DJI Phantom 4 – Page 6 – The Drone Experience…

Panoramic Video-El Paso Mountains…

This was a nice, slow flight over the interior of the El Paso Mountain Range, which is located in California’s Mojave Desert, approximately thirty miles south of the city of Inyokern. Looming in the background is Black Mountain, which has some interesting lore associated with it.

It is thought that Native Americans used the top of the mountain as a site for their ceremonies and trading activities. According to local legend, miners who were prospecting and living in the area during the late nineteenth century, reported seeing strange lights at the top of the mountain at night.

Drone Image: Koehn Dry Lake Bed…

…can be seen in the upper-right-hand side of this image. I took this photo during my recent visit to the El Paso Mountains.

The white sheen of the lake bed is not an illusion; it is the result of salt deposits, which have been mined there since 1911.

El Paso Mountains…

So, I’d parked my Jeep along this trail in the El Paso Mountains, and I decided to try to capture the vista, with the Rand Mountains to the south-west.

I was satisfied with the results, but what struck me after viewing this video on my computer, is the trail in the distance that seems to disappear into the Rand Mountains.

Drone Photo: Cajon Pass…

Here is another image from the Cajon Pass, that I shot in February, 2017. The drone was oriented toward the north, and the image was converted to black-and-white during post editing.

DJI Phantom 4 (https://www.dji.com/phantom-4) 1/640th sec. @ f/2.8. Photo by Scott Schwartz (a.k.a. “Aerialdrone.”) All rights reserved.

The Cajon Pass, At Sunset…

Many people traverse the 15 freeway, on their way to and from the high desert, or to Las Vegas. I wonder if they ever give a thought to the world that lies beyond the concrete ribbon that runs through the desert.

I use my DJI Phantom 4 (https://www.dji.com/phantom-4) and my Jeep to explore that world.
The image below was taken in November, 2017, near Hwy 138. Railroad tracks, used by freight trains, can be seen in the background. Vehicles can be seen on the 15 freeway in the distance.

Mojave Desert- Abstract Drone Image…

As a landscape photographer, I look for patterns. So, I couldn’t resist this shot, while I was flying my DJI Phantom 4 (https://www.dji.com/phantom-4) over the El Paso Mountains, recently.

Many of the rock formations in the El Paso Mountains are of volcanic origin, and the rocks in the lower-right hand side of this image seem to be of this variety.

Mojave Expanse…

Of all the photos that I’ve taken with my DJI Phantom 4 (https://www.dji.com/phantom-4), this is one of my favorites. I shot this in October, 2016 at an area in the Mojave Desert that is known as Robber’s Roost. According to legend, infamous bandit Tiburcio and his gang camped here, while “casing” the nearby Freeman stage coach stop.

By the way; this photo is for sale; go to https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/3-scott-schwartz.html, if interested.

Calico Mountains, as art…

So, here I’ve used my DJI Phantom 4 (https://www.dji.com/phantom-4) to capture this rock formation in California’s Calico Mountains. As a photographer, here are the settings that I used: 1/500/sec. @ f 2.8. ISO 100.

I converted the image to black and white after the fact, using the simple Microsoft editing program that came with Windows 10.

My Phantom 4: another piece of camera equipment…

Although flying my DJI Phantom 4 ( https://www.dji.com/phantom-4) is fun, it is not a “thrilling” machine to fly. The Phantom 4 is first and foremost, a flying camera platform. For thrills, I have a small Hubsan H107C, which flies fast, and, being inexpensive, is expendable. And, of course, I am a licensed private pilot, so I have had a lot of fun operating manned aircraft, as well.

As a photographer, though, I consider my Phantom 4 to be, primarily, another piece of camera equipment.

So, with that said; here is more video footage that I shot in the El Paso Mountains:

Drone Video: Mojave Desert…

The El Paso Mountains are one of my favorite places; the vast expanses, the rock formations that resemble the grand canyon…

At any rate, this video, which I shot during my visit to the El Paso Mountains a few days ago, captures some of the “expanse.”

My DJI Phantom 4 may have been in “Sport” mode at the time, which enables it to fly faster. The truth is that I don’t remember. I rarely fly in “Sport” mode, because Sport mode disables the obstacle avoidance function.