#photo credit: Copter View

[stairnaheireann]

#OTD in Irish History | 26 July:

1575 – On the orders of Essex, John Norris and Francis Drake led an attack on Rathlin Island, a stronghold of the MacDonnells. After the surrender of Bruce’s castle, its 200 occupants were killed, as were 400 others found hiding in caves and cliffs. 1739 – George Clinton, first governor of New York State, is born to an Irish family that had immigrated to New Britain, a small town near the Hudson…

[creativitytoexplore]

Big Ma's Boys by Alexander J. Richardson https://ift.tt/3814pgT Agents Paul and Lydia respond to a shoot-out with a local gang matriarch; by Alexander J. Richardson.

Paul leaned over his desk, one elbow pressed against it. The knot of his tie was loose, and he scowled as he looked at the surveillance photos. Lydia rolled over in her office chair, grabbing Paul's desk to halt her approach. "Anything?" "Yeah," Paul said. "Everything, in fact. All the pieces are here, the arms deal's supposed to be happening, but there hasn't been any chatter for weeks." He sighed and stood straight. "I don't know if she finally caught wise or what, but we're sitting on our thumbs until there's movement." Lydia rotated a pen between her fingers. "You've been on this for nine months now." "Yeah, Lydia, I'm perfectly aware of how long I've been working this case." Paul went to the breakroom for a cup of coffee. When he came back, Lydia was at her own desk, reviewing Paul's photos. He walked over. "Lyd, I'm not meaning to jump down your throat. I'm under a lot of stress." "I know," she said, setting down one picture and picking up another. "She sure has a lot of sons." "Yeah," Paul said. "Six that we know of." Lydia arched an eyebrow. "That we know of?" Paul nodded. "It's an open secret that Sheriff Callie was in her pocket, and he worked the county for over thirty years. He covered up a lot of things for her. My informant, before he went silent, let me know he thinks she has other sons. There's some evidence of secret adoptions, and we believe she kept in touch with those kids and cultivated relationships." He rubbed the back of his neck. "They could be anyone." Lydia opened her mouth, but a voice from behind Paul said, "Agent Billings?" Paul turned around to find a young man in a dark suit with a mole under his nose. He looked to be in his mid-twenties and already had a receding hairline. A badge was clipped to his belt. "Yeah, that's me," Paul said. The man held out his hand, and Paul shook it. "Clay Andrews, ATF Kansas City. You're working the Abigail "Big Ma" O'Hara case?" Paul perked up. "I'm working Big Ma." He gestured to Lydia. "This is Agent Lydia Ruiz. How can we help you?" Clay nodded to Lydia. "I was just pulling in to find you when we got the call. Couple sheriff deputies are outside her property exchanging gunfire with a few of her boys. One of the deputies has been shot." Lydia stood fast. Paul reached over and grabbed his coat off his chair. "Listen up," he said, getting the room's attention. "Big Ma's boys are shooting it out with some Hampton County deputies. I need every available field agent with me." There was a shuffle of men and women standing in a hurry and moving for the door. Lydia caught Paul's eye. "Guess you won't have to wait for that gun deal." "Big Ma's only stupid when she's mad," Paul said. "Let's hope my informant's in one piece." Clay walked ahead of them. "I'll drive."

A squad of SUVs rolled up to Big Ma's property, the pat-pat-pat! of automatic rifles sounding their arrival. A couple Hampton County squad cars were parked next to each other, riddled with bullets. The two shooters were perched on top of a dirty, rusting trailer, the first of many between Paul and the big house. Trees that drowned their surroundings lined the property, with leaves and pine needles decorating the ground. Three deputies had taken cover behind their vehicles with guns drawn, while a fourth was slumped over, cradling his bloody leg and looking dazed. Paul hopped out of the SUV the moment it stopped. "Secure the entrance! No one make a move through the trees - Big Ma's boys have traps set. Agent Ruiz, find out where the Special Response Team is, pronto! We need to get that deputy out of the line of fire so the paramedics can treat him on arrival. Go!" "I'm coordinating chopper support already," Lydia said, phone to her ear. "I'm on it," Clay said, pulling out his cell Paul opened up the back of the SUV to put on a flak vest and grab a rifle. The other agents followed suit, working methodically. "Special Response Team's thirty minutes out," Clay said, all geared up and pocketing his cell. "Great," Paul said. "Agent Ruiz, cover us." Lydia laid down fire over the hood of the SUV while Paul and Clay hustled to the squad cars. They collapsed in a crouch next to the deputies. "Agents Billings and Andrews, ATF," Paul said. He nodded to the injured deputy, a freckled redhead who looked like he could still be in high school. "How bad is it?" The redhead winced and didn't respond. One of the other deputies - darker and huskier, with a thick chin - spoke: "Didn't hit no artery, but West's in shock. Paramedics is five minutes out." A bullet pinged the top of the squad car. Clay fired a few shots back that went wide into the trees. "We need to move him," Paul said. "Grab him under his armpits. The rest of you, cover us." Chin did as told while Paul grabbed the injured deputy's legs. The other two deputies and Clay fired over the car at Big Ma's boys. When Paul and Chin had the deputy safely behind the cover of the SUVs, they gingerly set him down. More sirens sounded in the distance. "Where's the sheriff?" Paul said. Chin wiped his brow. "Should be here soon. Hell, him and the whole county. Big Ma's not getting clear of this one. She and her boys have lost their snuff-chewin' minds." Paul leaned against the SUV. "What happened? Why were you guys here?" "Big Ma threatened a judge." "She what?" Chin shrugged. "They got one a' her boys on assault charges earlier this week. The judge denied his bail, and Big Ma called the courthouse with promises a' him takin' a short swing under a tall tree. She's really off her rocker these days." Paul scowled. "Her son was arrested, and no one told me?" "Uh, yeah, I guess. Who - who're you again?" Paul didn't answer him. Gun shots continued to sound behind him. Several field agents had moved up to the trees without entering them. More squad cars came into view and pulled up, lights flashing and sirens blaring. A few ambulances followed them in. Paul waved to one until the driver parked next to him and the paramedics loaded up the injured deputy. A gray-haired man with broad shoulders and wearing a brown uniform stepped out of one of the cars. Paul hurried over. "Sheriff Williams." The sheriff nodded at him. "Agent Billings. Fine mess this is." "Special Response Team's twenty minutes out." He nodded. "How many of her boys she got cooped up here?" "Not sure. I only just arrived. We've seen two so far." Sheriff Williams rolled his eyes. "There'll be more." "I'd imagine so." Clay and Lydia rejoined Paul. Paul introduced Clay to the sheriff. "Game plan?" Clay said. "Hold the perimeter as best we can," Paul said. "Once the Special Response Team's on site, we take it down." Clay nodded. "You aren't worried about them trying to make it out a back way?" "No," Sheriff Williams said. "Not once we put the 'copters on 'em. It's miles of those woods with nowhere to go. Bigger concern's if they've actually got tunnels." Lydia frowned. "Tunnels?" "Long-time rumors of secret tunnels leading out of here," Paul said. "My informant confirmed their existence before we lost contact. No idea where they lead." Sheriff Williams scowled. "You mighta let me know!" "Been a bit busy, Sheriff. We know they start in the house." "If they have tunnels, we need to go now," Lydia said. Paul shook his head. "Safer to wait for the Special Response Team." Clay gestured around. "We have the numbers. Ma could be getting away as we speak. You want her to slip through your fingers?" Paul didn't say anything for a moment. Gunfire clouded his thoughts. "Okay," Paul said. "Let's move in now." "Agent Billings, I'm not putting my men any deeper in this shit than they already are," Sheriff Williams said. Paul scowled. "Then maintain the perimeter. If you'd given me a heads up before they came knocking, this whole thing could've been avoided. Hell, letting me know about her son would've gone a long way, too. We could've made a deal with him." "Unlikely," Lydia said. "Big Ma's boys will die for her." "You never know," Paul said. Then, to the group: "Agents, Big Ma's tunnels present too much risk of escape. We can't afford to wait on the Special Response Team. We're moving in! Get it ready!" He turned to Lydia. "Agent Ruiz, you're with me." She nodded. "I'm with you, too," Sheriff Williams said. "Thought you were worried about the risk," Paul said. "To my men, greatly," Sheriff Williams said. "But it's my county, and Big Ma's my responsibility. She's a black mark of my predecessor's creation, and I'm fixing that today." "This is ATF's case, Sheriff," Clay said. "You're here as a courtesy." It was Sheriff Williams' turn to scowl. "I couldn't give a caged cat about who gets the credit, son. I'm interested in bettering the county." Paul nodded. "Fair enough. Good to have you, Sheriff." "Hey, do we want to keep talking about it?" Lydia said. "Big Ma could be halfway to Jackson County by now." Paul nodded again, and turned to the other agents. "Let's go!"

