By Karen Parr-Moody
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – On July 29 Martha Stewart, the caterer turned media mogul, wrote a column in Time about why she is “hooked” on her high-definition drone camera that can fly hundreds of feet in the air. She first used it on a beach in Maine.
“By assuming unusual vantage points, the drone allowed me to ‘see’ so much more of my surroundings than usual,” Stewart said.
Local photographer David Smith, who is known for his photos of nature and of Clarksville’s landscape, is also hooked on the drone camera, which he calls his “new toy.” He has been flying the GPS-directed quadcopter over the city, where he has snapped breathtaking aerial shots of Liberty Park, the Cumberland River and downtown.
Photographer David Smith’s GPS-directed quadcopter camera has given him a different way to take pictures.
“FAA requires you to stay under 400 feet, but it will go higher,” he says.
Smith has also shot aerial crowd shots, including photographs of Jazz on the Lawn and Cooling at the Cave.
Cameras of any sophistication are merely tools, Smith acknowledges, noting that it is the photographer who brings the skills and vision to any photo shoot. But, he adds, technology has brought high-quality cameras to the masses, so the professionals must find new ways to set themselves apart.
“So many people are out shooting now that photographers are looking for a different look,” he says. “You’ve got to keep fresh and the aerials are a new idea.”
To see more of how Smith has captured Clarksville in a new fashion, visit his website at www.clarksvilleaerialphotography.com. He also sells the photos every Saturday at the Downtown Market, which occurs from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at One Public Square through October.
Smith’s photo of the Roxy Regional Theatre taken from 250 feet above the ground.
Karen Parr-Moody began a career as a New York journalist, working as a fashion reporter for Women’s Wear Daily, a beauty editor for Young Miss and a beauty and fashion writer for both In Style and People magazines. Regionally, she has been a writer at The Leaf-Chronicle newspaper and currently writes about arts and culture for Nashville Arts magazine each month.