On December 29th we created our first aerial movie using Ethan’s Phantom II drone, a project we hoped to get off the ground (no pun intended) much earlier in the year. Since acquiring the machine, it has always been our intention to create a library of footage showcasing the beauty of our home county, so it was good news when we finally found the time (and settled weather conditions) to launch the project.
Over the last few months we have been shortlisting many areas that will make interesting studies and also honing our piloting and video editing skills so that the first ‘professional’ shoot could be executed with minimum problems.
We chose Arbor Low stone circle in Derbyshire’s White Peak for our first subject as the site offers relative isolation, particularly at this time of year. Weather conditions were also favourable; anyone who has visited the area will be aware of the almost constant wind present due to its elevation. Given the recent battery of winter storms crossing the UK over the last several weeks, our window of opportunity was very narrow and allowed less than 24 hours of relative calm before the next low pressure area barrelled in from the Atlantic. So, we were blessed with a stunning morning consisting of cloudless skies, light breeze and that beautiful low-angled midwinter light that makes photography an absolute pleasure.
Arbor Low is a truly fascinating monument. Often referred to as the ‘Stonehenge of the North’, it has survived time’s steady passage with remarkable resilience, no doubt partly to its isolated location. Apart from its henge-like architecture the circle of stones bear very little semblance to its more famous southern cousin. The most obvious point is that all of Arbor Low’s stones are recumbent and it is thought that this was part of the original design…none of the stones ever stood upright. A theory does exist suggesting that the stones did stand, and the wave of Christianity that swept early western civilisation saw them toppled. However there is no archaeological evidence to support this, but given religion’s destructive influence on societies’ architecture and art, both then and now, I do find this theory interesting.
After completing pre-flight checks and obtaining the necessary satellite linkage, the drone took to the air from the large central flat area of the monument. Initially the camera was pointing down to give us some great footage of the stone circle slowly appearing in full view until, at a height of around 200 feet, then entire structure was revealed. Low sunlight streaming in from the southeast provided excellent relief, causing not only the weathered stones to be picked out in fine detail, but also the surrounding bank and ditch structure. The beautiful lighting stayed with us as we made several passes from different angles and at different altitudes. While one of us was busy on pilot duty, the other was working on capturing still images for our libraries. While working on the stills, I could not help reflecting on Arbor Low’s original architects who walked here more than 4000 years ago, and how they would have felt knowing that their legacy had transcended millennia and was now being surveyed by technology beyond their imagination.
It took around two hours to capture the footage and still images, by which time a handful of other people had arrived to take a look around. After visiting the nearby ‘Gib Hill’ tumulus we returned to the car and home to begin the editing process.
Our resulting footage can be viewed using the link in the toolbar at the top and is the first available via PhotoArk’s brand new YouTube channel. As time and conditions permit, we will bring you more footage from other sites we find interesting. Several images can be seen below and for those interested in visiting or learning more about Arbor Low, the internet is your friend for both directions and information.
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