20 DIGITAL CAMERA^ JUNE 2019
Shapes in nature
Filip wanted to emphasise
symmetry in this composition.
“When I saw the meandering river,
a drone was the clear choice for
this shot,” he says. “As soon as
I launched it, I knew straight away
there was potential. The river
winds in symmetrical perfection.”Drone exposure limitations
The camera on Filip’s DJI Mavic Pro has
a fixed aperture of f/2.2, so he often uses
neutral-density filters to control the
exposure. “Here, I used a ND4 filter, for a
shutter speed of 1/120 sec and a balanced
exposure,” he says. “I always try to keep
the ISO at 100, which reduces the noise
that the small camera sensor produces.”Waiting for the weather
Thanks to the wind, the clouds here were
moving fast. Filip waited until the sun rays
found their way through them to lighten
up the glen. “A human eye likes harmony
and simplicity, and I think that is what
makes this image interesting for so many
viewers.” The shot was shortlisted in the
British Photography Awards in 2019.Filip^ Snajdrhen I captured this
aerial shot, I was
travelling through
Glencoe in the
Scottish Highlands.
All of my drone batteries were flat
and I thought I’d finished taking
pictures that day. I passed by a
little road leading to Glen Etive
and started my long drive home.
I don’t know what came into my
mind, but after a few miles I had to
turn around and go back. Something
mysterious was attracting me to
Glen Etive that day. When I arrived,
I turned the engine off, but I was
so excited by the scenery that I left
the lights on. As it was an old car,
the battery was flat in minutes.
Fortunately, I had a jump starter
with me. I could charge my car
battery... but I could use it to charge
other devices too. Guess what?
I boosted the drone battery to
catch the last moments of sunset.
http://www.snajdrphotography.comW
Recharge
Filip Snajdr wrings
life from his flat drone
battery to capture
the fading daylight2 | AERIALf/2.2 1/120secISO
100