A tribute to the bird's eye view
From the magazine Schnappschuss No. 58
"German Drones" is a platform for photographers that presents a collection of fascinating images that have one thing in common: They were taken from lofty heights by a drone. In our article, Julius and Sebastian give us plenty of input to get creative ourselves. by Julius Krebs and Sebastian Sperner The perspective from above leaves the viewer fascinated and strangely enraptured by the subject in front of them. For it is only when man himself becomes a dot the size of an ant and merges almost invisibly with his surroundings that the much larger forms and structures of nature or the artificial landscape of civilization become visible.
Until recently, this perspective was a rarely seen stylistic element in photography and videography. Because such shots could previously only be taken from airplanes or helicopters for a lot of money, the opportunities for aerial photography were more than rare for most photographers. But for around three years now, there has been a new development that allows us photographers to occupy the space normally reserved for birds in a cost-effective and uncomplicated way: drones.
The development of these little electronic wonders has literally taken photography and videography to a higher level, especially in the field of amateur photography.
Last year, we, Julius and Sebastian, also became aware of this different type of photography. We quickly realized that there were already many talented photographers who were also increasingly including drone shots in their portfolios and showing them publicly. However, we couldn't find a way to get a concentrated overview of photos from a bird's eye view, so we started to realize this as a platform under the name "German Drones".
"German Drones" does not see itself as a community in the narrower sense that publishes under a common name, but rather as a platform for photographers from German-speaking countries and as a collection of fascinating images. We publish a picture every day on instagram and Facebook and introduce the subject and the photographer in the corresponding post. It is particularly important to us to show high-quality images that have particularly fascinating motifs or show places that are inaccessible without a drone or show perspectives that stand out from the flood of images in the digital stream. To select the daily images, we make use of a pool of photographers whose images we are allowed to use and who, with their very good photos, also form a kind of permanent core of German Drones. In addition, we always search the posts of the entire community. It's very easy to take part: anyone who uses our hashtag #germandrones is automatically added to our list, which we check daily for the best shots.
We have noticed that the number of drone photos has risen rapidly in recent months. On the one hand, this is due to the fact that drone models have been using image sensors from 1 inch upwards since last year (i.e. ensuring better image quality) and, at the same time, controlling the drones has never been easier thanks to distance warning systems and supporting sensor technology. In principle, the leading manufacturers offer drones in the ?1,000-2,000 range that can fly straight out of the box, avoid obstacles and stay in the air for 25 minutes. A basic technical understanding is almost no longer necessary - but you can usually tell whether you have it or not by the quality of the footage.
Despite this simple operation, every drone owner must be aware that the launch and, in some cases, the sole possession of a drone also entails legal rules and obligations that must be complied with. These rules are constantly being updated and every drone owner should be aware of them. The individual regulations were summarized in an ordinance applicable to Germany on 1 October 2017 and can be found on the website of the Federal Office of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) ("Ordinance regulating the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles").
However, once you have all the documents together and start your drone for the first time in accordance with the rules, you are immediately overwhelmed by the shots you get to see from a bird's eye view. For anyone who has bought the drone for a creative purpose, the search for patterns, shapes and exciting motifs that appear in a completely different light thanks to the new perspective quickly begins. One of the most obvious special features is the vertical view downwards, the top view. It makes the subject appear two-dimensional due to the lack of depth. This usually creates a very drawn impression, as this view is mainly known from the technical drawings of the past. The symmetry or repetitive patterns and the coloring of the subject are often used as an image design element. Our followers' favorite drone shots are often precisely such shots from above (top shots). The motifs are usually chosen very creatively, but even supposedly simple treetops turn out to be effective patterns.
The classic bird's eye view, on the other hand, usually allows the gaze to wander further, giving the viewer the feeling of floating above things. This often creates a sense of freedom and a longing for the distance, because people and civilization appear small in these photos - the space around them invites you to let your gaze wander and discover new things. There are many possibilities for composition here: playing with the incidence of light, the positioning of the camera, landscape forms in front of the horizon, etc.
If you take a look at our profile, you will quickly notice that most of the pictures show the great outdoors. On the one hand, this is of course due to the fact that nature has wonderful colors and shapes that can be staged very well. On the other hand, in German-speaking countries, where our photographers come from, it is forbidden to fly drones in urban areas. As a result, images that show urban motifs - photographed thanks to special permits and commissions - rarely find their way onto the internet.
In the future, we hope that even more talented photographers and filmmakers will use drone photography and inspire viewers with their shots. We are always looking for high quality photographs to showcase on our German Drones Community Instagram and Facebook page. If you know someone or take photos with drones yourself, we look forward to hearing from you and using our hashtag #germandrones. Because in the coming year we would like to expand our offer and not only give photographers the opportunity to present their best shots digitally to a large audience, but also to use a classic print service.
We hope to have motivated you with these pictures to get creative yourself and wish you a good flight!
Julius & Sebastian
"Schnappschuss" magazine
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