Get a fowl’s eye view of Neuschwanstein Fortress in southwest Bavaria, Germany.
A fully gorgeous 360-degree video of an eagle hovering by way of the air with an Insta360 RS digicam strapped to its again has garnered over 22K likes on Instagram and is continuous to achieve traction.
Shot by skilled falconer Paul Klima, the video makes it really feel as if you’re strapped to the again of an eagle because it flies round Neuschwanstein Fortress in Germany. The fortress, which was the inspiration for Disneyland’s Sleeping Magnificence fortress, is situated on a nature protect, which means no drones are allowed on the premises. The one approach you may get this kind of footage is by enlisting the assistance of a winged pal.
Klima, who has been internet hosting falconry workshops for the previous 20 years, got here up with the concept in 2007 throughout a nature movie manufacturing for a Bavarian TV present. For that manufacturing, the crew strapped an HD digicam to an eagle however sadly, the machine was just a little heavy for the fowl, which shortened its flight time. That stated, he did handle to get some majestic-looking pictures.
What Klima actually wished to do, nevertheless, was give individuals a option to expertise flight from a first-person perspective. The thought stayed with Klima for a number of years, and when smaller and lighter client 360 cameras started hitting the market, Klima noticed a chance to seize immersive content material accessible through a VR headset.
One of many greatest challenges Kliman confronted was determining methods to strap a 360 digicam to an eagle whereas nonetheless permitting the animal to fly freely with little to no discomfort. To do this, Klima labored carefully together with his workforce and his birds to design a customized harness that was extremely light-weight and non-disturbing for the animal.
His work is necessary to him, and so are his birds. In a workforce member profile on the Lowa web site, Klima talks about his ardour as a falconer, saying, “Through the summer time, I practice my birds each day on the Falkenhof in southern Bavaria. The mountains situated on the bend of the Isar River present the perfect place for coaching – good flying situations, so to talk.”
“In fact, the birds want their day by day care as nicely. I’m usually accompanied by adventure-package prospects,” he added. “Unfortunately, I can’t spend all of my time roaming round open air (even when I want to). I nonetheless have plenty of workplace work to do and have to reply to emails. I get my reward after we movie my eagles and put the EagleCam to work within the mountains.”
When requested concerning the forms of 360 VR cameras used to seize his footage, Klima notes that Insta360 helped him resolve an issue that he has struggled with for years. The early HD cameras had been heavy and solely gave you one perspective and the primary 360 cameras needed to be deconstructed to actually seize the POV of the eagle. Stabilization was additionally a prevalent problem.
The Insta360 RS’s Duel 1-inch sensors, flow-state stabilization, 360 horizon lock, and sturdiness supplied Klima and his workforce a simple and comparatively easy methodology for recording an exciting 360-degree POV expertise.
To be taught extra about Klima and his work, take a look at his web site. Go to right here to be taught extra about Insta360 and the Insta360 RS digicam. You’ll be able to watch the video on any VR headset with assist for 360-degree YouTube movies.
Picture Credit score: Insta360
