Ok, so it's been a while since I wrote an entry here. This is partly due to lack of inspiration and partly due to having my attention taken up with other things and a slow picking up of paid work, though generally work opportunities are still pretty threadbare.
In the meantime I managed to crash one drone into the bridge, losing it tragically to the waters of the Derwent River, and got another one. With this I have been experimenting with creating panoramas with photo merging, which is made possible by the DJ Mavic Mini's terrific stabilisation. As a result you can get some unusual and quite spectacular angles and viewpoints. After some pretty wild weather last week including a bit of sleet and snow in parts of Hobart, we have had a glorious few days of still weather which have been idle for drone flying.
But it's not all been artistic hobbying, there's also been another video for A Piano of Tasmania, this time supported by a Creative Hobart grant from the Hobart City Council. The latest video was filmed at Long Beach, Sandy Bay and gave me a chance to use the drone in a more serious capacity. Of course, I had to adhere to certain restrictions which included flying clear of people, which added an extra challenge. I felt like I didn't quite get as much good footage as I would have liked, but there was enough for a short video like this.
Another project, which was entirely for fun, was putting together a short music video featuring my friend Vaughan on his electric skateboard. We filmed on various days over a couple of months, taking advantage of some really beautiful weather and some interesting and eye-catching Hobart locations. I combined some GoPro and drone footage with a heap of shot taken with my GH5, taken a lot of advantage of the variable frame rate capabilities to mix up the speed. I really loved the shots across the footbridge from the Menzies Centre and the domain, which helps show the speed of the board.
While it was just a fun project, I like to think that these things help extend my skills and capabilities and push me a bit creatively. I've been trying to get more used to the idea of not always aiming for perfection, sometimes it's about getting things done and then learning from them. It's easy as a creative to get trapped into a kind of rabbit warren of endless tinkering with a project and never finishing. The challenge for many creative endeavours is to know when to stop and say "It's finished" because you can theoretically keep refining it forever and a day, and I have noticed some artistic people struggle to finish anything a a result. There comes a point where you have to move on.
Anyway, I hope someone will enjoy this as much as I did creating them !