Droning in Iceland

Aerial views of Iceland, September 2021: Skútafoss, Sveinsstekksfoss, Hvannagil and the surrounding area, Jökulsá á Fjöllum, a stop off in the Akrahreppur region in Northwest Iceland, the Skútustaðagígar Pseudocraters, Hverfjall Volcano Crater and surrounding area.

All drone footage: @greg_inda Edit/Color: @itslindseymarks

#iceland #icelandtravel #aerialphotography #dronevideo

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My partner Lindsey and I have talked a lot about fitting drones into my arsenal. How best to utilize aerial work while being cognizant of the ethics and how not to be a nuisance traveler. Below are some thoughts that Lindsey shared on Facebook, as well as some of my follow up and her follow up to my follow up.

Lindsey: I'm really happy about how we approached getting the drone out on this trip. Greg is a thoughtful person and did his research, and I've redirected my "need-to-fix-my-anxiety problem" reactions when people I'm with are using drones to owning my thoughts as entirely reasonable personal stances. In Iceland we were fortunate to find areas that were extremely unpopulated and under trafficked. Some of these areas are publicly accessible but aren't really even tourist destinations. Some we were the only people in sight. There are areas that do not allow drones without a permit, but many main tourist attractions are drone-able...so it's on you to make decisions. We weren't 100% perfect, but I think we avoided disturbing people really effectively and I love what Greg got! Deepening that as a skill set would be pretty awesome and he's looking into the licensing process.

Greg: It really gets to be a complex ethical dilemma. Droning offers such an interesting perspective on the world. And as a photographer I constantly feel the desire to be elevated by about 10 feet. I remember reading about an Ansel Adams photograph, and he talked about standing on top of his van to get a slightly different perspective on some boulders (I'll try to find a link), and that story ALWAYS had me wishing for a car I could stand on top of. Or a moonroof. Or... a drone! It really is a visual game changer.

And then you read about drones landing in migratory bird nesting sites causing untold damage. Or someone using a drone to spy on a neighbor. And the whole notion just becomes awful.

And there is definitely a cyclical oneupmanship that happens. It's like when the selfie stick dropped and everyone got one.

One pull that I started feeling as we were droning in Iceland, and I guess something I've felt even droning here around the farm, is the need to share the experience. Share the literal experience of droning. Not hiding off in a corner trying not to be seen, but to share it. Show people in the moment what you're seeing. Even letting someone tell you where to go. Because then it shifts from a literal annoyance into something that multiple people can enjoy. Though I also felt the need to hide in a corner sometimes too. I felt both things.

As I progress down the path of licensed drone pilot, it'll be a lot to think about and consider.

Lindsey: That's an interesting perspective too, down there at the end on sharing! I did notice you had some people who were interested in and a bit excited about what you were doing, same when we were in Kentucky...and being closer in your launch point in those instances made it possible for them to approach you without being weird and feeling rude about encroaching on your space. I wonder if some of the nuance is being at say...a trail head "heading towards the thing"...vs. the endpoint where all focus is on the thing? Probably all just depends.

Hiding kind of gets to my "get over anxiety" bit. And I think that's a take up space issue that might not leave as much room for thinking about the positive interactions people have with other people using drones.

If I think about it really...part of my critique stems from, as a spectator in an area, I don't like drones being around, particularly because of the sound, which I find to be hyper grating and a little scary. Even with no one around.

Greg: I think its hard not to be totally annoyed by the sound. And in serene, remote places, sound is such a huge part of the experience. It's selfish to take that away from someone just because you have a drone and want to fly it.

But I'm sure that conversation will evolve and shift as they start to make totally silent drones... which will lead to other types of problems.

Or maybe they go the other way and add a boom box function to drones, or a megaphone. Drones flying overhead adding a sound track to your nature experience.

Time Lapse

Came across this video a couple weeks ago and found it inspiring.


Metal Heart from Keith Loutit on Vimeo.

It's time lapse with a tilt shift lens, which gives it the "miniature" effect. The photographer, Keith Loutit, is from Sydney and has done some other amazing videos that you can check out here. Videos like this are literally hundreds of thousands of individual shots, each one having to remain consistent from one to the next in constantly changing lighting conditions. Then after you get them put together you still have to edit the footage into a full piece. Takes an enormous amount of talent and vision. Kudos to Keith for a great job.

Have a great Saturday and thanks for stopping by,
Greg Inda