What can one say about the incredible Amazon rainforest that hasn’t been mentioned yet? So, when words fail me the way they sometimes do, turn to photography instead. We’re all accustomed to seeing videos and images from inside the Amazon Forest, of life unfolding in the heart of the green. But the view from above is just as magnificent, don’t you think?
Densely packed trees give way for nothing, except sunlight to stream in and aerial residents. What lies underneath is magic as all of us know. As one of the world’s largest carbon sinks, the Amazon rainforest is indispensable to existence. To think we were almost at the brink of losing this natural treasure to wildfires.
The Kraken Hole
This image was captured by a drone as it flew over Lake Berryessa, a man-made reservoir created by the Monticello Dam in Napa Valley, California. During the abundant spring rains, the lake is in danger of overflowing and flooding, so they open up this magical-looking spillway that safely releases the extra water to the valley below.
The giant vortex looks as though it will kill us all by releasing the mythical Kraken any second, but it’s really all just science and engineering. So no need to panic. It’s like the perfect marriage of art and engineering. And nothing better than a drone to give you the clearest possible perspective. Makes me be happy to be human!
A Farmyard Dance
Cattle corralling is an art form. Yes, we said it. This is no mundane activity. Precision is the name of the game, where every step can be the difference between going home and barreling into another bovine. Not everyone’s cut out for life on the farm; herding and handling livestock especially!
The way cattle come together is a living, breathing masterpiece. You’ve got to have intuition, rhythm, and a strong intuition - almost a farmyard version of moving geometry and symmetry. The aerial drone shot captures a dance of brown shapes and shadows. The dance is functional, so the cows can go home. It’s also theater, for anyone who likes visual spectacles in unexpected places.
Love And Light on an Island
If languid and serene were a picture, this would be it. This drone image makes me want to move to a sleepy seaside town immediately and the town here seems perfect. Alter do Chão in Brazil is a quiet town popular with visitors during weekends and holidays.
One can see why! Its star attraction is “Ilha do Amor” or the Island of Love – an island with stunning white sand located right in front of the town. The lighting in this drone image is almost ethereal, illuminating the white sand and everything on it. Even the ocean surrounding the island fades into the background.
Ships Coming Home
When you think of stunning sunset pictures, oil tankers landing in port are probably not the subject you have in mind. But that’s the thing about drone photography. Take an aerial view and the perspective dramatically shifts. They don’t call it a bird’s eye view for nothing.
Oil tankers – otherwise big, clunky, and ugly in our eyes - float serenely and beautifully in the waters. You can somehow tell they’ve had a busy day. It’s time to rest. As the sun casts its last light and disappears into the horizon, it seems to be calling the tankers home – much like birds flying to their nests at dusk.