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Boating on Navajo Dam Lake Drone Video New Mexico

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Boating on Navajo Dam Lake Drone Video New Mexico

On the lake in a boat with a drone

Navajo Dam Lake is probably my favorite area of New Mexico. This is my third trip to the area just this year and fifth overall. I have seen it in all seasons now. This trip was quite different however. I still went up to photograph and fly over a rural land real estate property. However, there was extra time and Jessica’s parents were on their way back from Monument Valley so we all met up at Abe’s Motel & Fly Shop (home of the best French toast in New Mexico) then rented a boat at the marina right on Navajo Dam Lake. I brought my drone with me out onto the boat and quickly realized flying from the actual moving object you are recording is quite a challenge! I would let the drone hover so I can frame the shot, but the boat kept moving, so you see me in the above video often looking at the control screen to make sure I am keeping the boat in frame and at the same time actually try and make the video a bit cinematic, even though this was just a fun video for family memories.

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Digital Editing Challenge 01 - boat bow

DIGITAL EDITING CHALLENGE is a new feature on Jason Collin Photography.  Download the source photo of the original, then edit it to be as close to my own edit of the photograph.  I fully expect some of you to be able to do an even better job than I did.  Place a link to your edit in the comments below and I will add it to the body of this blog post with name credit.  After the challenge is closed (time to be determined) I will update this blog post with how I made my edit.  Thanks for taking the challenge!

EDITS THAT NEED TO BE MADE: 

  • basic color & contrast correction
  • removal of poles and ropes
  • change water color 

GOOD LUCK & THANKS FOR TAKING THE CHALLENGE! 

  • post a link to your edit in the comments below 

Photography Tip - shutter speed should be double your focal length

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Donzi speedboat Treasure Island, Florida - Nikon D300 Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8D @ f/2.8 ISO 400 1/1250th 200mmOne of the most common difficulties when first entering the DSLR world is to produce sharp action photographs.  This Donzi speedboat was cruising into the Gulf of Mexico near Treasure Island, St. Petersburg, Florida just after 6pm in February 2009.  The sun was already getting close to the horizon.  The Donzi was going fast.  This added up to a photography scene with very little room for margin of error.  It required pretty exact settings to produce an acceptable image.  

I always keep in mind one basic axiom about shutter speed: 

  • the shutter speed should be at least double the focal length 

Since I was shooting at 200mm with my trusty Nikkor AF ED 80-200mm f/2.8D lens, according to that axiom I needed a shutter speed of at least 1/400th of a second.  However, that shutter speed is really just a theoretical minimum.  One then has to take into consideration the speed of the subject and the available light.  If I had set my shutter speed to 1/400th you would be looking at a white blur.  In general I never shoot any moving subject at less than 1/500th no matter the focal length used.  

For something moving really fast I keep in mind that it will probably take 1/1000th to freeze its motion.  So since I made the Donzi shot with a shutter speed of 1/1250th, I was able to produce a tack sharp image.  

So the first thing to check if you are having a hard time photographing moving subjects is to check your shutter speed.  Is it at least double your focal length?  For anything moving as fast or faster than a child running around, is your shutter speed over 1/500th or greater?  If the answer to these questions is no, then you know at least the first step you then need to take to start producing sharp action shots.