Machine Elf 25

This is the most mathematically complex fractal I’ve been working on for a few months. If you’re a math nerd, it’s a variant on the Menger Sponge but I ended up messing with the coefficients so much that you will only occasionally see the source pattern.

Last month, I did another hardcore version of the Menger with the short “Devs Cube (based on the Alex Garland show)” – which is a bit dark and unsettling. Most of my other weird Machine Elf creations have been more calm and meditative. Choosing (or creating) music is very difficult. For this one, I decided to use one of my favorite Jon Hopkins tracks. It’s quite glitchy and full-on, but it works more than enough for me. This song (Everything Connected) is from his latest album.

We’re in the middle of generating a 360 version of this now… so if you have a VR set, it’s quite a ride. Enjoy…

Daily Photo – Floating over a seafront villa on Laucala Island

When I was running around taking photos all over the island, they told me that this is where George Clooney stayed when he came. It’s a little hard to tell from this angle, but that pool is surrounded by this cool angled black basalt rock. It made the blue pop out even more.

Floating over a seafront villa on Laucala Island

Photo Information

---

• Date Taken2020-07-08 14:04:12
• Camera
• Camera Make
• Exposure Time
• Aperture
• ISO
• Focal Length
• Flash
• Exposure Program
• Exposure Bias

Passport Sunday from Australia!

If you’re a Passport member then today you’ll get that little bonus section where you see how I made the photo. I hope you enjoy it! It was a bit of a challenge…

The Gold Coast Panorama – making of Gold Coast

I was a little worried during the edit of this one that it may not work out… but, I should have had more faith in myself, because it did in the end!

Exclusive content for Passport members

Unlock Now

Daily Photo – The Gold Coast Panorama

This is a photo made out of 9 different shots from the Mavic in a 3×3 grid. I love the way it turned out, but when you watch the making-of video below, then you’ll see it didn’t start out so perfect!

The Gold Coast Panorama

Photo Information

---

• Date Taken2019-01-26 21:06:06
• CameraFC2204
• Camera MakeDJI
• Exposure Time1/1250
• Aperture2.8
• ISO100
• Focal Length4.4 mm
• FlashNo Flash
• Exposure ProgramProgram AE
• Exposure Bias+0.3

New Zealand Highlights

Here’s a fun video that Stu edited together for me (thanks Stu!) of some of my recent quadcopter footage from around here. Enjoy!

Daily Photo – Curvy Road and The Remarkables

What a cool spot, eh? This is one of the many places we take our photo tours when they come to New Zealand. Naturally, we cancelled the previous one because of the outbreak, which was kind of a bummer. We haven’t put a new one up yet because I have NO IDEA what the travel landscape looks like for the next year!

Curvy Road and The Remarkables

Photo Information

---

• Date Taken2019-04-25 08:09:46
• CameraFC2204
• Camera MakeDJI
• Exposure Time1/120
• Aperture3.8
• ISO100
• Focal Length8.6 mm
• FlashNo Flash
• Exposure ProgramManual
• Exposure Bias-1.3

The Closest

This is the closest that Hollywood has ever gotten to a DMT experience!

Daily Photo – Foggy Morning in Shanghai

Early one morning, I woke up to get sunrise photos, but it turned out to be rather foggy. I decided to launch the quad to get photos of these three massive skyscrapers poking out of the cloud layer. I’m glad at the way it turned out, and I’m glad that I actually managed to land the drone through the haze!

Foggy Morning in Shanghai

Photo Information

---

• Date Taken2018-06-24 05:12:23
• CameraFC220
• Camera MakeDJI
• Exposure Time1/100
• Aperture2.2
• ISO150
• Focal Length4.7 mm
• FlashNo flash function
• Exposure ProgramProgram AE
• Exposure Bias-0.656

Passport Sunday Fun

In today’s Passport Sunday video, you’ll see some of the behind-the-scenes that went into the creation of a new work I did for a celebrity in Hollywood. It was a mammoth project that took about half a year. The final photo is a deconstructed panorama made out of 54 different photos. I hope you enjoy!