With the Hampton County deputies holding the perimeter and backup on the way, the field agents converged upon Big Ma's property under Paul Billings' command. They took the first trailer with overwhelming force. One of Big Ma's boys was killed in a hail of gunfire, and Paul recognized him upon closer inspection: Jimmy. He'd done a nickel in the state prison years earlier for grand theft auto. His brother, Doug-Doug (in and out of prison for the last fifteen years on charges ranging from petty theft to assault with a deadly weapon), fell off the trailer as he tried to reload and was apprehended without further incident. There were three more trailers set up between the field agents and the house, and men were entrenched around each of them. Paul didn't recognize any of them; one poked around his hiding spot with a grenade in hand, and Clay shot him before he could throw it. The bomb dropped to the ground, landing at the dead man's feet. "Get down!" Paul yelled, and the agents and Sheriff Williams dropped flat onto their stomachs. The first explosion rocked the closest trailer, followed immediately by a second, larger explosion as the trailer was torn in every direction by a fireball that burnt Paul's eyebrows. Several ATF agents were caught in the blast and knocked away, screaming and rolling in the dead grass. "Jesus Christ," Paul said. "Looks like we found her explosives storage." Lydia was on her walkie talkie, shouting for paramedics to meet at their position. Sheriff Williams jumped through the flames and dropped two men in two shots before crouching down and reloading his .38. Paul gestured to several of the unharmed agents. "Stay with them," he said, pointing to the wounded. To Lydia and Sheriff Williams: "On me. Let's finish this." "Wait for me," Clay said, rushing up to them, sweat dripping down his forehead. Paul checked the pulses of the two men Sheriff Williams had shot and looked at their faces. "Well, well, Sheriff," he said. "You killed Everett and Easton." Sheriff Williams rolled the cylinder shut on his .38. "County's a better place for it." Lydia glared at them both. "That's four of Ma's boys down. Three dead, one arrested." "Two arrested," Paul said. "Who is it you have locked up, Sheriff?" "Terrible Timmy." "That just leaves Carter," Lydia said, "and Big Ma herself." "Yes," Paul said. "Assuming they haven't gotten away and that none of her secret sons or hired hands are inside." "We can only hope," Lydia said, and the four of them advanced on the house.

They cleared the first floor without incident. Off the kitchen, Paul found a door leading to the basement. "This is it," he said, his voice a whisper. "On me." The stairs were rickety, the light minimal, and Paul moved slowly as the others followed, his rifle aimed ahead, his eyes straining for whatever light he could find. "You're getting her," Lydia said. "They'll give you a commendation for this. All of us, probably." "It's not about the commendations, Agent Ruiz," Paul said, "and can the chatter." At the basement landing, they spread out. Several shelves lined the walls. Paul reached into one. Ammunition. Firearms. "Agent Billings," Sheriff Williams said, and Paul turned. The sheriff had his gun trained at the floor. Paul moved closer. A grate had been pushed aside, revealing an opening in the floor. "That's it," Paul said. The four of them moved around it, standing in a square. Paul reached down and found a ladder. "I'm going in," he said. "Agent Ruiz, cover me." Lydia nodded, and Paul made his way down the ladder, his feet landing on hard dirt when he reached the bottom. He turned and aimed his rifle down the tunnel, into the darkness. Lydia followed him down. Sheriff Williams slid down after her. "This is spooky as all get -" she started, and was cut short by an eruption of gunfire from down the tunnel. Paul threw himself against the tunnel wall, returning fire, his rifle creating explosions of light in the dark. He laid down ten shots, spread in an even arc, and when he stopped no one was shooting back. "Jesus Christ," he said, turning to Lydia. "You o-" He stopped. Sheriff Williams was on his back, grasping at his throat, his hands bloody. Lydia kneeled next to him, applying pressure. "Oh shit!" Paul dropped next to the sheriff. "Oh shit!" Clay hustled down the ladder. "We whole?" "This is Agent Ruiz," Lydia said, working the walkie talkie with her free hand. "Sheriff Williams is down. We need paramedics in the main house. Move to the basement entrance, off the kitchen." Paul didn't hear a response, but his vision was red. He lightly pressed his palms against Sheriff William's throat. "Agent Ruiz, Agent Andrews, see what I hit. I'm staying with him." Lydia nodded, and Clay was already making his way down the tunnel. Sheriff Williams put his hand on Paul's arm. "Agent..." Paul shook his head. "Don't try talking. Help's on the way." "Agent... Billings, I... tell my..." Blood spilled out of the sheriff's mouth. He gurgled once, his eyes fluttered, and his body went still. Paul shook his head again. "No." He shook him lightly. "Sheriff Williams." The sheriff didn't move. Paul slammed his fist against the dirt floor. "Goddammit!" He stayed there for a long moment, not looking at him. "Agent Billings." Paul turned. Lydia was standing over him. She put a hand on Paul's shoulder. "I'm sorry." Paul stood. "Any luck?" Lydia nodded. "Come see." The two agents moved down the tunnel twenty feet. Clay stood next to a dead man and someone else. He held his gun in one hand and a submachine gun in the other. Lydia set her rifle aside and took the Uzi from Clay. Paul turned the dead man over. "Carter O'Hara." Lydia nodded. "You caught him between the eyes." Paul nodded and stepped over Carter's corpse. Clay had his gun aimed at a husky woman with cropped, black hair and moles lining her face. "That's something, at least," Paul said. "Abigail 'Big Ma' O'Hara." Big Ma spat on the dirt. "You kilt my boy." "The last of several sons to die today, Big Ma," Paul said. He gestured at the submachine gun in Lydia's hand. "That the gun Carter was carrying?" Clay nodded. "Big Ma was going for it when I arrived." "Good job." Paul turned to Lydia. "Care to cuff her?" She shook her head. "All you, Agent Billings." Paul didn't say anything, but he set the rifle aside and took his handcuffs off his belt. "Abigail O'Hara, you're under arrest for -" He was interrupted by Lydia shooting Clay in the head with a burst from the submachine gun. The agent fell back without so much as a grunt. Paul stumbled away. "What... I... you..." Lydia responded by firing another burst into Paul's legs. The agent grunted and collapsed upon himself, his handcuffs flying out of his hands. Lydia stood over him. "Wait... why... Lydia...?" "It's like I told you, Paul," Lydia said. "I'm sorry." Paul started to speak again, and Lydia fired another burst into his head.

"My boys," Big Ma said. "My precious, sweet boys." Lydia shook her head. "What were you thinking, threatening a judge? We had it all figured out. You dealt with the informant. Everything was in place for the deal." "But my Timmy! They have my sweet Timmy! And that terrible judge..." "How does threatening a judge help Timmy?" Big Ma rubbed her eyes. "Oh, I don't... you ain't a mother. You can't understand a mother's burden, a mother's heart! Oh, how it weighs over all her days and nights!" Lydia dropped the submachine gun on Carter's chest and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Okay. Okay. We'll figure everything out once we've made it to safety. We'll figure out what to do about Timmy. Okay? Can we get out of here first?" Big Ma didn't speak at first. She held Carter's hand in hers for a long moment before standing. "Yes, daughter," she said, and followed Lydia through the darkness.

[mirsdrone]

Step by step guide to complete your first drone mapping project

So you’ve heard about drone mapping, and you want to try it yourself, but you don’t know how to start. This step by step guide will help you do the first step. Basic level drone mapping is easier than you think. In fact, if you own one of the popular models of DJI Phantom 3, 4 or Mavic Pro (and there is a big chance you do) most of the stuff will happen automatically.

Selecting your drone.

The first thing is to select your UAV. The selection of drones on the market is huge but if you search for a drone that will be both: fun to use after hours and good enough for professional applications there is only one choice you should consider – one of DJI’s quadcopters (Phantom 3, 4 or Mavic Pro). They are affordable (you can get Phantom 3 for less than $400), they come with a built-in camera, and there are plenty of useful smartphone apps that support DJI’s copters.

Selecting your drone mapping ecosystem

Once you got your DJI drone ready it’s time to choose a “mapping solution” that comprises of a smartphone app and a web platform. The app will help to plan your flight properly, and it will take over the control of your DJI drone to automatically complete the survey. After the flight, you will have to transfer the data from your UAV to a computer. To do that you need to take the micro SD card out from your drone, connect it to a computer and upload collected data to a web-based tool that will process the data and let you view and analyze the final output.

