Drone News Roundup: Central Park Drone Light Show, DJI Inspire 3 Tour of Greenland, and More!
BY Zacc Dukowitz
26 October 2023This week we’re covering the drone light show that lit up the sky in New York City last weekend.
We’re also covering a drone tour of Greenland shot on the DJI Inspire 3, a guide we made to help you edit your drone footage, a drone video of humpback whales feeding just 100 feet from the beach, and the new Prime Air drone that’s anticipated to begin delivery by the end of 2024.
Now onward, to the links!
Drone Show in Central Park
The night sky above New York City’s Central Park was illuminated on Saturday by a spectacle of aerial art and technology. An installation called “Franchise Freedom,” created by Dutch studio DRIFT, featured 1,008 drones choreographed to fly in shifting, bird-like formations over the park’s Lake. Spectators gathered to observe the 10-minute performances, which evoked comparisons to fireworks and lava lamps with their kinetic formations of light. The artists aimed to poetically explore the relationship between humanity, nature, and technology through the piece. Viewers on the ground were able to take in the futuristic show and connect with the communal experience of blending art, science, and the natural world.
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Drone Tour of Greenland Shot on the DJI Inspire 3
This new video from Timelab Pro features stunning shots of the austerely beautiful landscape found in Greenland. Full of ice floes and ice caves, and beautiful shots of the frozen ocean, the footage takes you on a journey to another world. According to its creators, in shooting this video they “hiked through rocky arctic landscape around a small fishing village. We lived lost in the beauty of arctic nature, majestic fjords and ancient glaciers.” Some of the drone footage includes shots of a small sailboat equipped with a bright red sail, the color making for an incredible contrast on the blank white background. The video’s creators also shot the boat from the air against the backdrop of night, with the Northern Lights lighting up the sky (skip to 2:07 to see this incredible shot).
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How to Edit Your Drone Footage—A Step-by-Step Guide
The last three weeks we’ve been sharing videos from our 4-part series made to help you get up to speed with shooting drone photos and videos. This final installment in the series covers editing drone media. In this video, we share tips and techniques for editing your drone photos, as well as guidance on how to transfer footage from your drone to your phone and computer. And if you’re wondering which editing software to use we’ve got you covered—the video covers both free editing apps and paid options, like Adobe Lightroom and Capture One. Finally, we take you on a full editing walkthrough in Adobe Lightroom so you can see step-by-step how to edit a drone image. (This video is the last in a 4-part series—watch them all on the UAV Coach YouTube channel for an in-depth walk through on how to shoot drone photos, drone videos, and how to plan so you get the best footage possible.)
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Drone Video Shows Humpbacks Feeding Just 100 Feet from the Beach
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A few weeks back we shared a video from drone sea wildlife videographer Sutton Lynch, who was recently profiled in the New York Times. In this video, Lynch captured beautiful aerial footage of a pair of humpback whales feeding within 100 feet of the beach. It turns out the whales were feeding on something unusual: “I was surprised to find these humpbacks feeding on sand eels rather than menhaden. Using what looks to be an altered method of bubble-net feeding, they worked in unison to corral the small baitfish into a more dense school, rising together and gulping everything in their path.” According to Lynch, eating eels is fairly uncommon, and is a learned behavior passed on from older generations of humpbacks. Follow the link below to see more of Lynch’s incredible work.
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Amazon Unveils New Delivery Drone
Amazon has shared new photos of their Prime Air delivery drone, the MK30. The innovative new model will enable faster, quieter, and safer drone deliveries starting in late 2024. The MK30 represents a major advancement for Amazon’s Prime Air program. Engineers developed the drone in just 18 months, building on years of research and dozens of prototypes. While their current drone flies during clear weather, the MK30 can operate in more diverse weather conditions.
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