A NEW Style of LANDSCAPE Photography

[@Firstmanphotography]

Big sigh. At no point did I claim to have invented this technique or be the first to use it. Flying lights up above the landscape is still relatively new as a photography technique in my eyes, hence the title. It’s also a technique with a lot of legs and creative opportunities for numerous photographers to create individual and unique work.

[@AERO-CINE]

great work have you a link for the drone light thank a lot

[@ojocaptor]

loved the way, the passion you talked about that tree.

[@TiffanyM3]

Thank you for sharing your love for the tree. What a different world it would be if we all had an intimate respect for nature. 💚

[@MarceloFernandez1967]

13:45 marvelous astonishing... 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@Firstmanphotography]

Thanks mate. Very kind

[@2DogAle]

I am so glad I found this channel.. When I first started looking for and watching landscape photo videos here I added so many of them it was overwhelming. I had to cull out some of them so I could concentrate on the photographers I learned to love and respect. So glad I kept yours because I so enjoy your work both photographic and these videos. Thank you so much. Cheers, Rob

[@peterfritzphoto]

Your passion is truly infectious, mate. I love the way you share it through your videos.

[@RiccardoPareschi]

You're so inspiring... It's a great pleasure to watch your videos and I join with anger and pain against the vandalism against that wonderful tree...

[@lesliengo8347]

This reminds me of the heat wave (up to the mid-40s [C]) in the Pacific Northwest region where the intense heat "burned" many of the plants' leaves. Many of my plants have been scorched, but one thing I do know is that they can regrow again. They may have burnt leaves, but they are not dead. Thanks for showcasing a new way of photography. It goes to show there are more than one way of doing things with a different and creative perspective.

[@MrBrut33]

fabulous photos that was worth the effort! Congrats

[@davehandelman2832]

That's FRIGGIN AWESOME!!!! Great technique!!!

[@GusMcCrae01]

Just found out about your KZbin page and having seen your process and the final image, all I can say is just ... WOW! Greeting from Culpeper, Virginia USA.

[@spamllama]

As landscape photographers, we do get attached to our subjects, and get to witness the ebb and flow firsthand. Great vid, as always.

[@TheLazlo1985]

Definitely worth it for that shot. Stunning capture!

[@jamesattenborough2597]

Brilliant! Really clever and great images too!

[@comeraczy2483]

Wow, the light painting from above looks like a brilliant idea! Very well done. Regarding the damage on the tree, I would be surprised if it was lightning. Lightning would more likely go through the whole trunk, possibly heating up the sap to boiling point and creating long vertical scars along the the trunk. It doesn't really cause an impact that could snap a branch. Wind or snow could though.

[@Firstmanphotography]

I probably need to do some research around what trees look like when they have been hit by lightning.

[@thomastuorto9929]

My thoughts. Heavy frozen snow possibly & wind is most likely. The garbage left behind bothers me more.

[@jojak8066]

@@Firstmanphotography I've seen some.. A tree of this size wouldn't survive it I guess.. The top of the tree is usually split in half..

[@4wdflying]

Wet snow can overload the branches combined with wind, and break them down in strange ways. There were several candidate snow events the past winter

[@jemostrom]

I have no idea how the weather has been there, but it's not uncommon around here that wet snow breaks branches or whole trees.

[@pavelperina7629]

Good explanation and it's likely more than few weeks old injury. Thick layer of ice due to freezing fogs can do a lot of damage too.

[@adstoop7885]

Adam I fully agree with your position regarding the TREE (nature in general). We humans only have one planet on which we have to live and respect nature. THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE. The pictures from your camera and drone are great. Very beautiful, definitely worth it. Thank you for your efforts.

[@jerryhutchinson2543]

Wow! Great vlog on many levels!

[@burrdaddy]

I understand your frustration. I have no room for people that can't respect land and nature. I just have no tolerance for it. Love your channel.

[@ROUGHROADPH]

Beautiful image buddy. Well done.

[@QuietLightPhoto]

Fantastic, Adam! I'm going to have to give this a go the results are otherworldly. I remember some time ago some guys did something similar in the desert and again the end results were otherworldly. Keep up the informative content and congrats on your book!

[@peterfritzphoto]

Wonderful video, Adam. Could it have just been the wind…? I admire your love of nature, mate. I feel you.

[@ShimodaDesigns]

That came out great. Love the first one. Great mood.

[@Firstmanphotography]

Thanks guys.

[@wimscheenen3535]

The first night lit photo is absolutely fabulous. Looking forward to see more images as you explore this new approach. As to the damaged tree, irrespective of it being of natural or human interference, I understand your emotions when you first see it. I recently had a similar experience when I found one of my favorite trees nearby the river eaten bij moths and covered in a silken web. I appreciate your courage for showing these emotions in your video.

