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Recent Aerial Articles

[Gear] The Staggering 3-Ton, 3.2 Gigapixel Camera
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Imagine the storage you would need to shoot with a 3.2 billion pixel camera. With 189 image sensors, and weighing 3 tons - this will be the world's largest digital camera. It's called the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) and is being engineered by SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. The goal of the project is to “capture the widest, fastest and deepest view of the night sky ever observed." They are looking to the LSST to learn more about

[Video] Wingsuit Flying: The Reason That GoPros Were Created
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Halvor Angvik and Jeff Nebelkopf created this video with the help of Red Bull and JokkeSommer. The fact that Red Bull sponsored it should tell you all that you need to know: It's absolutely incredible. I've seen some crazy wingsuit stunts before, but

[Video] The CAMCOPTER Is One Serious RC Chopper
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The guys and Brain Farm has been featured on Fstoppers a few times now for their incredible video work and seemingly endless budgets. In this video, Brain Farm teams up with Schiebel to produce the most capable, video recording, radio controlled helicopter in the world. Check out the full post to see their demo reel.

[Video] Epic Timelapse Footage of Dubai by Richard Bentley
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Here's a breathtaking perspective on the city of Dubai, created by UK filmmaker Richard Bentley. It took him two and a half weeks to capture the footage, shooting one to two sequences a day from various balconies and rooftops. He shot with a Canon 7D, and edited in Avid Media Composer. The final product is fascinating. The only problem I have with this video is that it reminds me that I have yet to see this city in person. That needs to change.

[Video] How To Land An RC Airplane With A Camera Safely
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These days RC helicopters with video cameras are becoming more and more common because you can control and land them in almost any terrain. Have you ever wondered how you have to land an RC airplane when there are no available runways? Apparently you have to fly them directly at yourself and then snatch them out of the air with your bare hand. Check out this fantastic video which shows the pilot in some pretty incredible locations catching the plane again and again.

[Video] The Most Beautiful Airplane Videography You Might Ever See
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Only a few times have I ever questioned what I'm doing with my life. This video makes me wonder why I am not pursuing this. This is a remixed trailer of a movie called Les Chevaliers du Ciel, which means, Sky Fighters. Whatever the name, this video showcases some of the cleanest and most captivating footage I've seen from the skies. Owe it to yourself to get lost in this visual feast.

[BTS Video] Todd Jones Shoots X Games Athletes at 1,000 FPS with Phantom HD Gold
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Who doesn’t love watching the X Games? Those athletes are crazy. Just as captivating, though, is this behind-the-scenes two-part video on The Northface and X Games Baldface commercial. Director Todd Jones pulls out all the stops in this two part BTS documentary, breaking out a Phantom HD Gold, a helicopter, and building one really enormous jump.