The entry level products of a drone survey are othomosaics, which are essentially stitched together areal images from your drone, transformed to be cartometric, as well as 3D models and point clouds. The basic idea behind it is similar to 3D movies. If you take images of the same object from at least two perspectives, you will get a stereoscopic 3D view. That’s why the images from your drone must significantly overlap.

Planning your flight

Your main concern when flying a drone should be safety. For your first mapping project select an area without trees and high structures and never fly above people. The area of the project should not be too large and too small. 100x100m (or 300x300ft) should be just fine.

Once you’ve selected the area or a structure you want to map and you’ve installed Data Mapper on your smartphone, it’s time to make use of the app and plan the flight.

4.Take off

To take off you need to connect a smartphone to your DJI drone and simply tap on “Fly”. Confirm and take off.

Review your photos

If you have an opportunity to review the images still in the field, please do that. Particularly, in the beginning, it will save you a lot of time. During my first flight, I had to go back to the field twice to get the effect I wanted to have. You can also use that time to remove irrelevant images before processing. Pictures of the sky or taken at a strange angle might negatively influence the final effect of the orthomosaic and 3D model.

Remember that DJI doesn’t rename your images according to your flight plan, so on the SD card you will see all the images named in order. Sorting out images from the flight your want to process and coping them to a separate folder will help you in the next steps.

Upload your images for processing

Ok. Now it’s time to upload your data. To do that you need to go to datamapper.com and create an account. You don’t need to give your credit card details and the first month is for free.

[componentplanet]

CES 2020: Highlights in Photos

With a nearly unimaginable array of products and concepts on display spread across all of Las Vegas, it is hard to pick out a final few each year for our wrap-up. But here are those we found of particular interest.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 “Many-in-1” Foldable

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold is the world’s first folding display tablet. (There are obviously several designs that have separate displays on each section, but not a single folding display.) I got to demo one this week and I’m really impressed with the design. The display is protected front and back by an integrated leather cover. That prevents a lot of the issues that arose with the original Samsung Fold. You can’t get under the screen — neither can your sandwich crumbs — and the back of the hinge is solidly protected. I saw no evidence of a crease when folding and unfolding it. Lenovo rates the display for 3-4 years of life, as tested by their industrious robots. For the full specs, you can read our coverage of the announcement here.

Given concerns over the plastic screen scratching, I asked Lenovo about that. They said it is actually harder to scratch, and have been testing it in pockets with keys and other sharp objects. With the keyboard tucked inside, there really isn’t any room for something to get in once it is folded, but without the keyboard, there is a tiny gap. I offered to trade them my Surface Pro for one on the spot, but Lenovo was not amused. It looks like a great ultra-portable if you can afford the $2,499+ price when it ships later this year. Not everyone wants a Windows tablet, but it worked quite nicely as a 13-inch display with the optional Bluetooth keyboard that you can fold into the tablet.

On the lighter folding side, Lenovo’s new Razr features a fully functional retro mode that works exactly the way the original Razr phone did.

ShiftCam Aims To Put Another Nail in Camera Company Coffins

There are dozens, maybe hundreds, of clip-on lenses and filters for smartphones. But unless they are specced very tightly for a particular model phone, they are hard to align. The problem is worsened if you need to swap between them for different effects. ShiftCam has come up with an ingenious solution: The company puts a number of lens and filter modules into a phone case that has a sliding section. So you can simply slide the correct lens or filter over your phone’s camera. Right now it is understandably iPhone-only, as the bewildering variety of form factors for Android phones makes building something like this for them difficult.

Living Packets Sustainable e-Commerce

Our modern lives full of “1-click ordering” come with many costs. One is the huge amount of packaging required. Some, like cardboard boxes, are at least fairly easy to recycle. Others, like many foam peanuts or other petroleum-based packing materials, aren’t. Living Packets aims to totally up-end both the physical reality of product shipping and its economics. I can’t do the company’s aspirations justice in these few sentences, but they’ve constructed an easy-to-fold, reusable box that in the shipping version will be equipped with GPS, cellular connectivity, an inward-facing camera for inspecting package contents, an e-Ink display for addressing, and even temperature and humidity sensors for quality tracking.

Customers who get a product in one of the company’s boxes can use the box to return products, or donate or sell other items they own in a user-friendly way. Or they can return them to a participating retailer for a small credit. There is a lot more to the vision of Living Packets, but overall the team describes a utopian vision of how product shipments and returns almost certainly should work in a perfect world. So I’m happy to wish them every success, but making this vision a reality will be a long and challenging enterprise. The company has been doing testing with a French retailer, and is planning a broader European launch later this year. The US isn’t on their radar until next year.

The Massive Black Multi-Rotor Copters Are Now Friendlier-Looking

Last year, the Bell multi-rotor passenger helicopter prototype looked like it belonged in a dystopian science fiction movie: sheer black, accented with blue neon. Apparently the company got the message, as this year it was dolled up in much more reasonable garb. Hyundai also showed a massive prototype this year. The color is fine, but unlike the Bell that has shrouds around its props, the props on the Hyundai look like they could double as killing machines. Of course, they are quite high up, but the effect is still a little disconcerting.

Far From the Madding Crowds: Outside Las Vegas

It’s easy to forget that the neon and concrete of Las Vegas sits in the middle of one of the most beautiful areas anywhere. The immediate area is desert (the Mojave), but there are plenty of mountains. This is a view coming down from Sequoia National Forest past Lake Isabella on our drive to the show.

Finally: An Ultra-Short-Throw Projector for Consumers

Whether it is because you like the relative softness and easy-on-the-eye feel of a projected image, or because you can’t afford a zillion-dollar, super-big-screen TV, projectors are an obvious solution. Until now, though, they have required a large area and fancy mounting. Or, like the Sony ultra-short-throw on display a couple of years ago, cost as much as a low-end Tesla. Vava, better known for lower-end consumer electronics, has introduced a really impressive 4K (pixel-shifted using a TI DLP) UST that can project a 150-inch display. The model I demoed was projecting 100 inches onto a special UST-friendly ALR (Ambient Light Rejecting) screen. While it doesn’t have quite the color gamut of a similarly priced home cinema projector, it is a lot more convenient.

F1: The World’s Highest-Tech Sport

Top Formula 1 teams employ well over 1,000 people and spend as much as $400 million a year to field just two cars in about 20 races (21 last year, 22 this year). So, of course, F1 had an exhibit to hype the massive amount of data produced, transmitted, and consumed by the cars. Each race venue has to be fitted with about 60 km of fiber optic cables, for example. For show and tell, you could play F1 2019 in a really nice cockpit (review samples were unfortunately not available) and see Sebastian Vettel’s 2011 title-winning Red Bull car redecorated in the team’s 2019 livery.

GaN: The Secret to Fast Charging

A couple of years ago, I wrote about how EPC’s GaN semiconductor technology was the secret sauce to most high-speed lidar units. It turns out that GaN is also the secret to super-fast, high-power, compact USB-C chargers. If like me, you’d never heard of Navitas, you may still have used a charger powered by its chips. Well over a dozen brands use the company for its high-end USB-C chargers, including Aukey, Ravpower, Anker, and ASUS. The photo shows the size reduction possible by going from a traditional to GaN approach for a 300-watt power supply.

Jeep Combined VR With the Real World in This Ride

Finally, on the fun side, Jeep offered show-goers a turn in this hydraulically-lifted Jeep Rubicon as they traversed an off-road course in virtual reality — competing for the best time.

[Image Credit: David Cardinal]

Now Read:

CES 2020: A Breakthrough Year for Digital Health Wearables

For Self-Driving Cars, Lidar Amps Up at CES 2020

Intel at CES 2020: 10nm++ Tiger Lake, Comet Lake-H, and an Upgradeable NUC on Tap

from ExtremeTechExtremeTech https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/304155-ces-2020-highlights-in-photos from Blogger http://componentplanet.blogspot.com/2020/01/ces-2020-highlights-in-photos.html

[americanfreighttrucking]

Uber makes JFK airport helicopter taxis available to all users

Uber makes JFK airport helicopter taxis available to all users

Ride-hailing company Uber Technologies Inc is taking to the air in New York City where users with a little cash to spare will soon be able to book helicopter flights to John F. Kennedy International airport through their apps. The company announced its Uber Copter offer on Thursday, saying flights to and from Lower Manhattan will become available to all Uber users on Oct. 7. Uber made the…

[nicefrogtees]

Unicorn dabbing Gauntlet Avengers Infinity War shirt

Unicorn dabbing Gauntlet Avengers Infinity War shirt

I think this film is really Unicorn dabbing Gauntlet Avengers Infinity War shirt. All we’ve seen him do is sit around and put on a glove, so I hope the film really makes his character significant and formidable. I want to see thanos kill a squirrel, or maybe see the thanos copter. I really hope that they end the movie in the same way that the Infinity Gauntlet comic did. I would be nice to see…

[lorrainecparker]

The Sun & Moon: Artistry of the 2017 Solar Eclipse

Since many of us weren’t able to make the trek to a location in the “path of totality” for this solar eclipse in the US this year, many of us drooled over social media to see our friends and colleagues who were able to go prepare and shoot it live. Now that they’ve returned and are culling through Terabytes of visual data, several  of them have agreed to share a bit about their experience; from planning their trips to the gear they used – and of course, their beautiful (and often creative) results!

