Expeditions / china
A new point of view.
Custom-built aerial camera systems opened a different way to see China’s extraordinary karst landscapes.
- My role
- Photographer · UAS developer & pilot
- Time & place
- China · 2012–2013
- Project
- Selected portfolio work
Chapter 01
Build the tool the story needs.
Before small aerial cameras were a routine part of production, I developed and operated custom UAS to put a camera where a conventional crew could not. National Geographic fieldwork in China demanded both the image maker’s eye and the builder’s willingness to solve problems.
Chapter 02
Work where the landscape leads.
The journey included the Great Getu Arch in Guizhou, the Stone Forest in Yunnan, the Enshi Grand Canyon in Hubei and the karst country around Yangshuo. Each setting required a different relationship between aircraft, camera, access and the people on the ground.
Chapter 03
Keep the whole story.
Aerial photography is not only about the finished frame. Research, transport, setup, repairs and judgment are part of the assignment. National Geographic’s account of the Enshi flight documents one of the difficult moments as well as the ambition behind this work.
In motion
Watch the work.
The visual record
A closer look
Explore further / Credits & context
Keep exploring