Edward Norton Print

Here’s a special thing for Passport Sunday! I recently made a print for the actor Edward Norton. It was a custom print of Brooklyn that’s made out of 54 different photos I took from a drone. Here’s how it came about!

Exclusive content for Passport members

Unlock Now

I have an all-new photography tutorial!

I recently returned from spending about a month in Africa (Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Madagascar) and each country had completely different photography situations. So it’s not just about travel photography, but it touches on pretty much everything in the seven lessons that include packing and equipment, landscape photography, HDR, People and portraits, wildlife, mobile photography, and street photography.

If you get the bonus edition, then you’ll also see how I organize my photos and handle DAM (Digital Asset Management) in addition to getting a copy of all the photos I share in all the lessons.

As well as all the tech talk, there is quite a bit of inspiration and philosophy about travel and life embedded into the story-telling. There seems to be an increasing segment of my audience that is interested in how a creative life can also be a more zen, present, and loving life. Some people get that; others are somewhere on a path of self-discovery through creative arts.

As usual, if you’re not super-thrilled, I’ll give you all your money back! So, there’s nothing to lose and a lot to gain

Grab it now and begin downloading immediately!

Lesson 1 – Welcome! The Game Plan and Mind Vitamins
Lesson 2 – Packing + Equipment and Travel to Botswana
Lesson 3 – Wildlife photography, Lightroom Basics, Processing, Collections
Lesson 4 – People and Portrait Photography
Lesson 5 – Wildlife Photography and Photoshop Basics
Lesson 6 – Landscape and HDR Photography
Lesson 7 – Mobile and Street Photography

Grab it here.

Daily Photo – High Above Laucala Island

This is one of the most incredible resorts in the world! There are several restaurants on property, and this one is out on this beautiful little connection between the main island and a peninsula. They are beautiful from the ground level, but they look even more epic from a quadcopter.

High Above Laucala Island

Photo Information

---

• Date Taken2019-01-25 15:35:49
• CameraFC2204
• Camera MakeDJI
• Exposure Time1/500
• Aperture2.8
• ISO110
• Focal Length4.4 mm
• FlashNo Flash
• Exposure ProgramProgram AE
• Exposure Bias

Another Strange Video

I’ve been looking at software for a new art project and I stumbled across this video. It gets RATHER TRIPPY beyond the 2 minute mark.

Daily Photo – The North Part of the South Island

How beautiful is this area? After I dropped off Ethan in Picton, I took some time to drive around and explore that area. If you look at the MAP of that area, then you can see there are countless little bays and coves. Each one is just as beautiful as the next. You can also see that most of that area has no roads at all… so I would often drive to the end of the road and then fly the drone from there.

The North Part of the South Island

Photo Information

---

• Date Taken2019-05-01 23:11:41
• CameraFC2204
• Camera MakeDJI
• Exposure Time1/500
• Aperture3.8
• ISO100
• Focal Length8.6 mm
• FlashNo Flash
• Exposure ProgramManual
• Exposure Bias-1.7

Wanna see something weird?

Sure you do! Does anyone know what software they use to make this?

Daily Photo – Manhattan from Redhook

When I was out in Brooklyn a few months ago working on a commissioned piece, it gave me the chance to really get to know the area. I had always heard about this “Red Hook” part of Brooklyn but never really experienced it. Walking around is great, but getting up there with a drone is even better for getting a sense of the geometry of the place.

Manhattan from Redhook

Photo Information

---

• Date Taken2019-06-22 12:57:01
• CameraFC2204
• Camera MakeDJI
• Exposure Time1/1250
• Aperture2.8
• ISO100
• Focal Length4.4 mm
• FlashNo Flash
• Exposure ProgramProgram AE
• Exposure Bias+0.3