Chris Knight ©2017

Since many of us weren’t able to make the trek to a location in the “path of totality” for this solar eclipse in the US this year, many of us drooled over social media to see our friends and colleagues who were able to go prepare and shoot it live. Now that they’ve returned and are culling through Terabytes of visual data, several  of them have agreed to share a bit about their experience; from planning their trips to the gear they used – and of course, their beautiful (and often creative) results!

Contributors: Seán Duggan, Colin Smith, Russell Brown, Chris Knight, Eric Cheng, Romeo Durscher, Mark Johnson, Abbe Lyle, Brad Kremer, Kenji Sugahara, Thomas Testi and Andrew Behringer

Seán Duggan:

Eclipse Over the Fossil Beds

I had been pondering traveling to the path of totality for the eclipse, but it was when my teen-age daughter Fiona expressed a strong interest in seeing it that the decision was made. Going into this, I knew that the most important thing was to simply be able to se the eclipse with her, but as a photographer, I was also thinking of how to create an image of this special event.

I’ve photographed eclipses, both lunar and solar, before and for me, such images are as much about the place where I experienced the eclipse, as they are about what’s happening up in the sky. With this in mind, I never intended to go for a close-up shot of the sun; I knew there would be plenty of excellent photos showing that. I wanted a wide-angle view to show the dance of the land and sky.

My original photo idea involved taking a shot with the majestic peak of Mt Jefferson in the distance, and the moment of totality occurring directly over it. Earlier in the summer I made a scouting trip to that area and identified a good vantage point to shoot from, with the peak about 8 miles away as seen in the image below.

Seán Duggan ©2017

But three weeks before the eclipse I learned of a 6,500 acre wildfire that was burning right between my planned camera position and Jefferson peak, and only 3 miles from where we would have been. The fire would only get larger, and all access to the area was cut off, so it was time for a plan B!

Eventually I settled on the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument in eastern central Oregon. I used Google Earth to virtually scout the area, and the Photo Pills app on my iPhone to identify a vantage point that would allow me to create a photo of the eclipse occurring above the rocky prominence of Sheep Rock.

Seán Duggan ©2017

By this time there were no more motel vacancies in the area, so I booked a room at a motel in Winnemucca, Nevada, 5.5 hours away. We got there on Sunday afternoon, tried to grab some sleep in the evening hours and then left at 1am to drive through the night to our viewing spot.

We arrived at 6:30am and I was pleasantly surprised to find smaller crowds than I expected. There were plenty of people gathered at the visitor center up the road, but only a few down by the river. We found a somewhat secluded spot on a wide ledge just above the river.

Seán Duggan ©2017

Originally I’d intended to be a bit farther downstream where the camera angle would have had totality occurring directly above the rock, but I liked the still backwater part of the river that created a nice reflection of the rock, so we stayed there.

I set up my older Canon 5D with a 28-135mm set to 28mm to record a time lapse, taking a shot every 5 seconds. I’d done something similar for a 98% solar eclipse in Iceland two years before and it worked quite well. Here’s a link to that video: https://vimeo.com/231175878

I also had a Canon 5D Mark II with a 16-35mm lens set to 20mm to record a wide-angle view of the scene with the aim of creating a sequence composite. This lens had a solar filter on it so I could accurately record the shape of the solar disc. Once the partial eclipse began, I used a timer to take a series of 3 bracketed shots every 2 minutes. During the slightly more than 2 minutes of totality the solar filter was removed and I made several bracketed photos of the landscape, the black disc of the moon covering the sun, and the flaring corona. When the moon slid away from totality, the solar filter was replaced and the 2-minute timed shots were resumed.

Seán Duggan ©2017

We also had a Celestron telescope with a solar filter set up for close-up views, and views of totality without the filter, solar-filtered binoculars, and, of course, our stylish eclipse shades!

After a day of sleep once we returned home, I created a sequence composite with a sepia/black & white color palette. The image I like best from that day, however, is a single shot showing the landscape at the moment of totality with the dark disc of the moon covering the sun, and the flaring corona surrounding them. It really captures the surreal and eerie quality of the light at that strange and wonderful moment.

Seán Duggan ©2017

Seán Duggan ©2017

(prints available. See http://seanduggan.com/eclipse2017)

Photographs are wonderful, and I love making them, but the best part about seeing the total solar eclipse, and especially the amazing and otherworldly experience of totality, was that I was able to share it with my 16-year old daughter. I’ll cherish the memory of that morning on the John Day River for a long time.

See more of Seán’s work here: http://seanduggan.com

Colin Smith:

BTS video from the 2017 eclipse adventure in Casper Wyoming. What an amazing time we all had; there were snakes, jokes, drones and giant cameras involved. With Russell Preston Brown Jeremy Thies Chris Knight Ken Sklute Angelique FerranteKelly Blok Anderson Canon photoshopCAFE.com

And here’s my tutorial on making an eclipse sequence in Photoshop. A lot of cool tricks here to simplify the process.

Colin Smith ©2017 PhotoshopCAFE.com

Learn more about Colin’s work at: http://photoshopcafe.com

Russell Brown:

Chris Knight ©2017

TOTALITY – This is “ART”.

This is a creative interpretation of my totality experience in the Casper, Wyoming area. These are composite images created from photos that I captured before, during, and after totality.

  Russell Preston Brown ©2017

For the planetary 360 shots I used two, Ricoh Theta-S cameras that were flown into the sky with a DJI Phantom Pro 4 copter.

Russell Preston Brown ©2017

I edited the images in Adobe Lightroom Mobile and then composited the images together with Adobe Photoshop Mix on an iPad Pro. Special thanks to Colin Smith for his close-up image of the sun and moon during totality.

Russell Preston Brown ©2017

Russell Preston Brown ©2017

Learn more about Russell Brown’s creative imaging at: http://www.russellbrown.com

Chris Knight:

Chris Knight ©2017

During the Eclipse, I was shooting with two primary Canon rigs, the 5D Mark IV attached to a 400mm II f/2.8 lens with a 2x Extender III hooked up to a Seymour Solar filter; on a ProMediaGear gimbal head on a Really Right Stuff tripod; and a Canon 5DSR on a 70-200mm lens with a 1.4x extender with a solar filter.

  Chris Knight ©2017

  My plan was focused on Totality as I assumed that my Partial Eclipse pics would look like everyone else’s. I shot at 800mm for everything except for about 1 minute during Totality when I dropped down to 400mm. In retrospect, I’d didn’t capture anything additional, so next time, I’ll stay at 800mm or higher.

1 minute prior to Totality, I put my Phantom 4 Pro in the air along with (2) Ricoh Theta S 360 cameras… I sent it to about 390′ AGL and parked it rolling video on all 3 cameras.

Chris Knight ©2017

I choose Casper Wyoming because 88% historically, the weather would be cloud free… I also decided to not book any hotels so that I could stay mobile… TOTALITY OR BUST was my thinking… Plan B was to head towards Idaho or Jackson Hole on the way.

Chris Knight ©2017

2,504 miles traveled round-trip, several thousands images and videos shot, 150GB+ of media and many new friendships gained from the host family (Jeremy Thies, a pro photographer who lives in Casper that was also our tour guide), chance to shoot with friends Dr. Russell Preston Brown and Colin Smith, and then having the Canon Pro’s lead by Ken Sklute had a very positive impact on the results I was able to achieve during the event.

Chris Knight ©2017

I loved during the shoot how this group came together, seemingly with and without any planning, yet a strong general sense of purpose for what we came to shoot and how we were going to shoot it… and then the troubleshooting and sharing that occurred during the shoot made it a perfect event.

