37 incredible drone photos from across the globe that would be illegal today
Amos Chapple captures the world's most famous landmarks as rarely seen.
When the commercial drone first hit the market in 2013, Chapple says he sifted through new product reviews to find the model that would help his art take flight.
Finally, Chinese technology company DJI came out with version one of the Phantom quadcopter drone, which cost about $470. Chapple was sold.
The Phantom allowed him to shoot from almost 400 feet in the air and take 100 or so images during a single flight.
He wasted no time in getting started. Agencies, tourism bureaus, and other clients commissioned Chapple to take photos of iconic sites, such as the Hotel Ukraina.
He soared over the Church of Spilt Blood in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Here's another view of the church at sunset.
Chapple's drone also floated over the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.
In the early days, Chapple flew the drone in busy areas, but he quickly realized that could be dangerous.
His first drone had a design flaw which caused a propeller to drop off mid-flight.
He crashed a second one in 2015 during a commercial shoot in which he had to use an unfamiliar drone. At about 100 feet up, he lost control and the drone disappeared.
After chasing it down, Chapple found the drone smashed to bits. He suspects Wi-Fi signals scrambled the drone's radio communication.
Even though he's flown his drone more than 1,000 times now, Chapple always runs the risk that something will go wrong.
Sometimes, the drones really freak people out. "It's a nuisance now that it's no longer a novelty," Chapple says.
Today, Chapple avoids people as best he can. "I'm just using it at dawn, or in isolated places where I'm not annoying people trying to enjoy a stroll," he says.
The best pictures don't necessarily require a high altitude, Chapple says. Here we see two wrestlers practice the ancient Indian sport of Kushti in a pit they dug.
During a typical shoot, he maintains a flight path just above his head and never veers off into the distance.
The drone doesn't allow Chapple to see what he's photographing. While it may snap 100 photos, only 10 to 20 images will be framed in a pleasing way.
Here's one view of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, on the banks of the Moskva River.
And here's a slightly different shot, showing more of the church's architectural detail.
The surprise doesn't bother Chapple. "There's a magic to not knowing what you have until you have the camera back in your hands," he says.
Drones also offer a huge advantage over manned aircrafts: You can afford to take risks with the weather.
"When you're paying $1,000 an hour for a helicopter flight, you make absolutely sure you're going to get some sunlight," Chapple says.
"As a result, most aerial shots [are] blue, bright, sunny, and boring," he says. "My best shots have been in unusual weather, but it's taken several flights to achieve. That kind of experimentation would have been impossibly expensive with a helicopter."
!["As a result, most aerial shots [are] blue, bright, sunny, and boring," he says. "My best shots have been in unusual weather, but it](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-56242459,width-700,height-525,imgsize-877877/as-a-result-most-aerial-shots-are-blue-bright-sunny-and-boring-he-says-my-best-shots-have-been-in-unusual-weather-but-its-taken-several-flights-to-achieve-that-kind-of-experimentation-would-have-been-impossibly-expensive-with-a-helicopter-.jpg)
For about 18 months after commercial drones hit the market, it was legal to fly drones pretty much anywhere. Chapple took advantage.
"For that year, when the whole world was open, it was just a case of hitting famous landmarks and moving as quickly as possible," he says.
"The window has definitely shut now," Chapple continues.
In 2014, the Federal Aviation Administration of the US made it illegal to fly drones for commercial purposes, including photography. Other countries followed suit.
Russian authorities denied Chapple permission to fly above the Kremlin in Moscow because he was a foreign citizen. He did it anyway.
Over the course of two days, he scoped out an area tucked out of sight from the police. He waited for a burst of traffic to block the noise of the drone and got his shot.
"I ended up snatching the drone out of the air and running through the alleyways to get away," Chapple says. "It was risky, but so much history has walked through that space, I just couldn't resist."
His dream location would be Iran, but current laws prevent him from shooting there.
"I even got the direct email to [Iran's] minister of tourism, but got no response," Chapple says.
"There are still plenty of places where this technology can legally and safely offer spectacular new imagery," Chapple says.
While Chapple says he's fully supportive of the tight restrictions abroad, his photos make us wish he could continue.
Drone photography allows the viewer to take in the lay of the land ...
... during both day and night.
"It's amazing to be able to explore an aerial image," Chapple says. "There's such an immensity of information."
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