DroneSnoop - About
It seems like everybody and their dog has a drone these days, and why not? With companies like DJI turning out precision affordable quadcopters which can be up in the air taking photos within minutes, it is understandable why they are so popular. The internet is awash with photos uploaded from drones that have been sent on missions to photograph and video well known landmarks from above. Many of these images are very good, even from users who have little experience with drones, or even photography for that matter. Advances in technology have made it so easy that anybody can be involved with aerial photography and produce really good photos and videos and there's nothing wrong with that. I applaud anyone for having a go!
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Why DroneSnoop?
Hopefully to be a bit different.
To say that everyone has a drone is obviously an exaggeration. There are many who are not interested in drones and never will be, but I am sure that many of these would still be interested in the photos that drones can take. Aerial photographs taken by drones can arouse curiosity and most people are intrigued
by the images of landmarks and surroundings taken from a different perspective.
DroneSnoop is not about snooping on people or invading privacy, it's about snooping on places!
It is my mission to take aerial photos that will be of interest to others, to see things from a different angle, to get up close and above things that would be impossible without a drone.
With a bit of history thrown in as well as interesting facts, I hope this will be a 'Go To' place for many to find this information and photos. I might look at taking requests from people who would like to see a aerial view of a location or structure, I might even invite others to contribute aerial photos and videos.
Let's see how that goes, it is very much a work in progress.
DroneSnoop is not a commercial aerial photography business and does not offer any aerial photography services, there are many very good CAA approved operators that do that. Photographs taken by DroneSnoop will be displayed on this site for anyone to view free of charge.
Aerial Photography
To take aerial photographs, two things are needed, a camera, and a way of getting it up in the air.
In the scheme of things, photography and flight are relatively new and both came about thanks to advances in technology during the nineteenth century. The camera came first and it wasn't long before people were looking for ways to send cameras skyward to take aerial photos. Although the first cameras were bulky and heavy, some were successfully strapped to kites and balloons, but results were not great due to moving in the wind and slow film speed. Once aeroplanes got off the ground [pun intended] that changed everything! Camera and film technology had also advanced which opened the way for stunning aerial photographs for the time. Proof of this can be seen on the English Heritage website ' Britain From Above'. Here is a large selection of crystal clear aerial photographs taken as an aeroplane flew across the UK from around 1919 onward.
Aerofilms Ltd
Many of the photos available on the English Heritage website were taken by Aerofilms Ltd, a company that was set up in 1919, just shows how someone could see the potential for aerial photography, someone with vision - literally!
Here's a great video about Aerofilms Ltd
Model Aircraft
Owning a camera back in the 1920s was out of reach of most people, having the use of an aeroplane was confined to the rich and elite so aerial photography for the man in the street was way out of reach.
Forward to the 1960s and 70s and we see radio controlled model aeroplanes available to hobbyists. Cameras were smaller too and could be mounted onto these models where the shutter could be operated by remote control. A drawback to this was blurry pictures due to engine vibration, but this was later overcome with advances in dampening and the use of gimbals.
Drones Take Off
So here we are in the 2020s and drones have been with us for over a decade with technology improving all the time. Batteries were always the drawback with electric flight, but new battery technology such as Lipo have really got weight down and power up. Three phase miniature motors, GPS and micro electronics have contributed to making miniature drone flight possible. Throw in a miniature high definition camera, a precision gimbal, and you have an amazing tool for taking stunning photos and video from places that were never possible before.
I hope you enjoy the photos and videos taken by the DroneSnoop drone. New content is being added all the time, so keep checking. Who knows, the drone could be snooping by where you live!
Feel free to wander around the site. I would also welcome any suggestions you may have to improve the website.