Chris Knight ©2017

Russell gets the credit for choosing Jeremy Thies as our local tour guide as he made all of the difference for where we went off-roading to capture some foreground plates to choosing the actual shooting location (that included being outside of the 5m radius of any airport, had power/potty and 50Mbps cellular data)… and then Colin Smith invited Ken Sklute with a dozen+ Canon pro’s who came to shoot with us.

Follow Chris on Instagram: http://Instagram.com/ChristopherKnight

Eric Cheng:

Eric’s rigs for shooting this event:

– Insta360 Pro for 3D-360 footage – Sony a7r II for wide angle timelapse – Sony RX10 III on a tracking mount for 600mm 2.5-hr timelapse – Panono hi-res 360 stills camera – RX100 IV for wide angle video and backup audio

Eric Cheng ©2017

Location: Amity, Oregon (Brooks Winery) Date/ Time: Totality at 10:17am, August 21, 2017. Cameras: Sony a7r II w/Sony G Master FE 24-70mm lens @ 24mm (wide), and Sony RX10 III @ 600mm equiv (long)

Eric Cheng ©2017

Eclipse timing at my location: – 09:05:30 1st Contact – 10:17:31 2nd Contact (totality) – 10:18:16 Max Totality – 10:19:00 3rd Contact (totality ends) – 11:37:40 4th Contact

Total: 2 hrs, 32 min, 10 sec

Eric Cheng ©2017

Solar eclipse in stereoscopic 3D-360!

Facebook 360: Download: https://echeng.box.com/s/c9qgogrsskm35hnx0en1v07x1hagsv4o

These videos do not adequately describe how dark and cold it gets during totality (not to mention the bizarre assault on all of the other senses), but a video that turns black would not be very fun to watch.

Eric Cheng ©2017

Location: Amity, Oregon (Brooks Winery) Date/ Time: 10:18am, August 21, 2017. Camera: Insta360 Pro on full auto (6K / 30 fps).

This video is most effective in a VR headset! “Save” the video here in Facebook to view it in the Facebook 360 app on your Gear VR, or download the video for sideloading into your headset.

Download link: https://echeng.box.com/s/c9qgogrsskm35hnx0en1v07x1hagsv4o

If you have a Google Cardboard or Daydream VR headset, you can watch it over on YouTube:

Check out Eric’s amazing photography at: https://echengphoto.com

Romeo Durscher, Mark Johnson and Abbe Lyle:

Location: West of Troy, Kansas – dead center of totality. Weather Conditions: heavy clouds, some break-throughs and sunny, then rain up to 15 minutes before totality

Mavic Time Lapse:

Romeo’s account:

Along the way towards the border of Kansas and Nebraska we passed several “$20 Eclipse Parking” signs. I found those equally amusing and fascinating. In my head I was trying to think these entrepreneurs to put up those signs and what would their definition of success be? Especially in an area that is not only flat, but has so many roads, and side roads. In fact, even side their own side roads. Anyone could get onto one of those many miles long and straight road and just pull over next to a giant and green field. Naturally my curiosity was peaked and I suggested somebody should keep stats on how many of these lots are around and how many people are actually going to pay 20 bucks to park there.

We had very different plans. The previous several days Mark and I had reviewed not only the potential areas of interest (to us) to witness the eclipse, but we also wanted to make sure that be on the absolutely dead-center path of totality for max sun blockage. Towards the end of the week another equation was thrown into the mix; weather. Heck, Saturday and Sunday both days in Kansas with no or almost no clouds in the sky. However, the Monday forecast did not look that good. Or good at all. So we studied satellites data, weather prediction models around which totality being right in between. Over some 7 Moons wine, we came to the conclusion that, while we did have some flexility, it would also be a gamble. See, we had some fixed parameters with:

1) find a place that allows us to leave no earlier than 8 AM Mark & Abbe’s beautiful home 2) find a place that allows us to get back to the Kansas City Airport by 5:30 PM (traffic!) 3) find a place in the dead center of totality 4) find a place that would provide a possibility of breaks in the clouds

So, we almost scientifically mapped this one out – actually, our scientific method was wine, finger food, mixed with piano and harmonica songs, ready to be sung along – and pointing at the North/Easter Kansas. Voila!

Sunday morning frenzy started early. We had lots of equipment to load up into the two off-road capable vehicles. From cameras, tripods, drones to coolers filled with drinks and snacks, to blankets to sit on the ground. And of course the Eeeclipse Dog, MacG, had to be “packed-up” too. At 2 minutes after 8 AM, almost like a Swiss clock, we started our drive up north. Within had rain drops on our windshields but it felt like we were outrunning the rain. We took Highway 7, which is a small highway, thinking that traffic would not be bad on there. And Mark was right prediction. Traffic was very light and we made great time – we even had time to stop at a Sonic Drive-In, which to me is the Flintstonean typical American burger joint; you drive up to an order which also serves as your parking spot, and minutes later a waitress in a fairly short uniform brings out the corndogs and pops. And it was not even 10 AM and Mark was already smiling big corndog…

I wished for a nice coffee place and suggested we may find one in Troy… laughter around me. Clearly my understanding of small towns in Kansas is limited as expresso machines are not found in those towns. We kept on driving, while looking at the sky above us. Over the past 90 minutes we had rain, some sunshine, but mostly just white and gray clouds. But there in the could see some blue skies. After a quick stop to look at our maps, we decided to go to a certain location and so we soon turned off the main road, onto a dirty road. After a few minutes of road, while collecting a lot of dust, we came to an intersection. Mark stopped, got out of the car and ran up to my driver side window. “What do you think?” – before I could even answer, cart drove up, with a young farmer getting off of it. Mark looked and me and said “Oh, here comes the $20 for parking line…” sure enough, this young fellow asked if we were looking observe the eclipse from. But to our surprise, he didn’t sell a parking lot. Instead, he said: “Turn down this road and take a left. You will see where – it will be a grass path; we just mowed couple of days ago. Drive all the way up on that path and you will get to the perfect spot.”, he said, while pointing down a small, unpaved road. After a quick picture with this very nice man, into our cars and drove to that turn off, made our way up a grassy hill side and found a lovely spots overlooking the land, right inbetween a big tree and a large field. There had been some “Controlled shooting” and that concerned us a little, but hey, we were so far away from anyone, who would bother us up here? We unloaded, set-up the blankets, opened the first beers (AM…) and had some chips. The mood was lovely and we enjoyed the feeling of the sun on our heads. Yes, we had sunshine and we kept watching the clouds speed by… Grace was sitting sipping her drink and eating some fruits, occasionally making a fun comment. She was clearly getting excited – despite us making fun of her. See, Grace saw an animation of what to expect eclipse and right after that, proclaimed “I don’t need to see the eclipse again!”.

MacG was enjoying the grass while we started to setup our big gear. Just right then a big brown pick-up truck drove up, and an older farmer jumped out of it, walked over and introduced owner of the land; “Fred Rohner, and I own this land!”. Fred was the most welcoming land owner I have ever come across. He was interested in our equipment and enjoyed seeing our drones. brought out one of his caps for all of us to sign! It was fantastic. We enjoyed some drinks and food together and right before it started to rain, his wife also joined us. Up until then we were some good views of the eclipsing Moon and Sun. It was such a beautiful sight!

Mark Johnson ©2017

And then the rain… Abbe and Karla were very determined and they protected the equipment from rain, toughing it out. Mark and I kept checking the satellite data and according to our estimates, would stop around 12:45 PM, a full 21 minutes before totality. That was way later than we had planned. At least what I had planned. I wanted to get time lapses from both the ground and the rain I couldn’t do that. But sure enough, it stopped raining and there were even some little breaks in the clouds. The light was already dimmer and thanks to our filters we could see the Moon and the excitement really hit us. There was a real chance we would see more of the eclipse – and we were right.

Abbe Lyle ©2017

Drones were up, Abbe was taking pictures and we all watched the change of light, while counting down. Every 20 seconds Mark would call out “Romeo, how much longer until totality?” – tried to keep track of that as well. I could hear Abbe go “Wow! Wow!” and everybody else was just commenting on what a different light it now was. We were close to totality and the temperature dropped remarkably already.

Romeo Durscher, Abbe Lyle©2017

Mark Johnson ©2017

From my previous eclipse I remembers how quick things are moving now. And before I knew it, it was dark. I looked at my iPad to see what my drone was seeing spectacular. There was a sunrise or sunset all around us – a full 360 degrees. It was so peaceful and quiet, no wind and much cooler. It felt so much darker than in Australia. We did get to see the Diamond Ring effect before the clouds moved in again. It was a constant hide and seek – clouds coming and going, making us see or not see this spectacle.

