1 of 6
Dennis O'Hara
Split Rock
An aerial view of Minnesota's Split Rock Lighthouse, an image captured using a MiKroKopter with a camera mounted to its underside.
2 of 6
Dennis O'Hara
The MiKroKopter
A MiKroKopter sends cameras aloft.
3 of 6
Dennis O'Hara
Enger Tower
In the right weather conditions, the little ’kopter gives Dennis O’Hara new views places like Duluth’s Enger Tower.
4 of 6
Dennis O'Hara
Dennis O'Hara
5 of 6
Dennis O'Hara
The MiKroKopter
6 of 6
Dennis O'Hara
Split Rock
An aerial view of Minnesota's Split Rock Lighthouse, an image captured using a MiKroKopter with a camera mounted to its underside.
As a photographer, I am often attracted to the possibility of viewing scenes from the vantage of height – that elusive better perspective.
Sometimes it just is better to get above it all, and I am certainly not the only photographer who’s heard that high-above siren call.
The pursuit of aerial photos is almost as old as the camera itself. Starting in the mid-1800s, photographers have employed different machines and devices to get an elevated view.
The first known aerial photograph was taken in 1858 by French photographer and balloonist Gaspar “Nadar” Felix Tournachon, who shot 262 feet above ground in a tethered hot-air ballon. Early pioneers used kites, rockets and even pigeons (a truly bird’s-eye view) to carry cameras aloft. Pigeons in the Bavarian Pigeon Corps carried messages and cameras for aerial reconnaissance. In 1903, Julius Neubranner designed a tiny breast-mounted camera for carrier pigeons that took automatic exposures at 30-second intervals. Unfortunately, pigeons often returned with photos of the wrong area.
The first aerial photography taken from an airplane was in 1909, thanks to none other than Wilbur Wright. In his flying machine, he carried a passenger who took motion pictures from the back seat of the aircraft.
During World Wars I and II, cameras were designed that corrected vibration and stability problems connected with aerial photography. Aerial-image quality significantly and quickly advanced.
By the 1960s and ’70s, far more sophisticated and capable camera systems were incorporated into military and civilian aircraft. It was during this period that the Minnesota Air National Guard flew a reconnaissance aircraft called the RF-4C. The nose and belly of the aircraft was packed with cameras, some of which could view objects 25 miles away, even at night.
This is where I got involved with aerial photography. As a camera operator in the rear seat of the two-person RF-4C aircraft, I helped to photograph many different scenes, at high speed and low and high altitudes.
Today’s technology provides an even wider range of aerial options, especially with the widespread use of Remotely Piloted Vehicles (RPVs).
Nowadays, a photographer who wants to take to the skies can keep his feet on the ground and use a remote-controlled device such as a blimp, kite, miniature plane or helicopter to carry the camera. Some may use a ground-based pole or extendable mast to achieve low-level, close-up views.
Each scene is different and has its own “best” perspective.
In recent years, I’ve built and used a multi-rotor helicopter called a MiKroKopter, which was specifically built for aerial photography. A camera is mounted to the underside of the eight-rotor copter and I remotely control the craft to a suitable altitude and location for the picture.
I believe multi-rotor helicopters will become the platform of choice for many types of aerial photography. Correctly built and tuned, they provide less vibration, greater stability and more flexibility than any other aerial option. While this tool is still in its infancy, like most electronic devices, reliability will grow and cost will soon drop as the usefulness to the consumer becomes apparent.
When I built my first MiKroKopter in 2010, I assumed that I would quickly assemble the aircraft and instantly start taking quality pictures and video. Not so.
Over the next year it became more of a science experiment than a photographic tool. I learned soldering, weight and balance, flight control programming, radio communications, battery chemistry and a lot of patience. Future models, I’m sure, will not require such in-depth understanding.
The flight-control system electronics consist of gyros, accelerometers and magnetometers that allow the system to determine whether it is level, pitched, rolled and in what direction it is pointing.
The navigation-control system consists of a GPS and barometer (pressure altimeter) that tells the flight-control system where it is, how high it is and from where it took off. The navigation-control system is also responsible for telling the ’kopter how to hold and navigate a position and how to return to its launch location. If communication is lost between the ground-based transmitter and the MiKroKopter, the ’kopter will guide itself back to the home location and land.
The radio-control system allows me to direct the aircraft from the ground and change its speeds. The system’s range is about 1 mile or more, but current Federal Aviation Administration rules require I keep the aircraft in visual range.
Since the ’kopter only has eight minutes of flight time due to battery life, that’s not hard.
I can observe what the camera sees on a small TV monitor attached to the control box and adjust accordingly. The camera takes a picture automatically every two seconds.
While multirotor systems can be useful for aerial photography, they are limited by weather, especially wind. It is often too wet, cold, windy – or there are just too many trees – to fly safely. On the right days, though, it is a phenomenal tool and captures otherwise impossible images.
That said, the investment of time and money is substantial.
A new MiKroKopter system can cost $3,000 to $5,000 if you assemble the components from a kit or $8,000 and up for an off-the-shelf unit.
The good news is, as with any new technology, prices are falling and advancements continue each year. Soon, the small photo copters may well be just another tool in any photographer’s bag of tricks used to obtain the ever elusive “great” image.
The FAA is seeking regulations to require proper training and maintenance for safely operating in this new field of aviation. Until the final rules are released later this year, remotely controlled aircraft must be kept under 400 feet altitude, in constant visual contact and away from populated areas – all common sense.
As with any tool, high or low tech, the most important part of photography is still getting out there and taking the photos. And, of course, enjoying the scenery – eye-level or above it all.
Duluth photographer Dennis O’Hara remains a true “amateur” – lover – of the craft.