STOCKTON - It's a striking vista.
Just
after sunset, Stockton Ballpark glows brightly under the lights during a
July 3 Ports game. Away from the lights, Stockton and its waterfront
are painted in golds, blues and deep violets, as the still-glowing
western sky reflects off the Deep Water Channel, stretching out toward
Mount Diablo.
If you guessed it was shot from a piloted helicopter by a professional photographer, you'd be wrong.
It
was actually taken by Wes Rhea, executive director of Visit Stockton,
using a breadbox-size remote-controlled helicopter carrying a camera
that links to and is controlled by his mobile phone.
The whole
rig (not the phone) cost about $1,000 - far less than what a
photographer wanted to charge for aerial video of the Stockton Asparagus
Festival, Rhea said. And in just six weeks of operation, it is already
boosting the Convention & Visitors Bureau's mission to market and
promote the community.
"We've already seen a very positive response on our photos," he said.
The visitors agency is drawing more likes, shares and comments on social media.
"Our engagement on our Facebook page and Instagram is definitely a higher level of engagement," Rhea said.
These
days - when nearly everyone has a cellphone camera in their pockets or
is carrying a point-and-shoot camera or even a digital SLR - it's hard
to create compelling and unique photos. That's the edge the
radio-controlled helicopter provides.
"The aerial photo just
gives you such a unique perspective, particularly of a sports facility,"
Rhea said. He's especially happy with the July 3 Ports game photo.
"It really is beautiful," he said.
There
is an ongoing issue of the commercial use of remote-controlled
aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration has moved to bar such use
while it develops regulations, but a court ruled the agency has no
jurisdiction over the devices, which the judge compared to model or
hobby aircraft.
Rhea said his lightweight quad- copter, whose
built-in software and GPS capability automatically directs it to land at
its launch point if it loses contract with the controller, is quite
safe to operate, and he's careful to keep it from flying directly over
large crowds or in other risky situations.
"We're always very cognizant of the safety side of it," he said.
The
increasingly capable and easy-to-use remote-controlled or drone
aircraft are generating interest for a wide range of applications, from
surveying and security to agricultural applications and real estate
marketing.
Dito Milian, a professional motor sports photographer
and Vacaville resident who has been testing the potential of aerial
photography with a small drone, said he'd like the legal barriers to
commercial applications to be resolved.
"I would like the option
to do it commercially," he said. "If it was (legal), I would easily
spend a few thousand dollars to start up another kind of business."
The new machines are easy to use.
"They are easy to fly. They are open a box, charge up the batteries and fly," Milian said.
Rhea
took Visit Stockton's machine - a DJI Phantom 2 quadcopter with a
built-in video camera - out last week at the Stockton Marina to provide
supplemental footage for a promotional community video set to the hit
"Happy" by Pharrell Williams.
Measuring just 17 by 121/2 inches,
the quadcopter flew somewhat like a hummingbird - moving up, down or
sideways as directed, then just hovering in one spot or another as it
shot photos or high-definition video. Its four rapidly spinning rotors
gave out a steady buzz.
"It does sounds like a crowd of bees," Rhea said.
After
capturing overhead and panning shots of a group of happy dancers on a
motorboat as well as a few overall shots of the marina, he brought the
drone back to himself.
"I used to land it, but now I kind of
catch it," Rhea explained as he reached up to grab the lower landing
strut, then shut off the motors."
Despite weighing less than 3 pounds, he said, "It does the trick."
Story and Photo: http://www.recordnet.com
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