[BITList] Photographer Amos Chapple captures the world’s most famous landmarks.....37 drone photos from across the globe that may be illegal today.
FA
franka at iinet.net.au
Fri Jul 24 13:40:36 BST 2015
Subject: Photographer Amos Chapple captures the world’s most
famous landmarks.....37 incredible drone photos from across the
globe that would be totally illegal today.
*P2650624 copy 2 drones kremlin*Above the Kremlin at the heart
of Moscow, Russia.**
Drones are everywhere from the battlefield to the backyards of
America. For such a simple concept, the possibilities for how we
can use drones is vast and still being explored.
One of the most interesting ways to utilize drone technology is
photography. Photographer Amos Chapple
<http://www.amoschapplephoto.com/> knows this better than most.
As soon as consumer drones came on the market, Chapple knew he
needed one. After purchasing one and learning how to fly it, he
began travelling the globe, photographing famous landmarks
before such photography was made illegal.
"There was a window of about 18 months where it was possible to
fly these things anywhere and people were excited to see it. I’m
glad I made use of that time," Chapple told Business Insider.
Now, with drone use illegal in many of these locations, his
collection of beautiful drone images are some of the only aerial
photos of their type. Chapple shared many of them with us and
told the stories behind his shots. Check out more on his site
<http://www.amoschapplephoto.com/>.
Photographer Amos Chapple captures the world’s most famous
landmarks - from the Taj Mahal to the Kremlin - using a drone.
Photographer Amos Chapple captures the world’s most famous
landmarks — from the Taj Mahal to the Kremlin — using a drone.
*Taj Mahal as the day's first tourists trickle through the gates.*
When the commercial drone first hit the market in 2013, Chapple
says he sifted through new product reviews, searching for the
right model to help his art take flight.
*When the commercial drone first hit the market in 2013, Chapple
says he sifted through new product reviews, searching for the
right model to help his art take flight.*
*Barcelona, Spain.*
Finally, Chinese technology company DJI came out with the
Phantom drone and Chapple was sold.
*Finally, Chinese technology company DJI came out with the
Phantom drone and Chapple was sold.*
*Paris’ Sacreì-Cœur, glowing in a hazy sunrise.*
The Phantom allowed him to shoot from almost 400 feet in the
air, and take 100 or so images during a single flight.
*The Phantom allowed him to shoot from almost 400 feet in the
air, and take 100 or so images during a single flight.*
*The Vittoria Light in Italy, overlooking the Gulf of Trieste at
sunset.*
He wasted no time in getting started. Agencies, tourism bureaus,
and other clients commissioned Chapple for photos of iconic
sites, such as Hotel Ukraina in Moscow, Russia, seen below.
*He wasted no time in getting started. Agencies, tourism
bureaus, and other clients commissioned Chapple for photos of
iconic sites, such as Hotel Ukraina in Moscow, Russia, seen below.*
*Hotel Ukraina, lit up at dusk.*
He soared over the Church of Spilt Blood in Saint Petersburg,
Russia.
*He soared over the Church of Spilt Blood in Saint Petersburg,
Russia.*
*The Church on Spilt Blood on an autumn morning. The church
marks the spot where the reformist Tsar Alexander II was
assassinated by a bomb-rolling revolutionary.*
Here's another view of the church at sunset.
*Here's another view of the church at sunset.*
*The church was built only as an epitaph to the murdered Tsar
and wasn’t intended for public worship. A patch of the cobbled
street on which the Tsar lay mortally wounded is preserved
within the old church, now open to the public as a museum.*
Chapple's drone also floated over the Blue Mosque in Istanbul,
Turkey.
*Chapple's drone also floated over the Blue Mosque in Istanbul,
Turkey.*
*The spiky skyline of Istanbul as a freighter sails for the Sea
of Marmara.*
In the early days, Chapple flew the drone in busy areas, but he
quickly realized that could be dangerous.
In the early days, Chapple flew the drone in busy areas, but he
quickly realized that could be dangerous.
*Known to the locals as "Hill 3," this knoll jutting above
Mumbai's northern slums is no more valuable than the land below.
Access to running water, which the hill lacks, is far more
valuable than any view.*
His first drone had a design flaw which caused a propeller
to fly off mid-flight.
*His first drone had a design flaw which caused a propeller to
fly off mid-flight.*
*Russian vacationers on the beach in Abkhazia.*
He crashed a second one recently during a commercial shoot
in which he was forced to use an unfamiliar model of
drone. At about 100 feet up, he lost control and the drone
disappeared. After chasing it down, he found it smashed to
bits. He suspects Wi-Fi signals scrambled the drone's
radio communication.
*He crashed a second one recently during a commercial shoot in
which he was forced to use an unfamiliar model of drone. At
about 100 feet up, he lost control and the drone disappeared.