[@peterlorent]

So cool to see you working with a drone to paint with light. Back in 1993 I had to do a brochure for a fancy hotel and did some stills using the light painting technique. Back then I borrowed the equipment from a dentist and it worked just fine :-) Brings back memories...

[@alanhillberg]

I don't know how old the breaks are on the tree, but I'm from Northern Michigan, USA, and we get a lot of snow. If we get a lot of heavy wet snow that will break branches all over town, both large and small trees. Just my 2 cents. :)

[@BrandonJSmith-yp7no]

More of this please

[@PeterGallagher1]

Love it.

[@grahamegannon9708]

The images of the tree in the first half of your video, the brown (dead branches) of the tree complements the foreground colours. Your light project is interesting and the photos are very good. Excellent video Adam.

[@Black3ternity]

Great Idea Adam. I always like landscape photography and I tinkered around with Lightpainting in the past. Often times the Landscape shots end with Sunset - Blue hour or even Full-Moon Photography is rare. I can imagine this style of your picture being implemented in wider spaces aswell. Lightpaint specific parts of an image - blooming heather across the landscape - lit beautifully with a blue-hour / fullmoon shot that illuminates the rest of the landscape. Or even (if doable with proper battery duration) lightpaint something like the aqueduct in one of your older images - if necessary stitch them together from multiple ones if your drone can't handle the full length in one shot. PS: IF you need more shutter time or your lights are too bright - ND filters are amazing - even in low light. Cheers and take care,

[@linkedinfred]

Totally nailed it! Beautiful tree

[@terrymorganphotography]

Adam, having just watched this video, I am even more delighted (and chuffed with myself) that I have ordered your book. Not just because it will be an interesting read with some fabulous pictures, but because your approach, skill and notably passion is inspirational. Keep doing what you are doing because your damn good at it. A combination of imparting skills and providing an infectious desire to get of my arse and take "that" (marketable) photo.

[@pandapics]

Loved this video its really refreshing to see how much that tree meant to you. Regarding the drone light painting, brilliant idea, your out there pushing forward in the wonderful world of creativity. excellent work

[@alexcarrillo1]

Mesmerizing execution and result. 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@glenmilligan8387]

WOW!!! The drone shot is amazing. Well done for your first attempt!

[@johnpollock6996]

Very interesting video Adam. I will have to try that method if I ever get ginned up for night droning. About the tree's damage, from my vantage 4600 miles away, I do not believe it is lightning. Lightning usually skins off a vertical piece of bark 2-3 inches wide than can go from the highest point on the tree all the way to the ground. My guess is either punks causing problems or strong winds.

[@paulcomptonpdphotography]

Heart felt Adam. Great drone photo

[@andrewlunn]

Fantastic final image Adam

[@tomasdov2213]

That first night tree shot looks so damn sick. Awesome job

[@robinc-k7162]

WOW!! The image at the end was stunning and so worth all of your effort. I can relate about your feelings for the tree. That said, the dead branches really added something special to your image.

[@bobharris3002]

that first image was very cool. I'll look forward to more of those.

[@gaetanoscalfidi]

I think both images turned out great!

[@SteveLawrance]

Absolutely outstanding. What a magical image (first one) nobody would know how you did that, thank you for sharing…

[@gatotherliyanto2093]

Fantastic result ... it is difficult if you use DJI Go4 to do POI feature during dark day, as this feature need a physical seenable spot to be used as center of the circles ... next time try to use Litchi apps to do POI motion, it is much easier, as Litchi use determined coordinate as center of POI motion. You even can predetermine the coordinate, safe it the recall it when needed ... Happy trying.

[@gregmolchan1202]

Big fan of lume cube here as well. Haven't yet tried with a drone, but it's on my radar. Thanks for sharing your passion in your videos. It's inspiring.

[@randyschwager2515]

Awesome stuff! Thanks

[@SHKBKN]

Finally that tree knew that someone comes to stand with . Luv this Vid ;)

[@PaulHarveyAustralia]

Wow, Adam. Fantastic video. Pity about the tree. :) The shot at 13:50 is wonderful!!! Thanks for sharing

[@dfilmaker3256]

would the attachment work on a DJI Mavic Pro? not the II the first Mavic Pro?

[@Firstmanphotography]

Yeah, thats what I have

[@jbrunoimagery]

Might be lightening but they usually have a big scar on the trunk to the ground. My guess is that the farmer had an attachment or a larger cab that struck the branches as he circled the tree. Made for a cool shot though!

