Birds Help Capture Stunning Video Footage In New Documentary
© Michael Richards via Discovery Channel
We never cease to be amazed at how technology can bring more people closer to nature. And we mean close. Oh sure, we've heard of using CritterCams to monitor what animals are up to. But now we need to stop and appreciate just what amazing imagery animals can come back with after their adventures. In the documentary Winged Planet that premiered this weekend on Discovery Channel, you can do just that thanks to director John Downer.
© Michael Richards via Discovery Channel
Not only did Downer manage to mount some miniscule cameras to birds themselves to capture footage from literally a birds-eye perspective (much in the same fashion as researchers use CritterCams) but he also came up with a whole host of other ideas for hiding cameras in clever ways to be able to film birds being their most natural while also getting extraordinarily close. Thanks to advances in camera technology, and some creative hacking, we get to see the wonder of a bird-centric world.
There is a great interview with Downer on Photo Pop where he explains some of his techniques, including putting a customized DSLR on a wooden vulture model to get some amazing footage. But before you read that, check out the trailer for the film and be sure to watch the full documentary:
