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Fun with Your Drone

stngoldberg

Well-known member
Eisenhower House, Newport Rhode Island
Stanley

From its perch above Narragansett Bay, Eisenhower House has witnessed nearly 140 years of history. The house was erected ca. 1873 as the commandant's residence at Fort Adams, an important citadel that was built to protect the bay and Newport Harbor from naval invasion. Newport architects George C. Mason and Son designed a substantial house outside the walls of the fort, and General Henry Jackson Hunt was the first in a long line of military officers to live here. In 1958 and again in 1960, the commandant's residence welcomed its most famous occupant, President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

The President spent his first summer in Newport in September 1957, when he resided at the Naval War College. Eager to return, he settled into the Summer White House at the commandant's residence at Fort Adams in August 1958. In a letter to Col. Edythe P. Turner, the President wrote:

As you know, we are spending our second summer "vacation" in Newport. This year Mrs. Eisenhower and I have managed to achieve a little more isolation than formerly, and–despite the fact that I have already been called back to Washington twice–I have managed to keep paper work to a minimum. Of course there are always trouble spots that give me great concern, but I have become reconciled to the fact that in this job there is always a crisis of some kind or other. I am trying to get in as much golf (of a rather poor variety) as possible and in general charge my batteries for the months ahead. [DDE to EPT, 9/15/1958]

Certainly there were crises and trouble spots during President Eisenhower's vacations. In September 1957, he was contending with the integration of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. In September 1958, it was the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis. And in July 1960, it was Soviet interests in Cuba and Congo and a downed American patrol plane over the Barents Sea. But there was also time for golf at the Newport Country Club, movies and social calls, and visiting local attractions such as Colony House, Trinity Church, Touro Synagogue, and Washington Square.

President Eisenhower insisted that the demands on a President were no different during his summers in Newport, despite the "change of scenery." He said, "The White House office is wherever the President may happen to be." For the summers of 1958 and 1960, that happened to be the historic commandant's residence at Fort Adams, or as we call it now, Eisenhower House.

The United States Navy transferred Fort Adams and Eisenhower House to the State of Rhode Island in 1964 for use as a state park. Today Eisenhower House is a historic site listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the property is the scene of many public and social events.
 

stngoldberg

Well-known member
Sent my drone out 2 miles for this image
This house does not have electricity
Energy is provided by the windmill on the roof
Stanley
“THIS house is always going to have rough edges,” said Henry Wood, resting his frayed sneakers on a splintered pillar. “It’s never going to look like the Breakers.”
It was another indecently beautiful day at Clingstone — a faded, shingled and, yes, very rough 103-year-old mansion set on a rock in Narragansett Bay — and Mr. Wood, its owner, was musing on what the place is not: specifically, that grander turn-of-the century folly in nearby Newport, a limestone-and-gilt palace built by a Vanderbilt in 1895.
But in fact it’s the rough edges and salt-encrusted surfaces that Mr. Wood, a 79-year-old Boston architect, treasures most about Clingstone. For nearly half a century, he has kept them (more or less) intact, and the house standing, through his own hard labor and that of others. He and a crew of family and friends who share his passion for the place’s “deep bohemian funk,” as Nicholas Benson, a stone carver from Newport, put it, have dedicated their time and skills (plumbing and wiring experience are always particularly welcome) to keeping the place from slipping into the water forever
 
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stngoldberg

Well-known member
Beacon Rock
Stanley

Beacon Rock is situated on a promontory that towers over Newport Harbor offering incredible elevated views of the Bridge, Harbor, downtown, Fort Adams and Jamestown. The property has over two thousand feet of water frontage on Brenton Cove and Newport Harbor. Once the home of Felix deWeldon, creator of the Iwo Jima sculpture, the imposing McKim, Mead and White mansion has a grand central courtyard with classical collonade. There are six large bedrooms and three smaller ones with ten full baths and one half bath. The twenty-two thousand square foot structure was restored in 1997. A pool with unparalleled views of the harbor and bridge was added a few years later. A twelve-foot, deep-water dock, a fifty-foot sailing yacht, and sixteen-foot tender are also available for rent. There are 11 fireplaces, a formal reception room, a fully equipped chef's kitchen, staffs quarters, a marble spa, billards room with the finest finishes and materials
 

Frankly

New member
Nice work Stanley, Newport is a great location.

