DEAL NEWS – Take your photography efforts to new heights with the Ninja Dragons Blade X 4K Dual-Camera Drone for $79.97 (reg. $199.99) during this Labor Day sale through September 4.

There’s a sense of freedom that comes with taking a picture. For starters, there’s the ability to freeze a moment that can’t be replicated. There’s also a sense of accomplishment that accompanies framing a moment from a perspective unique to you.

The emergence of drones has taken the freedom photography offers to another level. It’s opened access to angles and perspectives previously unknown to the masses. A recent survey by the Department of Transportation found that more than one million people counted among drone owners.

Take your photography efforts to new heights this Labor Day and purchase the Ninja Dragons Blade X 4K Dual-Camera Drone for $79.97 (reg. $199.99). Act quickly, as this special Labor Day price ends at 11:59 p.m. Pacific on September 4.

You’ll be able to capture beautiful moments with its 4K HD front camera and secondary 720p bottom camera. It offers eight to 12 minutes of flight time and has a remote-control distance of 393 to 492 feet. It is also foldable for portability.

A one-click takeoff and landing function allows your drone to fly practically anywhere it’s permitted. Gesture controls also assist with smooth flying, as it will enable smart flight controls through the use of simple gestures.

Photos are where this device shines. And thanks to its remote control, users can watch images in real time while they control its flight patterns.

The drone uses a 3.7V 500mAh lithium battery, while the remote control runs on three AAA batteries. The AAA batteries aren’t included. Users can expect their drone to reach a full charge in 120 minutes.

Whether for fun or a new vantage point for photos, this drone is a winner.

Purchase the Ninja Dragons Blade X 4K Dual-Camera Drone for $79.97 (reg. $199.99) before 11:59 p.m. Pacific on September 4, and enjoy this special Labor Day deal. 

Prices subject to change.

Past exhibitions at Galerie Teleport included “Water Roars, Forests Roar,” (Voda Hučí, Bory Šumí) which ran from May 17th to June 9th, 2023 and featured the works of photographer Hiep Duong Chi. Curated by Štěpánka Stein, this exhibition delved into cultural identity and everyday life, offering a unique perspective on Czech society and its interactions with diverse cultures.

If there is one thing Jake Ricker has learned about himself over the past 36 years, it’s that he has something of an obsessive personality. What Ricker never knows, though, it just what form his next obsession is going to be.

For the past five years, it’s been taking pictures on the Golden Gate Bridge. Every day for the past five years, almost.

“Definitely six to seven days a week,” Ricker said. “I think this year along, I’ve only missed like three or four days.”

Now, it should be noted that Ricker does not take pictures of the bridge like the rest of us do: focusing on its architecture and iconic setting. Ricker is a street photographer, candidly capturing the people who flock to the world-famous landmark by the millions.

“There’s just so many characters in the city and there’s so many tourists and bicycles and car accidents and motorcycles,” Ricker said. “There are so many things that can happen at any moment that are all kind of condensed on this little strip of concrete over the ocean.”

But coming to the bridge every day over the years has exposed Ricker to the dark side of what can happen here. On his daily walks, he has encountered many people in crisis threatening to end their lives by jumping.

In those moments, Ricker balances his humanity with his desire to chronicle the reality of life on the bridge. Ricker, who says over the years he has developed a good relationship with the officers who patrol the bridge, will alert them to any signs of trouble.

He will then stay and engage with the person until the patrol arrives. It has happened, Ricker says, dozens of times.

“There were days when I had a normal job and I would take the day off from work (to come to the bridge) and then happened to stop someone from jumping,” Ricker said. “So, I just thought, ‘If I went to work that day, that person might not be here.’”

It was in that way that Ricker’s photography project turned into something of a humanitarian mission.

Still, Ricker is not heading out every day looking to save people; he just wants to take their pictures. It’s just that he instinctively knows when to do one and when to do the other.

“I feel like I was oddly prepared to be in this position,” Ricker said. “It was all meant to be so.”

Ricker doesn’t not know at this time how many days, or years, he will continue coming to the bridge. The entire endeavor has been a financial burden on him. He is thousands of dollars in debt and currently has more than one thousand rolls of film waiting to be developed once he can afford to pay for it.

Still, every day Ricker does choose to show up has the potential to be a fortunate one for someone in need.

“If it was my friend or family member out there, I wish someone would just talk to them and be there for them when they thought they didn’t have anybody.”

Midday is normally not the time to put your camera up. Contrasty light is not the best for most color images. Move to infrared and we have a whole new ball game. When the light gets harsh and you add some greenery and clouds, imaging gets good.

Infrared

You can probably find a camera languishing on the shelf that can be converted to infrared. I used a Panasonic GH4. LifePixel Infrared is the company I use and recommend for conversions. Their website is a great source to learn about various infrared conversions. I personally am a fan of the traditional 720 nanometers. Your taste may vary to deep dark IR or even color IR. Study the website to see what options you may enjoy. Just know that having an infrared camera in your kit expands your time of being able to capture interesting photos.

Driving on Highway 160

Traveling in the middle of the day with clouds peppering the sky can be a good time with the infrared camera. When you are making miles and hours in a car it’s nice to have an excuse to stop the car, stretch and make some cool photos.

Red rocks, highway and several layers of cloud were of interest to me. Composition and contrast either make or break IR images.

LifePixel Infrared

Here’s a peek at what the Lifepixel IR website holds for learning about IR options. You’ll find examples of various choices of filter will yield. There are also tips on how to process your files.

Know that when you use a basic IR filter of 720NM as I do, your files will be magenta if you view them in color. One benefit of current cameras is the ability to change the view on your LCD to monochrome. While this is not how the final IR image will look it gets you closer. FYI, I always capture three exposures. Sometimes it is necessary to take the three images and blend those together for full tonal range before the final processing to infrared.

Lifepixel Infrared is not the only camera conversion company. It’s the one I use, and have experience with. Because of that, I became an affiliate. As an affiliate, I do receive a small fee if you use my link to purchase. Kolari is the other major US infrared camera conversion site you can try.

You can see more of my infrared imaging in these articles:

Yours in Creative Photography, Bob