After chasing it down, he found it smashed to bits. He suspects
Wi-Fi signals scrambled the drone's radio communication.*
*The State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia.*
Even though he’s flown his drone more than 1,000 times
now, Chapple always runs the risk that something will go
wrong.
Even though he’s flown his drone more than 1,000 times now,
Chapple always runs the risk that something will go wrong.
*The Lotus Temple, dotted with pigeons at sunrise. Designed by
an Iranian exile, the building serves as the center of the
Bahai'i faith in New Delhi, India.*
And frankly, the drones freaked people out. “It’s a
nuisance now that it’s no longer a novelty,” Chapple says.
And frankly, the drones freaked people out. “It’s a nuisance now
that it’s no longer a novelty,” Chapple says.
*A knot of fishing boats at the entrance to Sassoon Dock in
Mumbai, India.*
Now, Chapple avoids people as best he can. “I'm just using
it at dawn, or in isolated places where I’m not annoying
people trying to enjoy a stroll,” he says.
*Now, Chapple avoids people as best he can. “I'm just using it
at dawn, or in isolated places where I’m not annoying people
trying to enjoy a stroll,” he says.*
*The angel atop the Alexander column in Saint Petersburg,
Russia. Built after Russia’s victory over Napoleon, the column's
600-ton granite trunk was tipped into place by 2,000 soldiers.
It balances without any attachment to its base.*
Sometimes, the best pictures don't require much altitude.
Here, two wrestlers practice the ancient Indian sport of
Kushti in a pit they dug.
*Sometimes, the best pictures don't require much altitude. Here,
two wrestlers practice the ancient Indian sport of Kushti in a
pit they dug.*
*Two wrestlers practicing the ancient Indian sport of Kushti in
a pit they hacked into the ground two hours before.*
During a typical shoot, he maintains a flight path just
above his head, never veering off into the distance.
During a typical shoot, he maintains a flight path just above
his head, never veering off into the distance.
*The Mtkvari River winding through Tbilisi, Georgia's elegant
capital.*
The drone doesn’t allow Chapple to see what he’s
photographing. While it may snap 100 photos, only 10 to 20
images will be framed in a pleasing way.
*The drone doesn’t allow Chapple to see what he’s photographing.
While it may snap 100 photos, only 10 to 20 images will be
framed in a pleasing way.*
*Worker and Kolkhoz Woman striding into the future that was.
Built for the Soviet pavilion at the 1937 World's Fair in Paris,
the steel masterwork now stands in the suburbs of northern Moscow.*
Here's one view of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in
Moscow, on the banks of the Moskva River.
*Here's one view of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in
Moscow, on the banks of the Moskva River.*
*The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour at sunrise.*
And here's a slightly different shot, showing more of the
church's architectural detail.
*And here's a slightly different shot, showing more of the
church's architectural detail.*
*The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour again.*
The surprise doesn't bother Chapple. “There’s a magic to
not knowing what you have until you have the camera back
in your hands,” he says.
*The surprise doesn't bother Chapple. “There’s a magic to not
knowing what you have until you have the camera back in your
hands,” he says.*
*The Katskhi Pillar in Georgia, where a hermit has lived for the
past twenty years to be "closer to god."*
Drones also offer a huge advantage over manned aircrafts:
You can afford to take risks with the weather.
Drones also offer a huge advantage over manned aircrafts: You
can afford to take risks with the weather.
*The Peter and Paul Cathedral in Peterhof, in Saint Petersburg,
Russia, with the palace and gardens in the background. Beyond,
the Finnish Gulf is obscured by fog. During WWII, Nazi armies
occupied Peterhof, destroying it almost completely during their
retreat.*
“When you’re paying $1,000 an hour for a helicopter
flight, you make absolutely sure you’re going to get some
sunlight,” Chapple says.
*“When you’re paying $1,000 an hour for a helicopter flight, you
make absolutely sure you’re going to get some sunlight,” Chapple
says.*
*The star fort at Bourtange, Netherlands. Three centuries after
the last cannonball was fired in anger at the fort, it now
serves as a museum and the center of a sleepy farming village in
eastern Holland. The low, thick walls were designed to offset
the pounding force of cannon fire.*
"As a result, most aerial shots [are] blue, bright, sunny,
and boring,” he says. “My best shots have been in unusual
weather, but it’s taken several flights to achieve. That
kind of experimentation would have been impossibly
expensive with a helicopter."
*http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/5512ce4b69bedd9c7955b7ef-1200/as-a-result-most-aerial-shots-are-blue-bright-sunny-and-boring-he-says-my-best-shots-have-been-in-unusual-weather-but-its-taken-several-flights-to-achieve-that-kind-of-experimentation-would-have-been-impossibly-expensive-with-a-helicopter.jpg*
*Clouds swirl through the pillars of Sagrat Cor Church, high on
a hill above Barcelona, Spain. Twenty minutes later a
thunderstorm hit the city.*
For about 18 months, it was legal to fly drones anywhere.