[POV Video] So This Is What It Feels Like To Be An Eagle Preying On Flamingos
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The BBC has produced some of my favorite shows of all time. Their newest program called Earthflight captures amazing HD video from the skies as they put you literally on the wings of wild birds. I really can't imagine how they got these shots of eagles stalking unsuspecting flamingos but it's definitely not filmed on a Gopro Hero. Click the full post to check out the amazing view in full HD glory!
[Timelapse Video] Your Photographs Are Being Tracked By GPS, And It Looks Beautiful
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Have you ever wondered just how many photographs are taken each day? Maybe you've wondered where the most photos are taken throughout the world. Well the GPS data tracking company Triposo has released a timelapse video that shows exactly where most of the world's photographs are taken. With the help from sites like Flickr, Dmoz, TouristEye, Open Street Maps, and dozens others, Triposo was able to plot popular areas for photography using GPS data embedded into the photographs themselves. Not only did they capture the location of the photos but also the day it was taken. Click the full post to see still shots of the most popular days people are using their cameras.
[Failure] Skycam Falls From Sky During Football Game
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If you've watched an american football game, you've seen those cool shots from high up in the air. They come from a camera called the Skycam which was actually invented by the same people who designed the Steadicam used in movie productions. It's basically a remote camera controlled by four computer driven suspension cables. But what happens when everything goes wrong and the camera comes crashing to the ground? Well that's exactly what happened during the 2011 Insight College Bowl Game featuring Iowa and Oklahoma. Luckily the camera missed landing on any of the players but it sure did come close. Check out the full post to see a behind the scenes video on how the Skycam works.
[BTS Video] So This Is What Happens To Your Luggage During Your Delta Flight
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Have you ever wondered what happens to your checked luggage after you check into your flight and leave it to be loaded on the conveyor belt? Well this video will show you just what happens to your prized belongings when they enter the hands of the airlines and the TSA. Six cameras were mounted in what looks like a pelican case so every angle could be documented. Obviously all of the bag handlers were aware they were being filmed (so who knows how authentic this 'experiment' actually is) but it's still pretty interesting to see how your bag gets from the Delta Terminal to your final luggage terminal in another city. Am I the only one who thinks if I did this the TSA inspectors would have turned my cameras off or changed their position? They never seem to leave my carry on lenses alone yet these video cameras go untouched. Nevertheless, thumps up to Delta for a creative advertising campaign.
[BTS Video] How Those Amazing Time-Lapse Videos Were Made From Space
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The ISO sensitivity on today's flagship DSLR cameras is pretty amazing. They are so amazing in fact that for the first time, NASA is able to use Nikon D3 cameras to create night time timelapse videos as the earth sleeps. You've probably seen a bunch of these stunning videos here but now we are able to see who is responsible for capturing the raw images from orbit. Mike Massimino takes you behind the scenes with astronaut/photographer Mike Fossum as he talks about his passion for long exposure photography from space. The audio is pretty rough so use headphones if you have trouble hearing.
[BTS Video] Honda Let's Viewers Explore Unknown Territory
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Inspired by Google's street view, Honda Civic is launching their 2012 campaign by creating an interactive 360 degree online experience that will let viewers explore unique environments that have never been seen before. This behind the scenes video is just a peek at what is to come and so far it is pretty awesome. They have filmed areas like the previously unexplored Alaskan ice caves and an underwater art museum in Cancun, and the Boneyard at the Neon Museum in Las Vegas. Watch the preview and making of Honda's upcoming campaign below.
[Video] Toshiba Sends A Chair Into Space With A Balloon
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I am shocked that I've never seen this amazing commercial before. I actually overlooked it a few times because I thought it was fake. It wasn't until I saw this BTSV that I found out that this really did happen. The camera had to endure temperatures down to 90 degrees below 0 and a massive fall once the balloon finally popped. Luckily the gear survived with the help of a parachute and they were able to create this amazing commercial. Check out the finished commercial in the full post.
[Contest Entry] Behind The Scenes Of A Mitsubishi 311RS Commercial
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We just received a very interesting contest entry from Viet Q. Mac, a recent graduate from the University of California, Santa Cruz. His buddy from Film Matters contacted him about an upcoming video production involving the 311RS and a couple Red Epics. Viet decided that this would be the perfect opportunity to create something for our BTS Contest. Although this video leaves many questions unanswered it is a beautiful look at a production of this size. To check out all of the contest entries as they come in you can keep an eye on our forum.
Sick Trailer for the New GoPro HD Hero2
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So I am going through some of the slow-mo HD camera options that are on the market right now for an adventure I will be taking soon, and I stumbled upon the new GoPro HD Hero2. On their site they have one of the illest trailers I have ever seen for a camera, and I had to watch it several times. This isn't an ad for the camera and I am not saying that this is the one I will buy, but man what else compares? With that said, watch this trailer, it really is rad to see what kind of punch that tiny package can deliver! (that's what she said)
New Camera Requires You To Throw It In The Air
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Awhile back we shared a few videos of photographers intentionally throwing their cameras in the air. Well now the Throwable Panoramic Ball Camera actually makes that feat much easier. The new camera allows photographers to create 360 degree images with 36 individual cameras arranged in a buckeyball shape (any organic chemists out there?). Using an accelerometer, the spherical camera takes a photo at the apogee when there is the least amount of movement for surprisingly sharp images. It's also made of soft collision material which just begs you to throw it at someone's face or fling it with a water balloon launcher. The whole project is pretty interesting, and you can read more about it on Jonas Pfeil's website.
Drone Octocopter Takes $58,000 Red Epic Camera To The Sky
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Using drone octocopters to take breathtaking aerial footage is nothing new. But what would the results look like if you could combine a stabilized drone with ultra high def 5K footage from the Red Epic? That's exactly what OMstudios did with their self proclaimed "OM-copter". By using the drone, directors can now produce stunning high def and slow mo aerial shots without the high cost of renting an actual helicopter. Of course you have to be able and willing to secure a $58,000 video camera to a remote controlled octocopter in the first place! Check out the OMstudio Vimeo Channel for some great commercials and other video projects.

