A 21 image stitched panoramic view from 2 separate exposures for the sky and land sections

* my apologies to subscribers to this blog who received an earlier notification & broken link of this post – it was user error on my part – I hit publish button instead of save draft.   🙂