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Showing posts from January, 2015

How I Followed CASA Rules

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CASA - Flying With Control When I got my first quadcopter, I looked for ‘rules of flying in Australia’.  I was led to CASA (Civil Aviation Safety Authority) website.  There are many information from news, rules, guidelines, applying for license etc.  The one I was looking for is in a convenient PDF file that I can download / print and read.  I was referring to this: CASA, Model Aircraft - Flying With Control The rules are for those first time flyers who want to get into this hobby and hopefully shape them to think ‘Safety First’.  So I broke down the rules one by one and plan my approach to each.  Below is the result of my planing: CASA - Get to Know the Rules Able to fly ‘line of sight’, it should not go too far from you DJI’s software covers this.  Open DJI Phantom Assistant and ensure you're in 'Phantom' Mode. Look at the upper right hand side of the software and it should say 'Phantom'.  If not, please follow these steps: Change 'Naza M' mode to 'Pha

CASA UAV Rules & Fines

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DJI Phantom 2 Guide News spread like wildfire.  Just recently I read about a news regarding a man from Townsville (Queensland, Australia) being fined for breaking the rules on flying UAV.  In this instance, he had a DJI Phantom 2.  I’m in Australia and the governing body for UAVs is CASA (Civil Aviation Safety Authority).  Full report can be read here: QLD man first in Australia to be fined for flying a drone The Fact About CASA's Rules Australia, through CASA, is the first country to regulate UAVs through the creation of robust guidelines.  These rules are created for hobbyist to put ‘Safety First’ when flying UAVs.  I learned that CASA's rules for UAV was the first of it's kind.  But since the rules are kinda robust, other countries (such as the US) are going in line with our rules. At Camzilla, where I bought my drone, they already have a brochure printed and displayed for anyone buying a drone.  You can just literally pick one brochure for yourself and read it there.  

My Most Used Filters

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Rigid Glymph Aren’t you overwhelmed by the number of filters to choose from?  There are hundreds if you factor in build, material, purpose, brands etc.  I’d like to share the filters that I use for landscape photography.  These are 100mm x 100mm square filters that uses a foundation kit to mount at the front of your lens.  OK, there are also 100mm x 150mm which are the graduated neutral density filters, they are not square, but square-ish.  I believe these filters can cover up to 16mm in a full frame camera.  Anything wider can have the filter holder be seen at the edges of the frame. I bought a combination of Lee (mostly) and Singh Ray (a few) filters.  The following is a unique list of filters I use and full details on how I use them: Neutral Density (ND) filter Big Stopper / Little Stopper Hard Edge Neutral Density (HE) filter Soft Edge Neutral Density (SE) filter Reverse Neutral Density filter Circular Polarizer There are many other filters, or colour filters, out there but I prefe

Drone at Long Reef

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Sunrise Perimeter Long Reef is one of my frequent places to shoot sunrise seascape photography.  Either I position myself on top of the headland or go downhill towards the waters.  But its not only me, there are also others around.  This is one busy reserve.  There are joggers, kite flyers, windsurfers and rock fishermen in the area.  Since I go here before sunrise, there are less people around.  I can freely frame my shot without distractions. As a photographer, I find this place interesting.  I was thinking that if I could shoot it in a different perspective, then I'll go for it.  Well, that day came.  Just last month (December 2014) I bought myself a quadcopter.  I'm thinking that it will give a different perspective to my landscapes. I constantly practice my flying whenever time and wind permits.  Taking videos & photos of nearby vicinity is a great idea!  That saturday, the wind forecast was virtually windless, so I pushed forward. I came here with my drone just before

Review Kata Bug 205 PL

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Kata Bug 205 PL with Accessories Kata Bug 205 PL There are so many camera bags.  Like many other photographers, my bag evolved so much.  It started with the backpack to the waist bag, roller, modular and again, to the backpack.  I don't know, I'm looking for a particular feature, style or carrying type.  But in this particular instant, I may have found a bag for me.  It's not the bag that fits all purpose, but it's the bag the fits most purposes.   I always go to camera stores and most of the time, I went to bags section.  In one of the stores, I found a Kata Bug 205 PL.  From then on, I haven't forgotten this bag.  I tried to compare this to all other backpacks but I always end up looking back at the Bug. What I Needed I love travel and I love landscapes.  So I travel, bush walk, go on an adventure, see different places, climb a mountain, storm the shores etc.  With this in mind, I require the following: Light Weight - probably the most important requirement.  I ca