The OM-Copter gives wings to the Red Epic from omstudios on Vimeo.

The Best Time-Lapse You Will Never Be Able To Create
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It seems every day someone is creating an interesting timelapse that shows something we've never seen before. This one comes from the International Space Station as it orbits around the earth at night. The video was made from using data from the Gateway To Astronaut Photography Of Earth and stitched together with the open software Virtual Dub. It's pretty amazing how much light pollution makes it to each exposure and look carefully for bursts of lightning over the Pacific Ocean. Props to the person who spots the satellite that makes the frame as well!
The Latest Camera Trend: Throwing Your Camera In The Air
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It seems like there are at least a dozen "photo trends" going on right now but this one has to be the most abstract and definitely the most risky. Steven Leckart of Wired Magazine explains how you too can bring out the artist inside of you by throwing and twirling your point and shoot camera into the air with a long exposure. While Steven explains that you need a few constant lights, I'm willing to bet that you can come up with some interesting results with just natural light too. If you really want to up the ante, throw your DSLR camera with fish eye lens up in the sky ala Mike Larson. I can't find his wedding video at the moment but he demonstrates his unique portrait toss in the full post.
Proof Viral Hurricane Shark Photo In Street Is Fake!
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Hurricane Irene is battering the East Coast of the US right now which has left many stuck in their homes browsing the internet for storm updates. One particular story that has filled my facebook news feed and was tweeted by CNN involves a shark swimming in the streets of Puerto Rico. Apparently the shark was swept up by Hurricane Irene and trapped inland on flooded streets of the Caribbean island. But something about the photo seems very suspecious. A few weeks ago Fstoppers correspondent Reese Moore interviewed photographer Thomas Peschak and one of his most famous images features the same shark making headlines today. Coincidence or is this shark just hungry for more media attention? Click the full post to see the two photos and you be the judge.
The World's Largest Stop Motion Animation: Shot On A Cell Phone
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Now I'm not exactly sure what the "largest stop motion animation" actually means but there is no doubt this video is pretty spectacular. You may remember Aardman Productions from our post on the world's smallest stop motion video which is equally as mind blowing. This time they decided to use the beach as their canvas and film the entire animation on a Nokia N8 cell phone.. It's pretty amazing to think how much work went into changing each frame on a set this large especially with tourists and tides. Check out the video below and then jump to the full post to watch how they created this clever cell phone commercial.
Behind The Scenes: Throwing Lenovo Laptops Out Of Airplanes
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Laptop makers Lenovo have released a new series of laptops that they claim can startup in less than 10 seconds. The new ThinkPad T420s and IdeaPad Y570 are using a new technology called Rapidboot which they claim makes their computers boot up faster than any other computer on the market. Lenovo teamed up with the ad agency McKinney to prove just how fast their Windows 7 computers can start. The idea was to throw a laptop out of a plane at 12,500 feet and see if it could trigger the parachute after loading Windows. Check out the behind the scenes video below and then head over to the full post to watch the final commercial. I'd love to see Apple run a marketing campaign like this!
Camera Captures POV Video Of Fireworks Flying Through Air
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Happy 4th of July weekend if you are living in the United States. Jeremiah Warren just sent me a pretty remarkable and quite psychedelic video he made using a camera I have never heard of before now. Jeremiah mounted the tiny HD Micro Car Key Camera from ebay to different fireworks for a rather unique perspective. I have to admit this is really cool and I wish I had thought of it first. Click on the full post to see how the camera was mounted as well as a tear down video of the camera used so you can get a better idea of how these were mounted on large bottlerockets.
Chopper With 5DM2 Automatically Follows Wakeboarder With "FollowMe" Transmitter
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If you like gadgets as much as me then you will probably find this really interesting, and probably a little scary as well. The guys over at Mikrokopter put a "FollowMe" transmitter on a wakeboarder's head and the chopper automatically follows and films him around the lake. The chopper was at a very high (and safe) altitude but I can see these getting a lot closer as the technology improves. The concept is really remarkable but I'm not sure I want a flying machine with 6 blades following something attached to my head.
Film Yourself Parachuting Away From An Avalanche
