Looking Upstream

[AlanLichty]

I have driven from Eugene Oregon out to Florence more times than I can count but have never really had a good view of the lower stretches of the river between Mapleton and Florence. The Siuslaw River as you see it in this scene is at sea level with flatwater all the way out to the open waters of the Pacific (roughly 12 miles downstream) so there are some properties that have their own boathouses for open water sport fishing vessels. I have always been intrigued by the views from the highway but have never launched my drone for an aerial view of the area. This is from late October with the big leaf maples in peak colors.

C&C always welcome.

 

[JimFox]

I don't think I have seen that view as well from this vantage point. That's really cool looking. I like the added dimension that the fall colors give.

Were you directly below the drone in that pull out?

 

[AlanLichty]

I don't think I have seen that view as well from this vantage point. That's really cool looking. I like the added dimension that the fall colors give.

Were you directly below the drone in that pull out?

Thanks Jim - the pullout is an old truck weigh station that has had all of the weight equipment removed but still exists as a nice big place to get off the road. I was on my way up to the Sweet Creek turnoff near Mapleton and decided why not get an aerial view of the surrounding hills. I shot from almost directly over the pullout. The line of big leaf maples on the left marks the rail line that runs from Coquille to Eugene.

 

[Jameel Hyder]

Nice expansive view from this vantage point. The river is a good lead in to the scene and the scattered yellows among the greens are a nice visual treat.

 

[AlanLichty]

Nice expansive view from this vantage point. The river is a good lead in to the scene and the scattered yellows among the greens are a nice visual treat.

Thanks Jameel - I have shot this type of view on several of the tributaries that feed into the Siuslaw but never along the flatwater part between Florence and Mapleton.

 

[larryj]

I have driven from Eugene Oregon out to Florence more times than I can count but have never really had a good view of the lower stretches of the river between Mapleton and Florence. The Siuslaw River as you see it in this scene is at sea level with flatwater all the way out to the open waters of the Pacific (roughly 12 miles downstream) so there are some properties that have their own boathouses for open water sport fishing vessels. I have always been intrigued by the views from the highway but have never launched my drone for an aerial view of the area. This is from late October with the big leaf maples in peak colors.

View attachment 85062

C&C always welcome.

Beautiful image Alan, the view from drone level is outstanding, thanks for sharing!

 

[AlanLichty]

Beautiful image Alan, the view from drone level is outstanding, thanks for sharing!

Thanks Larry - we don't have a lot of open viewpoints up in this area due to the tree cover so the drone is a nice substitute for getting a camera above the tree tops to see the overall landscape. There have been quite a few occasions where I drove up to the top of some mountain only to find a nice view of tree trunks instead of the surrounding topography.

 

[Dave Renfroe]

Great shot, Alan. This is real inspiration to get a drone. My neighbour has one for sale that I can get a deal on. How did you find the "learning-curve" - was there stress involved?
I did fly it once, but pretty well just straight up and back down. But like your shot here - that may work fine most of the time. My movie director son has one but he does mostly daring videos flying far far away (he has only lost one). I am sure he would help me with the training part though. Thanks for sharing this.

 

[AlanLichty]

Great shot, Alan. This is real inspiration to get a drone. My neighbour has one for sale that I can get a deal on. How did you find the "learning-curve" - was there stress involved?
I did fly it once, but pretty well just straight up and back down. But like your shot here - that may work fine most of the time. My movie director son has one but he does mostly daring videos flying far far away (he has only lost one). I am sure he would help me with the training part though. Thanks for sharing this.

Thanks Dave - I was a little uncertain at first but in the end flying it wasn't all that difficult. I did go to local parks with lots of open space to get used to how to better handle the controls but it all seems like second nature to me now. I am not really a videographer at all and for the most part this is just another camera in my bag with the neat twist that it can get views from the air I will never get to see from the ground. Many of the flights I do in the forests are what I call periscope photography where I simply send the drone straight up and shoot from one spot and then land and continue on my way. My drone and my mirrorless camera sit side by side in my truck so I can grab whichever one is best suited for whatever I want to shoot next.

I have driven the highway in this image dozens of times but never knew what the surrounding terrain looked like until a week ago when I stopped along the road and launched my drone. I did take 360º worth of shots as I often do just so I have a record of what everything looks like from up there.