I got a DJI Mavic Pro a few months ago and I really like it. Of course the camera could always be better but given the size and price it's not a bad compromise. It also got me to finally take video more seriously although learning editing on Final Cut Pro has not come easily by any means.... Like all of this stuff there is a new model out that's better.

In good light the camera will do a low ISO RAW image that is certainly screen worthy. I tend to hold the highlights back and open the shadows in post. For video you need a set of ND filters to get the shutter speed correct (1/50th for 24-25 fps 4K so it looks smooth).

Here is a video of Lake Ontario freezing up: https://youtu.be/Rr5NbU2fyFk and another: https://youtu.be/CQ6dkodFNA8. Don't ask me how to get the videos to look consistent yet ;-p best with some coffee and New Age instrumental in the background but I haven't gotten to audio yet.

I've even used it for selfies (me on the bike trail I built) and shot guns underneath it for great effect. The Mavic is nice and compact, easy to fly (although making smooth motion shots is definitely an artful craft)... if I knew I could get away with it I'd love to take it on vacations and such, imagine launching it out of a high rise hotel balcony or flying over historic sights and sporting events (mostly illegal, don't!). And it certainly is an ice breaker at parties and such.

The best part? I broke my leg in January but I've still been able to fly the drone without getting out of my car! Maybe once I get a couple 100mp X2D bodies and lenses then I can pick up a cheap $5K Mavic pro drone and send it out to do landscape photos where I never have to walk anywhere again, lol.
 

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ggibson

Well-known member
The shot with the girl in the field is really nice! Definitely shows you can get some great artistic shots with just the tiny sensor models.

My mouse has been hovering over the buy button on the Mavic for over a year, and almost pulled the trigger when B&H had the fly-more kit for $899 in December on a one-day sale. The new Mavic Air looks even more interesting now, since this is really all about portability and fun for me. But I've heard rumors of a Mavic Pro 2 coming in March with a 1-inch sensor, which would really be better for photography so I'm still waiting to see if that materializes.
 

Frankly

New member
The shot with the girl in the field is really nice! Definitely shows you can get some great artistic shots with just the tiny sensor models.

My mouse has been hovering over the buy button on the Mavic for over a year, and almost pulled the trigger when B&H had the fly-more kit for $899 in December on a one-day sale. The new Mavic Air looks even more interesting now, since this is really all about portability and fun for me. But I've heard rumors of a Mavic Pro 2 coming in March with a 1-inch sensor, which would really be better for photography so I'm still waiting to see if that materializes.
There is definitely a learning curve. Yes I'd probably wait since DJI seems to be reliable at delivering the goods without too many QC problems. In the meantime there are some decent $100 drones that would be good trainers and could serve as crash test dummies ;-p Or buy a Mavic now and just resell it later for a loss and chalk it off to rental.

Extra props are important. I find two batteries sufficient for casual use but if I did a real assignment or had to travel I'd want a bunch more. I also got some taller legs for the drone to keep it out of the dirt, a set of three ND filters, and an extra cable for the phone/controller link. Some semi-rigid cases for the gear make it easier to toss into a backpack. Otherwise don't buy a lot of junk....

I'm still not satisfied with anything but it is fun to learn.
 

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Frankly

New member
But don't try this. I am in a non-weight bearing cast and was trying to launch it from near my car when it got caught up in the open door and did a number on the molding.

Imagine if were your hand? I doubt it would amputate a finger but it would definitely hurt and leave lots of cuts from those sharp plastic props. Could put your eye out, scar your face, etc.

Yet I see Casey Neistat catching his all the time, scary!
 

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stngoldberg

Well-known member
Because Newport is an island, there are dozens of streets that end with scene such as this
Apologize for the light; as its been raining here for weeks

Stanley
 
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