The GetDPI Photography Forum

Great to see you here. Join our insightful photographic forum today and start tapping into a huge wealth of photographic knowledge. Completing our simple registration process will allow you to gain access to exclusive content, add your own topics and posts, share your work and connect with other members through your own private inbox! And don’t forget to say hi!

Fun with your Drone

stngoldberg

Well-known member
Am in the early days of my drone photography; I have a lot to learn about perspective from above...its a whole different thought process
 

stngoldberg

Well-known member
Trinity Church Steeple
Very windy up there today..but the drone held steady
Stanley


The Newport, Rhode Island congregation began to gather about 1698. When Richard Coote, 1st Earl of Bellomont was investigating charges of the infractions of the Navigation Acts in Rhode Island, he requested that the Board of Trade send a minister from England to Rhode Island. The first church structure was built in 1700.

The present church building was constructed in 1725–26, designed by local builder Richard Munday, who based his designs on those that he had seen that Sir Christopher Wren had used in London churches in the late 17th century. The church's design is very similar to that of Old North Church in Boston. Trinity, however, was built entirely of wood. It is believed to be the only church building with its three-tiered wineglass pulpit remaining in its original position in the center of the aisle, in front of the altar. The building was enlarged in 1764, but otherwise retains its original character with box pews.

In 1731, Dean George Berkeley donated the first organ, whose wooden case, decorated with the Crown of England and the mitres of the archbishops of Canterbury and York, survives in place. The first organist was Charles Theodore Pachelbel, son of the famous German Baroque composer Johann Pachelbel.

The church was used as a garrison church by the British Army in 1776–1778. Local oral tradition reports that George Washington attended services there in 1781. The Chevalier de Ternay, the French admiral who died in December 1780, is buried in the churchyard.

Also interred here is Dr. Sylvester Gardiner, who in 1753 purchased an immense tract of Maine wilderness where he founded what is now the city of Gardiner. Many members of the Vanderbilt family attended the church when summering in Newport.
 

ggibson

Well-known member
Nice shots, I really like the lighthouse one. Lots of good drone shots are over water, LOL! :shocked:
 

docmoore

Subscriber and Workshop Member
Stanley,

Gorgeous shots ... the steeple in particular is very well exposed and framed.

Any ND filter or did you adjust aperture and shutter to control exposure and highlights?

I have to decide by tomorrow whether I will stay with the Mavic Pro or move to the P4P.

Your pictures are compelling but the size of the MP is so hard to give up ... it is about the
volume of your P4P controller.

Ultimately I am convinced that I will keep an Inspire 2 in the garage ... for those trips out west
in the car.

Nice historic presentation.

And you are correct that the perspective is hard to discern from the air ... I assume that multiple passes
and a lot of discarded footage will be involved.

Regards,


Bob
 

stngoldberg

Well-known member
Hi Bob,
No need for ND filter with PP4; like a DSLR, I set the camera for Aperture priority and the exposure and shutter speed correctly follow.
At the moment, while I am a beginner at this, I am at an ISO of 800; which is probably higher than I need because the shutter speed is usually above 1/2000 second.
I'll refine this in time, when I get better at piloting.
Stanley
 

docmoore

Subscriber and Workshop Member
Hi Stanley,

I use the ND filters to run a shutter speed close to 2x the FPS in video ... although the P4P still has
an advantage of setting the aperture and gaining a better DOF.

The Mavic Pro was exchanged for a Phantom 4 Pro this morning ... batteries and remote on the charger.
A new DJI refresh just taken out on the new drone.

Looking forward to the much better sensor and mechanical shutter in the camera.

Your photos helped my decision.

Thanks

Bob
 

stngoldberg

Well-known member
Not many days with with good light this spring, but I caught a few hours early this afternoon to photograph Beavertail
Stanley

Beavertail Lighthouse, built in 1856, was and still is the premier lighthouse in Rhode Island, United States, marking the entrance to Narragansett Bay. The 64-foot (20 m) lighthouse lies on the southernmost point of Conanicut Island in the town of Jamestown, Rhode Island in Beavertail State Park, on a site where beacons have stood since the early 18th century. The Whistle House and Garage were destroyed by the New England Hurricane of 1938. The light provides navigation for boats and ships entering Narragansett Bay in the East Passage between Conanicut Island and Newport, Rhode Island on Aquidneck Island. Other lighthouses, such as Castle Hill Lighthouse, Point Judith Light, and Rose Island Light are visible from Beavertail Lighthouse.

Its white light rotates counterclockwise and makes a full rotation in about six or seven seconds. The light is on 24 hours per day with a rotation every 6 seconds, unlike many lighthouses that are near it. It has a loud foghorn that blasts about every 30 seconds during the fog.

Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Keepers and assistants[3]
3 See also
4 Gallery
5 References
6 External links
History[edit]
Prior to the establishment of a lighthouse at Beavertail, local Native Americans would keep pitch fires burning, to warn sailors away from the rocky coastline. The earliest records of the town of Jamestown making reference to construction of a beacon date to 1712, and mention a watch house in 1705.[2] In 1749, a wooden tower was built, and the light (which was then known as "Newport Light") became the third lighthouse established in the colonies, preceded only by Boston Light in Boston Harbor, and Brant Point Light, Nantucket. A fire was lit at the top of the tower, as was common for the time. Four years later it burned down and was replaced by a stone tower.

In 1779, as British sailors retreating from Newport near the end of the American Revolutionary War, they left a trail of destruction behind them. This included burning the lighthouse and removing the optics, which left the light dark for the rest of the war.

In 1856, the tower was again replaced with what is now the current tower, made of granite which is 10 ft (3.0 m) square, and 64 feet (20 m) from ground to beacon. A 3rd order Fresnel lens was placed and over the next forty years it was the site of numerous fog-signal tests, under the supervision of the United State Lighthouse board. In 1898 quarters for an assistant keeper were added to the keeper's house, the assistant helped, among other things, with fog-signaling.

During the 1938 hurricane, the whistle house was destroyed, revealing the original base for the 1749 structure, which sits 100 feet (30 m) from the current tower. A few miles southwest of Beavertail point, Whale Rock can be seen, resembling a submarine attempting to surface. Whale Rock Lighthouse, and its keeper, Walter Eberle, were swept into the waters of Narragansett bay during the hurricane of 1938; Eberle's body was never recovered.

In 1939, the US Coast Guard took command of all lighthouses and navigational aids, and in 1989 Beavertail light was automated, as part of a program by the Coast Guard, which ended the job the keeper at all stations except for Boston Light, which to this day, remains the only manned lighthouse in America.

In 1989, following a joint effort by the US Coast Guard, Rhode Island Parks Management, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, and the town of Jamestown, the building was restored and reopened to the public. In 1993, Beavertail Lighthouse Museum Association (BLMA) was established to oversee the operations of the Beavertail Lighthouse Museum, which is located in the assistant keeper's house. The museum includes a Fresnel lens, and the history of, models and photos of many Rhode Island lighthouses.

Keepers and assistants[3][edit]
Keeper years Assistant years
Abel Franklin 1749-1755
Jerathmeel (John) Bowers 1770
Josiah Arnold 1770-1783
William Martin 1783-1803
Phillip Caswell 1803-1818
George Shearman 1816-1829
Sylvester R. Hazard 1829-1844
Robert H. Weeden 1844-1848
Mrs. Demaris A. Weeden 1848-1857
Joshua B. Rathburn 1857-1858 Henry Rathburn 1857-1859
Silas G. Shaw 1858-1862
E. E. Taylor 1859
William B. Spooner 1859
William H. Carr 1859-1861
Benjamin W. Walker 1861-1862
William D. Weeden 1862 Albert Caswell 1862-1863
Peter J. Lee 1862-1863
Silas G. Shaw 1863-1869 Christopher Austen 1863
William Batchelder 1863-1864
Ann N. Shaw 1864-1869
Thomas King 1869-1873 Patrick McNamara 1869
Andrew King 1869-1873
William W. Wales 1873-1895 Alexander F. Fraser 1873-1875
Charles H. Lake 1875
George A. Brown 1875-1885
John S. Wales 1885-1888
George B. Wales 1888-1895
John S. Wales 1895-1915
George B. Wales 1895-1900
Joshua A. Overton 1900-1915
John S. Wales 1915-1919 George T. Manders 1915-1919
George T. Manders 1919-1937 Stanley H. Roode 1919-1920
Edward A. Donahue 1920-1948
Carl. S. Chellis 1938-1948 1920-1948
Edward A. Donahue 1948-1953 Dominic M Turillo 1951-1953
Dominic M. Turillo 1953-1969 Ronald Bugenske 1962-1965
Calvin Hirsch 1965-1969
George Light 1969 Unknown 1969
John Baxter 1970-1972 George Light 1970-1972
 

Jim DE

New member
Nice Pics and RI is a fantastic area for scenics.... but for me the happiest day of my life was when I sold my drone. I had a DJI Vision 3 and the camera was horrible and the technology was far from reliable using Civilian GPS. I read everyday on drone forums of someones drone unexplainably flying off to parts unknown for no explainable reason. I was so concerned about this I even bought and installed a cellphone style cell tracker just in case. Luckily mine always came back but the worry was always if it wouldn't.

I could see this lil 4lb beauty with a litho battery and whirling meat chopping blades flying off and hitting a child or landing on a roof and the litho battery bursting into flames then getting sued for every penny I have saved in a liability lawsuit for what? Some lousy IQ pics from a DJI digital camera?

