Drone Pics

[GetCarter]

V8A*ndy said:

Are you not in an restricted area as well?

Edit yup seems you are http://www.noflydrones.co.uk/

Actually, I'm just outside it... though I may have strayed from time to time.

Besides, in 17 years I've seen maybe half a dozen military aircraft, and they don't fly low as they'd die (there's a 2000 ft hill right next to my house, and I'm at sea level!)

Edited by GetCarter on Friday 1st July 14:03

[NJK44]

CAPP0 said:

Are you chaps flying for these shots using FPV?

Don't know whether there is a better thread anywhere for my next question? I have a very cheap (was £50 about 2 years ago) chinese drone with a basic camera but I'd like to get something better. Don't know much about the better-spec machines yet but as a minimum I suppose I'd want FPV, return to base and auto-hover. What else is a must-have?

I don't use FPV, and have no interest in using it either. I like to be able to see my drone, and your phone will provide you live feed from your drone.

Phantom 3 advanced will set you back about £600, I'd say that's the mininuyn I would get.

[Caruso]

NJK44 said:

Many people have successfully flown a drone there, I just got unlucky.

Not many people can say their drone hit the Spinnaker Tower and lived

I must admit it's not somewhere I would fly as it would seem to be in breach of the 150m from a 'congested area' rule. Still I'm not going to judge as I've bent the rules a few times myself!

If you lose line of sight behind an object at a distance it's quite likely you'll trigger the return to home function. I've had this happen, just make sure your return home height is set above the height of the object you're flying behind and you'll avoid such problems.

[CAPP0]

NJK44 said:

I don't use FPV, and have no interest in using it either. I like to be able to see my drone, and your phone will provide you live feed from your drone.

Phantom 3 advanced will set you back about £600, I'd say that's the mininuyn I would get.

Thanks. Do you fly these using the phone then? I recall that the original Parrot was like that.

[NJK44]

Caruso said:

If you lose line of sight behind an object at a distance it's quite likely you'll trigger the return to home function. I've had this happen, just make sure your return home height is set above the height of the object you're flying behind and you'll avoid such problems.

I realised this after, it was only set to 30m! D'oh!

But then again, I'd have to set the drone to 600ft RTH height and bend the rules to avoid hitting towers

I will certainly be setting my RTH height much higher next time!

[NJK44]

CAPP0 said:

Thanks. Do you fly these using the phone then? I recall that the original Parrot was like that.

I'd say 75% of the time I'm looking down at my phone screen. The only time I look up is it see it there nearby obstacles that I cannot see on the screen.

[andrewrob]

NJK44 said:

CAPP0 said:

Thanks. Do you fly these using the phone then? I recall that the original Parrot was like that.

I'd say 75% of the time I'm looking down at my phone screen. The only time I look up is it see it there nearby obstacles that I cannot see on the screen.

I think he means controlling it from the phone. You have a separate controller, your phone is for the telemetry and camera picture

[NJK44]

https://youtu.be/MIE6bROv8vg

Latest video, from the new forest. Very happy with it considering the wind I had to deal with!

[CAPP0]

NJK44 said:

CAPP0 said:

Thanks. Do you fly these using the phone then? I recall that the original Parrot was like that.

I'd say 75% of the time I'm looking down at my phone screen. The only time I look up is it see it there nearby obstacles that I cannot see on the screen.

OK, I see. I may have used the wrong terminology when I said FPV - I meant, are you watching where you are/where you are going from the drone's perspective, or are you just standing and looking at the drone up in the sky. I think your post answers that, thanks.

[NJK44]

CAPP0 said:

OK, I see. I may have used the wrong terminology when I said FPV - I meant, are you watching where you are/where you are going from the drone's perspective, or are you just standing and looking at the drone up in the sky. I think your post answers that, thanks.

Haha, sorry man. Bit of both, but mainly looking at screen if I have a friend with me, I'll ask him to spot for any low planes or birds approaching.

[MX5_Nutter]

North cornish coast this afternoon.

DJI_0025_Fotor by David Hands, on Flickr

Edited by MX5_Nutter on Sunday 3rd July 21:36

[justin220]

A few new ones from me, after a first flight out over open water. Quite nerve racking initially!

This was taken in broad daylight, compared to the following two taken nearer sundown, and I think the quality shows it is struggling with the lack of light. Still really happy with them

Muchalls Cliffs by justinking1986, on Flickr

Dunnotar Castle by justinking1986, on Flickr

Dunnotar Castle by justinking1986, on Flickr


And here is an actual drone pic

Phantom 3 Drone by justinking1986, on Flickr

[DibblyDobbler]

Well done Justin! Is there no more pp you could do on the ones taken at dusk?

[justin220]

Thanks

Out of interest, what would you suggest? I am a relative noob on photoshop, but love playing with it.

I was hoping for a more dramatic shot.

[DibblyDobbler]

justin220 said:

Thanks

Out of interest, what would you suggest? I am a relative noob on photoshop, but love playing with it.

I was hoping for a more dramatic shot.

Well this is all personal opinion of course but the second one of the castle (for example) looks quite dull and a bit flat - if you have the (now free) Colour Efex plugin ( https://www.google.com/nikcollection/) you could try the 'pro contrast' filter which could give you something like this (cue 'I prefer the original' )

Ok not perfect but it gives an idea. Do you get a raw file or just a jpeg?

[justin220]

Yeah I like that!

I shot in both JPeg and RAW.

[DibblyDobbler]

justin220 said:

Yeah I like that!

I shot in both JPeg and RAW.

Best start with the RAW and get the levels right - eg recover blown/overly bright areas in the sky and lighten shadows on the ground (just use the sliders - nothing fancy). Then open into PS and try something like the Colour Efex filter as suggested above to give it 'punch'. It's a whole art form in its own right (which I am far from having mastered!) but you get the general idea I hope

[justin220]

Excellent thanks. All very much appreciated! I think I enjoy the PS work, as much as the acyual photography so I'll have another go when I next get a new picture

[louiebaby]

2 bits of news from me:

1. After loving this thread, I dipped a toe in the water with a £30 special off BangGood.com. This evening, after finally getting it calibrated, I've lost it somewhere in a corn field next to our local playing fields. I managed to trigger the "don't spin the rotors" shut off, so when the WiFi finally killed the battery, I gave up and came home.
2. One of this threads very own, Mr Steve Carter has allowed some of his excellent work to feature on the website of my new start up company. It would be against the rules to post what the website is, but it's not hard to find it out. The wife and I are big fans of Steve's work, and hope to use him more in the future.

Now, we just need to make a load of sales to allow me to get a Phantom. (And probably land it in the sea off the East Devon coast.)

[Caruso]

I've lost a couple of micro drones myself. Even my much bigger Vortex I've spent many hours trying to find. Even with the micro quads you can sometimes find them by getting a bearing on the video signal through shielding the antenna. That and try revving the motors and listening out for it.