[@LisaFrostPhoto]

That first drone-lit shot is wonderful...I'm looking forward to what else you come up with! Regarding the tree damage, I've seen a number of trees that have been struck by lightning here in Australia and they usually have at least a burn mark from where struck down the trunk, and can sometimes look like they've exploded - branches are ripped off rather than just being broken. My best guess is it wasn't lightning unfortunately.

[@oliverdecker1930]

Great shots, Adam. Thank you for your inspiring video(s).

[@haroldhobbs1184]

Fantastic amazing video

[@Tainted-Soul]

Love the photo a new look for sure

[@emgee44]

I don't understand how some people think it's OK to leave their shit behind. Leave the place how you found it and if you find rubbish, take it with you. A human left it, a human should remove it. Ok Rant over. As for the photograph, simply gorgeous. I've seen another KZbin a couple of years ago where they used a larger drone to film a scene using way more lights (1000's of watts) to create a visual effect in the woods. Looked awesome but required a lot of pre-planning, and they had a crew. You're doing all that on your own so props for that.

[@rosssayer6524]

Really interesting concept with a nice result. Well done Adam on your first attempt.

[@mariusvandyk2077]

thank you, Adam. inspirational as always. the painted tree came out well. good luck with your book.

[@scotty4418]

That second last image had a beautiful look to it Adam and hopefully see more of your particular style of drone lit images in the future. It was sad to see the damage to the tree and nowadays it's hard not to think negatively about damage to the environment due to the human element. Only last week the Dark Sky Observatory not far from where I live was destroyed due to malicious actions and it was heartbreaking to see images of the devastation and leaves me wondering what possesses people to destroy the beauty (natural or man-made) that surrounds us

[@Firstmanphotography]

Yeah that second to last image is the type and style of image that’s going to form the body of the project. I think the rings are cool but I’ll be using it sparingly to avoid it being gimmicky.

[@todaysworldjw]

Thanks for sharing a brilliantly creative idea. I do like the halo around the tree, has got my photography juices flowing 😀👍

[@daz.78]

I feel your frustration mate,I live on the east coast and love to see it busy and families enjoy themselves but then you see all the rubbish that gets left on the beach and it makes me so mad that they love it enough to come on holiday here but then go home leaving it in such a mess.rant over.great video buddy 📷👍

[@peterfritzphoto]

Wow!! That image is amaaaazing!!

[@sabomarius128]

Nice!

[@christopherlearwood4763]

Your absolutely right, to do this and leave rubbish! not all Photographers have an awareness just out for what they want. take a shot of tree and use for an image search to find it as should be recent my guess, besides if they were clever they can use an image editor to add the smoke

[@peterfritzphoto]

Can’t wait for your book!!

[@LeeMansfield]

superb mate - what lights did you use for under the tree and turned off from your phone?

[@Firstmanphotography]

They’re Aputure MC lights. They’re awesome.

[@hakanoney0512]

Great result, congrats.

[@jasonnbuck]

Love the videos 👍. What focal length do you recommend as an all round landscape lens. Cheers

[@samarth9341]

Simon Baxter was on sean tucker's channel last week. He mentioned and was concerned about this kind of behaviours from others. He said this was one of the reasons he does not reveal his locations. I have implemented this to my journey, at least in some way. I can control the flow of others, which eventually might help preserve these environments. It's a sad world we live in.

[@marcusodgaard9111]

This is similar to the PhotoPills tutorial in September 2020. Brilliant idea well executed 👌

[@derekwillson2538]

Brilliant! well worth all your hard work Adam, the final image is very cool indeed. Thanks so much for constantly pushing things along. I look forward to receiving my copy of "Illumination" soon, best regards Del.

[@arniet1]

Oh very nice.....the halo at the end gave that magical tree some majesticness. That tree needs a few hugs. What drone do you use?

[@foofreddy]

Great stuff Adam. Loved the penultimate image. I love that tree too, been there several times. I really hope it wasn’t idiots that have damaged it.

[@pradkphotography]

The penultimate shot was just wow.

[@jeffolson4731]

I really liked the images you got. Very creative idea.

[@derrydogsdirtbikeriders4266]

well done, even 1 good photo is always worth the effort. Liked and subscribed

[@Firstmanphotography]

Thanks dude. Greatly appreciated.

[@G0FUW]

Well that wasn't half bad for a first attempt and I expect you gained lots of learning from the experience. Not my cup of tea but I can see the appeal. Thanks for sharing.

[@MikFoggin]

Both of the final images are great, but given the story you told of the tree, the 'halo' shot is particularly good.

[@peterfritzphoto]

About a year ago, I shot an image of a short dead Cypress with its offspring growing valiantly behind it. It remains one of my favourite images because of the story it tells.

