Independence Day: UAV creates a buzz in Mangalore
Jaideep Shenoy, TNN
MANGALORE: An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) used for aerial photography andvideography was the cynosure of all eyes at the 67 thdistrict level Independence Day celebration here on Thursday. Brainchild of Bangalore-based A Krishnamohan of Zooom Cam Works, the UAV fitted with a Panasonic GH2 16.2 megapixel camera flew along a smallerUAV that had a GOPRO 5.1 megapixel camera fitted to its underbelly, sending the crowd into raptures.
Used mostly for corporate, advertisement and real estate related photography; Krishnamohan is among handful of UAV photographers across India. It was his passion for photography and flying that spurred the 37-year-old former investment banker to take it up as a full time profession. And with going rate of Rs 1.5 lakh/day for his talent and sometimes commanding a price higher based on the clientele, Krishnamohan is not complaining either.
Having forayed into world of aerial photography and videography in 2009, Krishnamohan says while this is an oft used area in Hollywood, it is yet to really take off in India either as a concept of a profession. The unique angle that one can get using this UAV photography technique is what excites him the most. “Birds eye videography adds a new dimension to the world of advertisement for it gives a 3D kind of a feeling to the viewers,” he avers.
The bigger multi-rotor UAV costs nearly Rs 5 lakh and can easily carry the most advanced professional photography camera such as the Canon Mark 2 or Mark 3. The heaviest payload that this UAV has carried is a DSLR camera weighing 3.5-kgs. Powered by battery, the UAV can fly for nearly 15-minutes before it has to be recharged. The lack of mechanical parts on board allows him to go in for vibration free aerial photography and videography.