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I'm convinced GoPro and Redbull have the best extreme advertising on the planet. In this latest extreme skiing video, Matthias Giraud and Stefan Laude use two GoPro's each to document their parachute escape from an avalanche in the French Alps. If you don't already have a GoPro Hero, you need to get one. If you already have one, then we all need to start filming more near death moments by living life on the edge! Click the Full Post for a cliff jump skier equipped with at least 5 GoPros in a single run.
A Slightly Different Skydiving Video Shot With A GoPro
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Most skydiving videos are extremely high energy. This video, produced by BettyWantsIn.com, has a totally different vibe though. Instead of the heart pounding "plummeting to your death" feeling, this video creates a calm almost floating sensation by taking advantage of the 60fps that the GoPro can shoot. I thought it was creative so I figured I would share it.
Hasselblad Goes To The Ocean
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After our half disastrous sailing trip in the Charleston Harbor today, it's only fitting to feature this really inspirational video on sailboat photography. Tim Wallace is an amazing auto and commercial photographer but today he is taking his Hasselblad out on the water. Shooting large boats like this with just natural light is always a challenge but Tim makes it look like a walk in the park. Equipped with helicopters, chase boats, models, and expensive cameras most people probably can't afford, Tim creates some spectacular images in Project Genevieve. I love this shoot because it's both commercial and editorial in nature and features spectacular shots of the sailboat as well as some lifestyle images with models that aren't hard on the eyes. Be sure to check out Tim's full portfolio especially if you like automotive photography.
11 Hour Timelapse From an Air Plane
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Kate and Nate over at the Beepshow make all kinds of interesting timelapse projects. I first heard about their videos the other day when I came across this timelapse featured on Gizmodo. Using just a Canon 5D and a 16mm-35mm lens (and well an iphone too), they were able to photograph a full 11 hour flight from San Francisco to Paris. Using long exposure images ranging from 2 to 30 seconds long, they captured all sorts of interesting scenes 30,000 feet up including a spectacular view of the Aurora Borealis. Nate really lucked out having Air France and his fellow passengers allow him to film the whole trip without raising too much of a fuss. For more information about how this was created including the original score created on the ipad, head over to the full post here.
How To Play Tennis On The Wings Of A Flying Plane
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Novak Djokovic is currently ranked alongside the top tennis pros in the world. Only a crazy person would put his life and talent in jeopardy...but that is exactly what Head Tennis Racquets have done for their Untek IG Speed MP racquet commercial. The full commercial is really awesome with mysterious briefcases, seductive women, vintage prop planes, and music straight out of a Tarantino film. As far as I can tell there are no special effects here just lots of conjones by Novak and his tennis trainer.
Space Shuttle Program Turns 30, Takes An Epic Picture
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This month NASA's space shuttle program turned 30. To commemorate the occasion they decided to take a single image that included every single employee standing together in the shape of a shuttle.
Chase Jarvis Shoots New Zealand From A Helicopter
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Chase Jarvis is most well known for his commercial images and a history of sharing his inspiration freely on the internet. If you've followed his work at all then you know he frequently heads down to New Zealand to gain a head start on marketing campaigns for the northern hemisphere since the seasons are opposite. In this video Chase is shooting landscape shots of New Zealand with the Hasselblad H3D (now the H4D) for a personal project of his. The footage is amazing and I'm sure the photographs will be spectacular too once he gets done with this project. Do I smell another coffee table book brewing from the Jarvis camp?
The New Panasonic AF100 Strapped To A RC Chopper
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We have all seen some cool RC chopper videos with dangling DSLRs but AerialPan just took things up a notch. These guys strapped the new Panasonic AF100 to their heli and shot slomo in 1080p. I've always found that these small machines have a hard time keeping the camera steady enough for smooth shots but this looks pretty perfect to me.
30 Years of BAD Photography
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Bruce Dale is a veteran commercial and advertising photographer who has also taken some amazing nature and photo journalistic images over the years too. He's worked for National Geographic as well as the White House and companies like Nikon, Southwest Airlines, Caterpillar, and Acura. Finding success in so many fields of photography is not an easy task and that's why I love this career recap video that shows over 30 years of BAD photos. It moves pretty quick, but Bruce does take some time to explain a few of his most memorable images. I always enjoy watching videos from true professionals like Bruce since they really have 'been there, done that' which is not always true of the younger breed of photographers we have today. I hope you enjoy this weekend video and be sure to check out Bruce Dale's website too.

30 Years of BAD Pictures from Bruce Dale on Vimeo.