Everybody awe and we kept all looking around us, enjoying this incredible sight; the dark skies, the clouds, the orange and yellow light in the distance, outside of the Moon’s shadow. Grace was obviously moved as nothing ca prepare you for what it is like to experience a real totality! Those 2 minutes and 30 seconds past by so fast – and it started to become light again…

three 360 degrees Panoramas – T-4 minutes to Totality, T-2 minutes to Totality and Totality

Romeo Durscher ©2017

360 degree panorama 1 minute before totality

Romeo Durscher ©2017

Single shot with the Mavic during totality with fireworks

Romeo Durscher ©2017

Mark’s account:

On the afternoon of July 20, 1963 we experienced a partial solar eclipse in Kansas. I was ten years old and J.F.K. was the president at the time and my class made eclipse viewers from shoe we poked a pinhole through to project the sun against a piece of white paper inside. I remember watching the disk of the moon carve a portion of the sun away and then noticing that the by the leaves overhead all created the same shape in multiples.

I was fascinated by the experience and I remember wishing so much that we could have seen a total eclipse that day. Just two months previous our last Mercury astronaut, Gordon Cooper, first television broadcast from space and I was obsessed with all things astronomical at the time. I remember finding a table of future solar eclipses and being disappointed to learn that I wait until August 21, 2017 to view a total eclipse in America. Why, I would be 64 years old! An eternity, indeed.

I wish I could have known and looked forward to the fact that when the day would finally come I would be in the sunflower state with a cosmopolitan group of dear friends hailing from Switzerland, and merry old England.

Having been born and raised here, I knew that Kansas is a checkerboard of “mile roads” that reliably cover the prairie to the extent that I was certain we could easily get to the path of totality fighting traffic or sharing the experience with a mass crowd. We loaded up the jeep and the BMW SUV with tons of snacks, beer and sodas along with the Eclipse Dog – Mac.

We convoyed up highway 7 until reaching Atchison where I felt an irresistible craving for a fresh limeade slush and a corndog from the conveniently positioned SONIC drive-in at the center looked askance at the corndog, but fed me fries as we drove so that I wouldn’t get ketchup over everything. We pushed on to Troy because we knew it was deep in the path of totality and curious to see what the natives were making of the big event.

As Romeo mentioned, we were amused to see that local entrepreneurs had placed numerous signs promoting “Eclipse Parking” for $20. Our plan, though, was to get to the true center of where the shadow would last 2 minute 38 seconds. Romeo followed me as I led the chase onto the network of dirt roads heading north towards the Nebraska border.

Serendipity and Kansas hospitality converged when we randomly met Jonathan, the hired hand for Fred Rohrer, who offered us a private hill on their land from which the surrounding territory seen for miles around. He told us he’d tell Fred we were up there and that he might want to relieve us of a beer as rent for the location. Fred, who doesn’t have e-mail, was as wonderful a could ever hope for and he regaled us with stories and observations from his time on the plains. I noticed a wild marijuana plant and asked him about it and he said, “yeah, I’d be rich if I could stuff. It’s all over the place.”

Mark Johnson ©2017

Romeo had extra NASA eclipse glasses and provided pairs to Fred and his wife and we all watched the moon make its way across the sun until a brief interruption by a rain shower! We tracked on a doppler radar app and sweated out whether or not we would be able to see the total eclipse. Amazingly, the clouds parted and we were awestruck as we experienced the majesty of Fireworks began popping on the horizon as the eerie purple shadow enveloped us.

Abbe Lyle ©2017

It is difficult to put into words just how marvelous it all was. I understand now why so many people have said that it is worth whatever you have to do in order to place yourself in the corridor totality. We all felt humbled by the enormity of scale brought home by the event. The moon’s shadow was traveling 1,740 mph by the time it reached us and its size created an artificial sunrise horizon all around us. The darkness was palpable and its effect was magnificent as nature went to sleep and our little band of humans huddled together in wonder.

I couldn’t help but think back on that 10-year old standing in Ellinwood, Kansas 54 years ago with a shoe box watching the moon occlude the sun partially. So much has happened in the and as I stood with my soulmate and my dear friends on a hilltop in rural Kansas I was struck by the thought: Damn, this was worth the wait.

Abbe Lyle ©2017

Learn more about Romeo, Mark & Abbe’s aerial video work at: http://visual-aerials.com/index.html

Brad Kremer:

A couple of years ago I was in Iceland filming a documentary when my friend and guide Steve Lewis of The EMPIRE told me about an expedition to Svalbard where a group of skiers descended a slope with the total solar eclipse behind them. And when he showed me the footage I was dumbfounded. The coordination and execution was amazing. Coming from a snowboard filmmaking background I understood the complexity of such an event.

Fast forward a year and I see a report about a solar eclipse that will pass across the entire United States. I knew that I had to take this opportunity to not only witness the eclipse but to try and document it. Given that there are so many amazing photographers and filmers out there these days I knew that if I was to experience it through my camera I had to do something original besides just a great shot of the eclipse. Given that this began as a personal project I really wanted to share the experience with my family. And it just so happened that the eclipse was going to take place on my son Haku’s birthday! So I went about convincing my wife that we should take our three kids to central Oregon to shoot the Eclipse. My idea was to get a shot of them silhouetted in front of the eclipse.

As I researched the path of the eclipse the first thing that stood out was the time and angle of the sun. It was to reach totality around 10:20am depending on where the location was. This meant that the sun would be in an extreme high angle in the sky at around 40 °. As a result my location options became very limited. I needed a very high and steep position in order to line up the sun, subject, and camera. And given that I wanted to shoot it with an extreme telephoto lens I also needed to be a minimal distance away from them as well.

Brad Kremer ©2017

My main tool for researching the location was Google Earth. It gave me the ability to dial in the date and time so that I could see where the sun would be on the day of the eclipse. And it also allowed me to place myself in a position so that I could see what the view would look like from certain positions. I even went to my friend house to view the locations via his Oculus Rift VR setup which if nothing else was really fun. In the end I had nearly 20 locations picked out with less than half of them being what I considered prime locations in that they met all or most of the criteria needed for the shot that I was looking for.

I knew that I wanted to film the eclipse vs just getting a photo. I own a Red Epic Dragon so I knew that I could get a great 6K clip of it. But in order to get the look that I wanted I needed and very long lens. I decided to rent a Canon 800mm lens with a 2X extender. I could decide later if I would need the 2X extender depending on the location and the distance between the camera and subject. I did many test with both setups shooting the sun and also having my kids walk out certain distances on the street to see the differences in relation to the lens and sun.

Brad Kremer ©2017

The day was nearing as we packed up or van to leave for Oregon. We travelled there on the Friday before the event so that I could scout the locations in person. As we began this process I quickly started to cross off multiple locations due to a variety of reason. Some were far too dangerous for a kid while others required some serious off road vehicles to reach. I settled in on one location that gave the most promise which was about four miles south of Painted Hills, OR. We scouted it on Saturday around 5pm and everything seemed to line up. The distance between the camera and subject was about 180 meters (good), and the angles looked good. I was feeling pretty happy about things at this point. The next day we returned to the location at 9am to get a look at where the sun would be at the same time of day as the eclipse on Monday. To my surprise it did not line up. My heart sank. I was running out of options and time. I had one more idea. Around the corner at this same location was another point that I had marked as potentially being too dangerous based from the view of it on Google Earth. But I decided to give it a look. When I reached this new angle I saw that it did not appear to be as dangerous as I had assumed that it was. But I was viewing it from the bottom and could not say for sure. I radioed to my wife and kids and guided them to the outcropping. My wife and oldest son Teito were able to make it down to the spot without too much trouble. They told me that it seemed safe but that there wasn’t much room for multiple people. At this point it was about 10:15am. The tail end of where the sun would be during the eclipse the next day. And to my excitement it lined up! The spot would work.

The only drawback was that the distance between camera and subject would only be about 113 meters. This was far shorter than what I was hoping for. And it would mean that I had to decide between shooting 1600mm and having the subject me a bit too large for the frame or to shoot 800mm and the sun to be smaller than I would like in the frame. Given that only my older son Teito was brave enough to be I the location and that it was a bit sketchy with it being a 100’+ cliff I decided to have him sit instead of stand. This gave me the ability to still shoot at 1600mm and have him only fill half of the frame. It looked like it would work.