[@richardallinson3540]

Nice video thanks. As far as the tree goes it's not lightning. Hard to tell re snow but if some of the damage is to the inner crown then it's doubtfull as the outer more lion's tailed branches would be favourite. Unfortunately I think your correct re vandalism but without seeing the tree impossible to give definitive answer. I could go on a massive rant about the effect of staycation on our stunning landscape but I'll resist!

[@coyotegraysr]

Snow broke those branches

[@meisterschmeckerfatz3400]

Awesome idea! 👌 the first image (in the end of the video) looks great and the second one was also funny - the "holy" tree 😀 nice!

[@stevewickmagician]

Great idea Adam and I look forward to seeing how this evolves for you. It wont be long and the locals will be talking about the strange lights flying around in the hills. :)

[@snufflepig60]

Hi Adam, that's a very nice idea, imagine what you could do with a bit of starry sky or even milky way behind it as well as the light... Looking forward to receiving my copy of your book.

[@josegarcia94512]

Great video. Amazing message. You can help the tree grow strong. You just have to remove the dry branches, which were clearly almost uprooted by some despicable being. Greetings fromArgentina.

[@RM831BC4E4]

Beautiful images Adam.

[@johndoherty6448]

Well done, Adam, but I'm sure you heard the (pun alert) expression, 'many hands make light work', that's to say, an assistant would be invaluable !!

[@DennisRyu]

You should get in contact with Phill Fischer. He is doing this kind of photos for quite a while now and can probably give you some tips or maybe go out with you on a few trips. Should be able to find him by this name on FB, Flickr or IG.

[@JohnDrummondPhoto]

After all that: stellar image! I can't tell from looking via my phone, but the condensation on the lens may have added a little Orton Effect. Anyway, I like it. A lightning strike would leave a black char mark somewhere near the point of entry. It might set the tree on fire but not break multiple branches off all around the tree. My guess, sadly, is young people climbing the tree and hanging off the branches. What a shame. It's like when someone decided to take a photo while sitting on one of those famous "lone trees" on a lakeshore (I forget which) and broke off one of the main branches. Some people are just idiots.

[@Firstmanphotography]

Thanks John. It very possibly did add that effect. It also underexposed the image quite a lot so it's pretty noisy looking at it in higher res after I had rescued it. Still, i am quite pleased with it.

[@grantnewton5705]

I think you’re referring to the Wanaka tree in NZ I assume ….. stupid idiots …. I agree that Adam got a great shot for his efforts here!

[@thomastuorto9929]

A little different . No extra batteries for the drone. The best thing anyone can do for that tree is to cut the dead branches off. Nice photos.

[@johnswan6335]

Should buy a mavic air2 has a light built into the bottom of it

[@Firstmanphotography]

Interesting. I had not seen that. Initial thoughts is it wouldn't be bright enough. The lume cubes are literally blinding but still not really bright enough.

[@johnswan6335]

I think it's quite bright I'm waiting for the dark nights to come back to try it out

[@QuicknStraight]

I don't know if you're familiar with a YT channel called Nightscape Images? That guy does some remarkable nighttime imagery.

[@petejohnstone9564]

Nice one, a little different

[@colinjamesphoto]

Fantastic...you must have been like Olly the octopus! Lol 👍

[@jml7916]

Hmm. Interesting but illegal as heck here. But I might have an idea if I can get an old lighting trailer. Might have to build some baffles and maybe use some gels but it might be an interesting alternative to this.

[@johnhume3932]

The heather on the North York moors has been badly affected by the heather beetle. It has devastated much of the moors so the purple heather blooms just haven't happened. A year or two ago our beaches were covered by billions of the beetle larvae. I can't really comment on the tree, but it doesn't look like lightening strikes as lightning would travel through the trunk to the ground. Frost or snow damage may be a possibility, or dare I say it, the fool playing around with the smoke bomb may have set it on fire then tried to rip the branches off to hide that. Unfortunately the other cause may be an infectious organism of some sort.

[@GaryHayes]

I suspect vandalism. Where I photograph in the Blue Mtns in Australia I see prominent trees being damaged by tourists here - several shots from at least 5 different spots with gorgeous trees providing a great focus to the image over the last 10 years, now either ripped up or branches tore off, sadly some people are grubs

[@Treydmusicmedia]

BTW: I like your drone light trick is wonderful! Eighty percent of the sky in southern California, USA, forbids the flying of drones, Nonetheless, I will remember your words and images for the time and legal areas to purchase, practice and try to practice your technique!

[@bobcoggin4618]

Brill 👍🏻

[@lefturn99]

Interesting video. Watched it because of the title. Shame I had to endure 10 minutes before you got on with it. Not using a lens warmer is a pretty rookie mistake. But the final image is very nice.

[@Firstmanphotography]

Lol thanks. The shit sandwich model of feedback.