What’s better than a picture of an ancient cathedral? A picture of that cathedral from the skies. This drone image views churches in a new light and perspective. The Talin Cathedral in the Aragatsotn province of Armenia was built in the 7th century.
Today, the cathedral is mostly in ruins due to devastating earthquakes in 1840 and 1931. But even its ruins are magical still, especially when viewed from above. Other cathedrals might have spires or steeples. The top of this one looks like a giant chimney or a dome Tom Cruise might rappel into during one of his famously impossible missions.
The Arthur Kill Ship Graveyard
Did you know that right next to Staten Island there’s a ship graveyard hiding in plain sight? Ships that had been damaged would be kept there during the Second World War until they could be sold for scrap. But they never got to them all before abandoning the project. It’s so eerie that almost nobody ever visits.
Basically, in the middle of one of the world’s major cities, one of the most important tourist destinations on the planet, you can find such weird abandoned areas. Why travel to abandoned shipwreck sites in the ocean when maritime history is just a subway and ferry ride away? Who would believe it? Great photo, though.
Hurricane Harvey
Hurricane Harvey marked the first time since 2005 that a category three or higher storm hit the USA. This compelling drone image documents just a fraction of the damage that it wrought. 37 Americans lost their lives in the storm, in addition to as much as 10 billion dollars in damage.
If this is the calm after the storm, picture what the storm must’ve been like! Can you imagine being the owner of one of these houses? Putting years of love and hard work into building a home, only to have everything destroyed. Even assuming that the damage was covered by insurance, it is heartbreaking to see this.
Hurricane Maria
Few natural disasters can rival a hurricane for sheer destructive power. Just look at what happened to Puerto Rico and Dominica when Hurricane Maria arrived. This photo is but a sample of the devastation the residents suffered. The pavement was literally torn up. Entire trees were uprooted.
How fortunate that we are able to send drones in to make a first assessment of disaster areas even before it’s safe for people to be there. Not just a camera for landscape photographers or adventurers, drones help with relief planning and resource allocation. Cameras that go where nobody can or should go.
Petting Zoo
Sometimes a tour group gets lucky. These folks were visiting Mexico and taking a boat ride when a gray whale swam right up to them to say hi. It’s not every day you go out on your boat and bump into a friendly whale. Speaking for ourselves, we’d be too scared to pet it.
All it takes is one swish of a whale tail to topple this boat over. The awe-inspiring majesty of a giant whale is without a doubt one of the most unforgettable sights a person might experience in their lifetime. But to see one so up close is a whole other level.