Brad Kremer ©2017

And so the morning came and we all got in our locations. Two of my kids at the top of the mountain in a safe viewing position, my oldest son on the edge of the cliff, my wife watching for safety, and me at the bottom setting up the camera. We had a couple hours to go to get things ready and dial it all in. One thing that I immediately noticed was that given the extreme upward angle of the camera, even when my son was sitting straight up it appeared that he was leaning forward in an awkward position. I asked him if he could lean back. In doing so it mad it look like he was sitting straight up. But this not only was a more difficult position to maintain, it was also a bit scarier as it got him closer to the edge of the cliff. In the end when I asked him what it felt like leaning back and looking down the cliff he said that he didn’t look down because it would have scared him too much. He tried to just block out the position that he was in. A true professional!

Brad Kremer ©2017

Finally the sun came into position and the moon began to make its path blocking out the sun. I started getting shots and moving the camera a few meters here and there in order to shoot it again. All in all I think I had about 10 chances before it was too high in the sky to get a good perspective with my son I the shot as well.

At this point I told my Teito and my wife to join the other two kids before it hits totality. I moved my camera to a more open position to shoot totality. And then it came… I set the camera to record and it hit me like a ton of bricks. The stress of the whole weekend and the majesty of the total eclipse swept over me. I have been all around the world and have witnessed many amazing events. But nothing has ever compared to what I felt from this.

Brad Kremer ©2017

In the end I am very happy with the result. And although I wasn’t able to be physically together with my family during the eclipse we were together by the project. It meant so much to me to be able to share this experience with them. It will be something that we will remember and cherish for a lifetime. And we all look forward to the next time that we get to experience it again.

Brad Kremer ©2017

Learn more about Brad Kremer’s video production here: www.cmi-pro.com

Kenji Sugahara:

Located in the heart of the Willamette Valley on the west bank of the Willamette River, Independence is a small city of 9,666 10 miles southwest of Salem, the capitol of Oregon. With a quaint downtown and a small airfield, Independence is known for its fourth of July celebrations and its hops. Just a few miles away from downtown are lush hop-yards that produce award winning hops for beers worldwide.

Our company was fortunate enough to be invited by the City of Independence to document the eclipse. Located a scant 1.5 miles away from the exact center of the path of totality, the city was host to a phenomenal viewing opportunity. As we were invited by the city we had access to a very special take-off location for our drones- the roof of city hall. The city went out of its way and provided a dedicated hardline and wi-fi access point connected to a gigabit fiber line on the roof. Without their support, we would not have been able to capture our special footage.

Jason & Jenni Kistler ©2017

Scouting the location was a challenge. I was returning from a trip from South Dakota and had less than 24 hours to get the scouting trip done before leaving for Washington, D.C. to advise the FAA as part of an Aviation Rulemaking Committee for remote identification and tracking of drones (as one of the only 107 operators on the committee). City personnel wanted have the scout at least 5 days before the eclipse and we were down to the deadline. We made it work. We did a test flight and taking off was a challenge as the heating and cooling units along with the metal structure of the roof induced compass errors. However, we had remembered to bring a wooden table and we were able to take off without incident.

Jason & Jenni Kistler ©2017

For our equipment, we had our trusty DJI Inspire 2 and our m600. We planned to use our Inspire 2 to livestream to our audience and record in 4K Cinema DNG to get the widest dynamic range we could achieve. With our X5S camera and Olympus 12mm lens were hoping to capture some amazing landscapes and show our viewers the crowd that was assembled below.

Jason & Jenni Kistler ©2017

Mounted on our m600 was a 2016 Samsung Gear 360. We chose the 2016 version as the camera captured higher resolution (7776×3888) 30MP stills than is available on the 2017 version (5472 x 2736) 15MP. Unfortunately, the 2016 Gear 360 does not have an interval timer function. With that in mind, we were able to wire a intervalometer into the Gear 360. After extensive testing we found that the only cards that we had that could sustain the write speeds to capture one frame every two seconds at maximum resolution were our SanDisk Extreme UHS speed Class 3 (U3) cards. Others we tried simply could not keep up and would skip frames.

Knowing that the craft would wobble we attached the Gear 360 to a Gimbal Guru 360. Originally, we had tested the Gear 360 with a telescoping attachment connected to the Gimbal Guru 360. The unit hung about 6 feet below the m600 but found that the assembly began oscillating. We decided to forgo the telescoping attachment and attached the Gimbal Guru directly to the Cinemilled Universal Mount for Freefly Mōvi that was attached to the m600. Though we had more of the craft in the picture, we felt that it would result in better stabilization for the 360VR time-lapse.

Eclipse day was crazy. We arrived early in the morning and getting the m600 presented an initial challenge. We thought we would have to haul the craft up the stairs and then up a ladder. However, we figured out we could simply fly the m600 to the roof to the parking lot. About two hours before the eclipse, the air above the city began filling with planes as general aviation aircraft began their pilgrimage into the small airfield. Planes flew overhead, planes landed in the river, planes were all over the place. In fact, we even saw one plane almost clip a powerline as it landed in the Willamette River. Having the knowledge from passing the Part 107 exam and having a Zastone ZT-2R+ radio proved invaluable. We knew exactly where planes were in relation to the airfield and our take off location.

As the eclipse began we noticed a dip in temperature. The light was unaffected but the air definitely got colder. As we got closer the light became flatter and the shadows started changing. About 15 minutes to totality all air traffic landings suddenly ceased though planes were flying at 3,000-4,000 feet. At 10 minutes to totality it was game time, we first put the m600 in the air. Then we started out livestream and put the Inspire 2 in the air. We had a brief hiccup as the Inspire 2 had a compass error as we flew out over the river, away from the any potential overflight of unprotected individuals. The aircraft began toilet bowling but we trained, we simply switched to ATTI and then eventually back to GPS and the error cleared.

Totality was unbelievable. We saw the shimmering on the ground, we saw the corona- and it was an awe-inspiring experience. The footage was unbelievable. To our knowledge, our flights made history. We were lucky enough to have the eclipse low enough in the sky to where we were able to capture totality with the Inspire 2 and X5S- a first for a drone (to our knowledge) to capture totality directly. Our m600 was able to capture the first aerial 360VR time-lapse of an eclipse. While rough and in need of polishing, we are proud to have been the first in the world to ever achieve both feats.

VR on YouTube:

Facebook Livestream:

https://www.facebook.com/dronescape.tv/videos/1363151240469818/

Jason & Jenni Kistler ©2017

See more of Kenji’s work at his site: http://www.dronescape.tv

Thomas Testi:

Our trip was, by definition, spontaneous. Some friends of ours decided on the Wednesday before the August 21 eclipse that they were going to make their way to Kansas City to stay overnight and then head St. Joseph, MO to get into the path of totality. My wife Faizah, who, among other things, is a research scientist, and as such, is a total geek. She suggested we pull the two younger kids (we have another that in college and another out on his own) out of school, and take them to go see the eclipse. We did a search to find solar glasses and there were none to be found and so kind of dashed the idea.

Dismay was short-lived. On Friday, my wife, began the search again and her efforts got me to thinking out of the box. I knew that you could use welder’s goggles as long as you had level 14 shading. I started calling welding shops around the Oklahoma City area. Everyone was out of goggles and everyone was out of level 14, 13, 12, and 11 shaded glass. A bust! I started calling the welder supply stores outside of the city. Finally, after about the 20th call, on Saturday, I found a shop around 45 miles away that had one set of googles and two sets of level 14 shading. I asked them to hold those and I would be out to pick them up. Game on!

When I went to pick them up, the lady there suggested if you put a level 9 and a level 5 shade together that adds up to 14 and should do the trick. I wasn’t entirely convinced, but since I made the drive and the lenses were only two dollars apiece anyway, I would grab a couple extras. When I got home I compared the 9+5 to the 14 and they seemed reasonably close. I grabbed some small boxes and cut out the space for the shade glass. Put the boxes together and was ready to go. My wife, with her amazing ability to locate lodging, found us a place to stay for Sunday night.

Sunday, we packed up the boys and headed up to Kansas City. When we arrived, the weather was not looking so good. That night we met up with our friends at dinner and decided instead to go to Marshal MO. The predations looked clearer (my wife was monitoring the NOAA site which updates the future predictions for, amongst other things, cloud cover). The plan was to get up and be on the road by 8 am.

At 8, we met up for some coffee and saw that it was going to be touch and go. The interesting thing about a fixed target, is that you cannot be late or its gone. The eclipse is the ultimate target in that you miss this one, and it will be seven-years until the next in this country. One wrong decision and you will just watch the clouds get dark.

