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 City of Homs, Destroyed
The civil war in Syria began in 2011. The opposition forces were headquartered mostly in the city of Homs. This photo shows the extent of the damage: the city is almost entirely abandoned and is largely destroyed. The Syrian civil war has sadly rained death and destruction upon much of that country.
Skeletons of buildings stood standing where there once were thriving businesses and vibrant communities. In a flash, Homs had transformed into a ghost town. No matter one’s political or religious leanings, it is impossible not to feel compassion. A reminder that innocent people trying to lead upstanding lives always pay the highest price in war.
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.