I reduced the money I had into it in half and only sold it to someone who I explained the possible issues they may experience and the possibilities of loss and they said I understand and accept those issues. Bam it went out the door... I heard he lost it 3 weeks later out over a tidewater marsh never to be seen again.......

If the technology and equipment redundancy ever get more advanced and reliable I may get backing one again but imo they have a very long way to go to get there at a reasonable price. Yeah they make 8 motored units that carry dslrs for a price but it would have to be nauseating to see a sun spot or a reset of the civilian GPS system set the units new "home" 3 miles out into a marsh rather where it took off and know %4k worth of drone attached to $6k worth of Dslr and lens just disappeared into the horizon. I am not that financially ready to risk that much money for a arial photograph.

Best of luck with your drone photography and I hope she comes back every time for you......
 
Last edited:

stngoldberg

Well-known member
This house is known as Hurricane Hut. Has been demolished by two hurricanes in my lifetime. Always wonder how the owner gets insurance
Stanley
 

docmoore

Subscriber and Workshop Member
Nice Pics and RI is a fantastic area for scenics.... but for me the happiest day of my life was when I sold my drone. I had a DJI Vision 3 and the camera was horrible and the technology was far from reliable using Civilian GPS.

Best of luck with your drone photography and I hope she comes back every time for you......
Jim,

As a young adult I built countless RC aircraft that did not survive 10 minutes in the air. Months of building over the winter for a very short flight that ended
up tilling the ground.

Only recently tried a drone and found it unbelievably stable ... latest generation software is very good. 4K video borders on outstanding and it gives you a perspective that
only comes from the air.

Imagine this ... 600K drones registered ... and I imagine a bunch of folks disappointed as they exceed the flying and software envelope of the craft.

I just passed the FAA commercial drone exam ... am a certified private pilot ... and the rules are pretty compelling ... line of sight not over people ... not in controlled
airspace. Bust the rules and you may lose your craft ... stay within limits at least you can bring it back safely when it aborts a flight.

I remember a flight with a 83 year old flight instructor ... very spry woman who had been flying ... forever. Showed me that if the craft was trimmed correctly you could
let go of the controls and it would find level flight. Most mishaps being pilot errors. Think the drone thing may become somewhat similar ... as the software improves and
we stay within limits just let go of the controls and the things hover ... in place.

You are correct that the pilot in command is liable for any mishap. Behooves one to know the craft, software and law.

I only fly when I am in an area that has no other people ...

Bob
 

Jim DE

New member
Doc I have no issue with anything you have said........ My DJI was a Vision 3 the one just before 4K but I didn't use it for video anyway (don't really care for the media). The issue we had with that model and the previous ones as well as the one that directly followed mine in release was civilian GPS is unreliable, my the versions I am referring to also had to beware of sun spot activity, and with only 4 motors and 4 sending units the unit had no redundancy so a oops with a motor or sending unit and she would make a hard cut off level flight and go full bore at a angle to where ever to impacts. Also the gps satellites and the software we had which mine was pre the limiting softwares for elevation of flight and no airport restrictions... in short it was fly anywhere and how far you dared.... I never dared it much as I did not want to risk $1500 worth of gear. I stayed way below the faa ceiling and always in line of sight. Mine never flew off on me but I did have a sensor go one time at takeoff and she powered to the ground from 3' or so so it was only the sensor and a blade change to get her going again, But that one instance made me realize how dangerous and costly no redundancy could be not even taking into account all the other GPS and user issues these DJI's had and their customer service was one of the worst I have ever seen.

As I said when and if the technology improves and the cameras, units, and Civilian GPS gets less unreliable I might take the plunge again but most likely as old as I am I probably won't see that day while I am still kicking and breathing
 

stngoldberg

Well-known member
Jim,
I am not having any of the issues you describe. Most of the images I have posted were taken while the drone was completely out of sight.
Yesterday, my grandson, who like many boys of his age is a video game fanatic, used the drone for the first time and photographed images 2 miles away just watching the screen on the display. He used the two sticks on the controller like an accomplished piano player moving the drone left and right, forward and backward, up and down while doing 360 turns with the camera in an attempt to find sites to photograph.
I have three batteries; he flew the drone for more than an hour only stopping to change batteries when they were running low.
In the time, I have piloted my drone, I have never lost my GPS connection, and I always find a safe place to land and launch the drone away from people.
When I employ the go to home bottom, the drone has always landed within a few feet of its launch position.
As I understand the recent history, the technology available to drone customers has made huge leaps forward lately.
The Sony sensor on the Phantom 4 pro is really good. The prints I get from the camera are not the quality that my Phase One 100 megapixel yields, but they are quite acceptable.
I don't want anyone to think I am a drone expert...because I am still a novice, but I am getting images that would be impossible without a drone and enjoying the creativity allowed by this device
Stanley
 
Top