The surf was big and heavy. I was having a hard time keeping up with the waves even when I was flying at full stick - these waves were fast. There was a 10 year old named Ty Simpson Kane who was riding some of these big waves. It was amazing seeing such a young man out there enjoying some serious waves. He had a huge support network helping him and making sure he was safe and I am sure they play a huge part in his success. I did not have my new 5.4mm lens on the GoPro black yet, but I am really looking forward to trying this out. I am hoping I do not have to get so close to the waves and riders to get good footage with this new lens. There were some close calls with the waves but somehow the Phantom will live to fly another day! Big Wave Surfing from Justin Edwards on Vimeo.
Comments
I was having some seriously annoying issues with my DJI Phantom where the batteries would not be recognized AND I was getting an occasional compass issue. This was all before my iOSD was even installed. I thought it was my batteries and sent them back but they did not test out bad. What finally seemed to get everything to work was to simply reinstall the firmware. There is not a new version but maybe they did a stealth release, so if you are having this problem try reinstalling your firmware on your Phantom. All is good now and I have the iOSD installed and functioning. Even with this very annoying issue, I am still really happy with the Phantom and would not hesitate to recommend it as the best aerial photography drone out there currently. I have been pretty excited about the S900 and I am starting to think about buying one for the winter surf season here in Maui. Flying a $3800 hexacopter with a $1000 camera over jaws is a bit intimidating but the footage would be awesome! By the way, theDJI Phantom 2 now comes with a 3 axis gimbal for $979 from Amazon - Shipped! This will make better video than what you see in my vimeo video below because it offers an additional axis of stabilization. A 3 axis gimbal will provide more professional video than a 2 axis gimbal. When my Phantom finally decides to become a submarine, I will be upgrading to a 3 axis gimbal (if I don't get the S900). I have really been enjoying the GoPro Black+ and I would say this is the camera to get ($399 with free shipping from Amazon). I really like filming in the 720 60fps and take a photo every 5 second mode. You always end up with at least a few really cool pictures whenever you fly! The iOSD is a great cheap upgrade for your Phantom and I can say it is worth the $69.99 price tag. I really like having battery voltage and the diamond that marks the home location is going to save my butt at some point in the future. There is not a way to change the unit to operate in feet but I am comfortable with meters so I do not mind. I have also learned a few things about the Phantom from using it briefly. The max descending velocity is around 2 m/s while the max climb is 4+ m/s. Things get a little shaky when you come down too fast and this confirms my feelings that going up is easy but coming down takes forever. I also enjoy the horizon indicator because it gives me an idea of which way the wind is blowing because in Maui, the wind is always blowing! If you want tobuy the iOSD you can get it from Amazon here with free shipping. I am going to start experimenting with self portraits from my little aerial photography platform and might try and do one as our Christmas cards this year. The picture up top is me and my 2 year old. He really loves this stuff. However, I had the goggles on flying around and he snuck up into the cab of my SUV and was probably pressing every button and turning every knob. Maui's Rugged North Shore from Justin Edwards on Vimeo. I started working on a short clip showing all my videos from my first 6 months in Maui but I got sidetracked when I got to the footage of the humpback whales I had from February 2014. There was such an overwhelming response that I wanted to make a longer one showing the entire interaction between the mother and her newborn calf. These animals are so amazing and they deserve to have their majesty observed and respected to that we can be inspired to care for their home. Music is "That Age is Gone Now Pt. 1" by Sorrow. This was filmed using a DJI Phantom 2 and the GoPro Black camera The Baby Whale from Justin Edwards on Vimeo. |
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