As we kept coming closer to Marshal, it wasn’t looking good. Faizah said Sedalia, MO would be a better shot. NOAA was predicting 30% and the clouds were moving NNE. Some other friends were monitoring out Facebook feed and came out to join us. Around 12:30 we finally found a little golf course that had no one in the parking lot.

Thomas Testi ©2017

We drove up and the lady there said the golf course was closed for the day. We said we were here to watch the eclipse and would it be all right to hang out here? She said that it would be fine and she said she had extra glasses that we could use. The course had purchased a pack of 50 and that there was still plenty left.

Thomas Testi ©2017

We ended up having a great experience – it was amazing to experience the darkness, the cooing effect and how nature responded to the event. Everyone had a really great time, more friends poured in to watch with us and we found out later that it was raining in Marshall and so not good viewing. It also amazed me that there were others who missed it just because they were not willing to be flexible. As it happens, the lady who let us use the golf course, was appreciative that we were there as she would have probably missed the event, but because of our being there made it much more enjoyable for her. Take-aways – be flexible and it will be a win for everyone.

Thomas Testi ©2017

Learn more about Thomas Testi’s photography here: http://www.kintsugiimages.com

Andrew Behringer:

It wasn’t one hour after being stuck in Cuba for a day and finally making it back stateside that I was on my way to South Carolina with my DJI Inspire 1 (X3 camera) and a DJI Phantom 3 Professional. It was 9 PM and with a 7 hour drive ahead of me, adrenaline was keeping me going. I spent over six weeks trying to pick the best location for totality, keeping in mind that I would be coming back from 9 day tough trip abroad. Based out of Washington, D.C the east coast was the only option. After looking at multiple variables, including length of totality, elevation, and weather conditions, I decided to make my primary location the Blue Ridge Mountains in Greenville, South Carolina. I knew the place well because as I child, I spent my summers at the YMCA camp, ‘Camp Greenville’.

Andrew Behringer @2017

The plan was to scout the location after getting back from Cuba, check the weather frequently, and have a backup option in case the weather didn’t stay as clear as forecasted. But, because of flight delays we had to stick with Camp Greenville and nostalgia aside, when I finally arrived at 7 AM sunrise, the beautiful mountains and vivid sunset provided a fantastic test shoot.

Andrew Behringer @2017

We tested the light quality and angles using the sunset as a test of which was the best angle to capture the light. Then, after feeling satisfied and with the weather predicting full sunshine, low humidity, and no rain, we checked all of our equipment, put all the batteries on chargers and waited for totality.

Andrew Behringer @2017

Andrew Behringer @2017

The initial plan was to have one team member stream live to Facebook while the other shot a different angle – capturing a 360 degree view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The sun was beautiful throughout the day with the fog over the mountains slowly subsiding. But, about an hour before the eclipse, a single cloud formed directly above my location, completely blocking the sun. After the cloud came the rain. As the Eclipse start time approached, the rain continued.Then, like magic, the rain stopped just as totality was starting. With only 1 minute 14 seconds of totality, the 2 drones were launched as fast as possible to try and capture the changing of light. With both drones up in the air, we were able to capture the full start and end of totality. While we were expecting full darkness, it was more like a beautiful sunset in the middle of the day.

Link to Vimeo video of timelapse:

Eclipse 2017-South Carolina Aerial Shot from Andrew Behringer on Vimeo.

Rain aside, covering the eclipse was an amazing experience. Next time though, I’ll have to make it out to Oregon.

See more of Andrew’s aerial video production here: https://haveyouseenmydrone.com

Jeff Foster:

Bay Area – cloudy @79% totality

I knew we weren’t going to have the same experience as those that traveled a great distance but it was still worthwhile to at least set up a camera and provide a live feed to a flatscreen monitor for all our coworkers to view that didn’t have special glasses.

Jeff Foster ©2017

We set up our Blackmagic Pocket Cine Cam with a Rokinon 22/135 lens and a Genustech Matte Box with stacked Tiffen ND filters.

Of course, the day of the eclipse, we got socked-in with clouds and fog. We could only see something for a few seconds at a time, but I still gave it a go and captured a rather eerie effect… especially when it’s sped up to just a few seconds.

The post The Sun & Moon: Artistry of the 2017 Solar Eclipse appeared first on ProVideo Coalition.

First Found At: The Sun & Moon: Artistry of the 2017 Solar Eclipse

[stairnaheireann]

#OTD in Irish History | 26 July:

#OTD in Irish History | 26 July:

1575 – On the orders of Essex, John Norris and Francis Drake led an attack on Rathlin Island, a stronghold of the MacDonnells. After the surrender of Bruce’s castle, its 200 occupants were killed, as were 400 others found hiding in caves and cliffs. 1739 – George Clinton, first governor of New York State, is born to an Irish family that had immigrated to New Britain, a small town near the Hudson…

[stairnaheireann]

#OTD in Irish History | 26 July:

#OTD in Irish History | 26 July:

1575 – On the orders of Essex, John Norris and Francis Drake led an attack on Rathlin Island, a stronghold of the MacDonnells. After the surrender of Bruce’s castle, its 200 occupants were killed, as were 400 others found hiding in caves and cliffs. 1739 – George Clinton, first governor of New York State, is born to an Irish family that had immigrated to New Britain, a small town near the Hudson…

[stairnaheireann]

#OTD in Irish History – 26 July:

#OTD in Irish History – 26 July:

1575 – On the orders of Essex, John Norris and Francis Drake led an attack on Rathlin Island, a stronghold of the MacDonnells. After the surrender of Bruce’s castle, its 200 occupants were killed, as were 400 others found hiding in caves and cliffs.

1739 – George Clinton, first governor of New York State, is born to an Irish family that had immigrated to New Britain, a small town near the Hudson…

[stairnaheireann]

#OTD in Irish History – 26 July:

#OTD in Irish History – 26 July:

1575 – On the orders of Essex, John Norris and Francis Drake led an attack on Rathlin Island, a stronghold of the MacDonnells. After the surrender of Bruce’s castle, its 200 occupants were killed, as were 400 others found hiding in caves and cliffs.

1739 – George Clinton, first governor of New York State, is born to an Irish family that had immigrated to New Britain, a small town near the Hudson…

[stairnaheireann]

#OTD in Irish History – 26 July:

#OTD in Irish History – 26 July:

1575 – On the orders of Essex, John Norris and Francis Drake led an attack on Rathlin Island, a stronghold of the MacDonnells. After the surrender of Bruce’s castle, its 200 occupants were killed, as were 400 others found hiding in caves and cliffs.

1739 – George Clinton, first governor of New York State, is born to an Irish family that had immigrated to New Britain, a small town near the Hudson…

[stairnaheireann]

#OTD in Irish History – 26 July:

#OTD in Irish History – 26 July:

1575 – On the orders of Essex, John Norris and Francis Drake led an attack on Rathlin Island, a stronghold of the MacDonnells. After the surrender of Bruce’s castle, its 200 occupants were killed, as were 400 others found hiding in caves and cliffs. 1739 – George Clinton, first governor of New York State, is born to an Irish family that had immigrated to New Britain, a small town near the Hudson…

[stairnaheireann]

#OTD in Irish History – 12 February:

#OTD in Irish History – 12 February:

1722 – Thomas Burgh, MP for Naas, and Richard Stewart, MP for Strabane, receive the first £2,000 of £8,000 from the Irish parliament for operating their colliery at Ballycastle, Co Antrim.

1782 – The right of habeas corpus is introduced in Ireland.

1818 – Bernardo O’Higgins formally approves the Chilean Declaration of Independence near Concepción, Chile. Bernardo O’Higgins Riquelme was a Chilean…

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#OTD in Irish History – 9 February:

#OTD in Irish History – 9 February:

1731 – Birth of Sir Lucius O’Brien, opposition politician; he will eventually be described as ‘a man who disagrees with the rest of mankind by thinking well of himself’.

1854 – Birth of leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, Edward Henry Carson, in Dublin. Lord Carson held numerous positions in the Cabinet of the United Kingdom and pursued a career as a senior barrister and a judge; he become one…

[stairnaheireann]

#OTD in Irish History – 13 March:

#OTD in Irish History – 13 March:

1784 – Reform Bill in Irish House of Commons.

1791 – Thomas Paine’s The Rights of Man (part 1) – a reply to Burke’s Reflections on the Revolution in France and a major influence on Irish radicals – is published.

1846 – Ballinlass An Gorta Mór Evictions: Seventy-six tenant farmers and their families (three hundred people in total) were evicted from their homes in the small village of Ballinglass,…