Camera-wielding drones are something of a controversial topic of late, given the ease with which drones can be used for ill purposes in the wrong hands. However, drones and other types of remote-controlled and wireless devices also consistently enable photographers document incredible new viewpoints of our world and its creatures.
The following image, which recently won the first international drone photography contest in the world, was created by one such photographer:
Capungaero used a swift, tricksy maneuver to get above the eagle and let it fly in front.
While photographer Capungaero was capturing images for an eco-tourism project on the beaches of Indonesia’s Bali Barat National Park, a golden eagle reportedly began “chasing” and “playing with” Capungaero’s Bixler UAV, which was equipped with a GoPro.
“We taking vertical aerial photos using autopilot,” Capungaero told Dronestagram, the competition’s host. “Suddenly, the eagle [started] chasing our drones, so I decided to take over and switch to manual control… [I did] a maneuver so that the eagle was positioned just in front of our camera. [It was] huge luck and a perfect moment combination.”
For winning the Dronestagram Photo Contest, Capungaero gained a few shiny new toys and honors: a DJI Phantom 2 Quadcopter, a GoPro Hero 3+ Black Edition, money toward a spiffy professional print, a National Geographic web feature, and publication in National Geographic Magazine’s French edition.
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I agree with Lois. It is totally irresponsible flying drones anywhere near wildlife, and I’m pretty sure it’s illegal, at least in the U.S. In any case, while Capungaero and others think it cute, it is harmful to the wildlife. To make matters worse, while here are idiots like Capungaero, there are also morons like Dronestagram that reward such stupidity.
I must be getting old … the only thing that goes through my mind is how many idiots are now going to run out and buy one of these things just to torment and hurt wildlife. Sorry.