Chapple took advantage.
*For about 18 months, it was legal to fly drones anywhere.
Chapple took advantage.*
*The Admiralty shipyard in Saint Petersburg, Russia,
headquarters of the Russian Navy.*
“For that year, when the whole world was open, it was just
a case of hitting famous landmarks and moving as quickly
as possible."
“For that year, when the whole world was open, it was just a
case of hitting famous landmarks and moving as quickly as possible.
*The Peter and Paul Cathedral, inside the Peter and Paul
Fortress in Saint Petersburg, Russia.*
“The window has definitely shut now,” he says.
*“The window has definitely shut now,” he says.*
*A ruined college in Gali, Abkhazia, near the "border" with
Georgia, where ethnic Georgians made up 96% of the region’s
pre-war population. Most fled, or were driven out of their homes
after the war. Today Gali is a twilight zone of empty buildings
and overgrown farmland.*
In 2014, the Federal Aviation Administration made it
illegal to fly drones for commercial purposes, including
photography. Other countries followed suit.
In 2014, the Federal Aviation Administration made it illegal to
fly drones for commercial purposes, including photography. Other
countries followed suit.
*The windswept Liberty Statue, overlooking Budapest. Built in
1947 by the new communist rulers for the “Liberating Soviet
Heroes” the inscription was amended swiftly after the USSR
collapsed, "To the memory of all those who sacrificed their
lives for the independence, freedom, and prosperity of Hungary."*
Russian authorities denied him permission to fly above the
Kremlin in Moscow because he was a foreign citizen.
Russian authorities denied him permission to fly above the
Kremlin in Moscow because he was a foreign citizen.
He did it anyway. Over the course of two days, he scoped out an
area tucked out of sight from the police. He waited for a burst
of traffic to block the noise of the drone and got his shot.
He did it anyway. Over the course of two days, he scoped out an
area tucked out of sight from the police. He waited for a burst
of traffic to block the noise of the drone and got his shot.
*The Palace at Petergof, perched on a bluff overlooking the sea
some 19 miles from central Saint Petersburg.***
“I ended up snatching the drone out of the air and running
through the alleyways to get away,” Chapple says. “It was
risky, but so much history has walked through that space,
I just couldn’t resist."
“I ended up snatching the drone out of the air and running
through the alleyways to get away,” Chapple says. “It was risky,
but so much history has walked through that space, I just
couldn’t resist.
*Jama Masjid, the heart of Islam in India. The red sandstone
structure was built under the orders of the same Mughal emperor
of Taj Mahal fame.*
His dream location would be Iran, but current laws prevent
him from shooting there.
His dream location would be Iran, but current laws prevent him
from shooting there.
*Mumbai's northern slums.*
“I even got the direct email to [Iran’s] minister of
tourism, but got no response,” Chapple says.
“I even got the direct email to [Iran’s] minister of tourism,
but got no response,” Chapple says.
*The angel atop the Alexander column.*
"There are still plenty of places where this technology
can legally and safely offer spectacular new imagery,"
says Chapple. In two months, he plans to shoot in the
wilderness of Kyrgyzstan.
http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/5512ce4e6bb3f74177e713c5-1200/there-are-still-plenty-of-places-where-this-technology-can-legally-and-safely-offer-spectacular-new-imagery-says-chapple-in-two-months-he-plans-to-shoot-in-the-wilderness-of-kyrgyzstan.jpg
*Visitors walk on fallen leaves in the Summer Garden, central
Saint Petersburg’s oldest Park.*
While Chapple says he’s fully supportive of the tight
restrictions abroad, his photos make us wish he could continue.
While Chapple says he’s fully supportive of the tight
restrictions abroad, his photos make us wish he could continue.
*The Taj Mahal, with the Yamuna river snaking away toward its
source in the Himalayas.*
Drone photography allows the viewer to take in the lay of the
land...
Drone photography allows the viewer to take in the lay of the
land...
*Buda castle on August 20. The barge in the center of the Danube
is loaded with fireworks, launched later that night to celebrate
Hungary’s national day.*
...during both the day and night.
...during both the day and night.
*Buda castle again.*
“It’s amazing to be able to explore an aerial image,” Chapple
says. “There’s such an immensity of information."
*“It’s amazing to be able to explore an aerial image,” Chapple
says. “There’s such an immensity of information.*
*The Hermitage Pavilion near Saint Petersburg, Russia, wreathed
in dawn mist. The little “whipped cream” pavilion was an example
of the decadence which would eventually topple the Tsarist
autocracy. It was famous for parties where tables laden with
food would rise from beneath the floorboards into groups of
delighted guests.*
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