No, the highly anticipated GoPro Karma drone hasn’t disappeared in thin air. It made news for a while as drone photography was picking up but not much has been heard about it after the teaser video released by GoPro. Now drone photography enthusiasts can cheer again as GoPro might be announcing it later this month and has accidentally revealed what the drone looks like. A twitter user spotted the same and shared.

Spotted on Italian https://t.co/w8DPGFJcUM page (https://t.co/KMqdmnZuUx): #GoProHERO5, #GoProKarma and SteadyCAM!! pic.twitter.com/8T1oRtxAHa

— Konrad Iturbe (@konrad_it) September 3, 2016

GoPro on its Italy website displayed the drone under ‘products’ on the homepage along with few other products. GoPro has been under pressure from the stakeholders as the growth has been slowed down in the market for action cameras. This has partially been contributed by the lack of any major technological shift in action cameras and also because of the entry of many low cost alternatives in the market. There have been rumours about a new action camera in the Hero series which is also seen here and looks similar to the current line of devices.

DJI is the prominent player in the market for drones used by enthusiasts and while some players have tried to enter with relatively low cost solutions, GoPro is being looked at as a serious threat. From the leaked thumbnail image, it looks like a GoPro slung under the drone mounted on a rotating gimbal. It is likely that the drone, along with other new products, will be announced on the coming 19^th.

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Adventure and photography go hand in hand. Like always. The millennium is looking at some greatest trends roll out in an anticipation that it will dazzle the hell out of us. Adventure tourism has picked up in the travel sector hence, there is a steep rise in the new technologies that have started rolling out. Drones, action cameras; you name it and they are on their way of making its prototype.

People at Skymate have a similar thing in mind. They have an interesting device for the action packed adrenaline junkies. Skymate is an all-in-one drone that has a 4k camera fixture which makes it super convenient for adventure travellers.

The device comes packed with certain features:

• The super stable gimbal is packed with 4k and 12 Mega Pixel camera.
• Live video streaming to your smart device and the remote control via WiFi.
• Tracking GPS bracelet.
• Support FPV goggles.

It uses GPRS tracking system in SIM card like in mobile phones. This feature allows the drone operator to receive by SMS the drone location in case of a crash, connection lost or any other reason even if the drone battery is disconnected (the tracking device has its own battery).The drone has the ability to drift for 26 minutes and take photos. This extended flight time with a wide control range of 1 km enables Skymate to hover to places via GPS. It has an airborne accuracy of 50 cm. Skymate comes with a professional carry case that helps in easy handling.

The device incorporates advanced technological functions and features that appeal to the community of drone operators. From amateur to professional photography to extreme sports events, from family outings to leisure flights; Skymate’s technology can prove to come highly recommendable.

Support them on Indiegogo’s campaign as they crowdfund to launch the product and begin mass production. You can know more about them here.

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Travel photographers can’t wait to hear this. Your mobile phones could turn into an adventure photography device soon with the Buzz Technology’s, a British start-up, testing a pocket size phone case with drone technology fitted into it.

Dubbed “drone-in-a-phone” concept was recently selected as a finalist in British Inventor Project and could also be seen as an alternative to selfie sticks. Attached to an integrated drone, it would enable long flight times and high-resolution photography. The four-propeller drone is tethered to your mobile and, drawing battery from the phone, it is able to remain in flight for 25 minutes according to the website of developers Buzz Technology.

The device is slotted on a magnetic mounting. It can take action shots with less risk and more flexibility. If reversed, it could eliminate the need for a selfie camera. The small camera module enables a selfie pole to be built into a phone casing or housing. For hands-free recording, he camera can be added to various types of equipment.

Image: YouTube screenshot of Buzz Technology

The development has almost been wrapped up and the Kickstarter campaign is due to launch by September 2016.

To be notified when they are ready to launch so that you can try and get an early-bird offer, please leave your contact details here.

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Drone photography is catching up well and it is hard not to love the amazing photos and videos shared by brands and enthusiasts. However the ever increasing popularity of drones has started to pose new threats for airlines. A reckless drone operator can put property and lives in danger in a crowded airspace. We have seen various regulations being put in place to avoid such situations but that still can’t ensure that people won’t cross their line.

That is why we have recently seen some measures being taken to avoid threat situations because of drones. Some as weird as interceptor drones with nets being used by Tokyo Police to trained eagles being used by Dutch police. Manufacturers like DJI and 3DR are also introducing geofencing feature built into their drones to restrict them from reaching such regions. Now a startup called SkySafe has appeared in this space with a solution more promising than the ones we have previously seen.

SkySafe claims to have the right solution for protecting your airspace by stopping and diverting drones before they cause any trouble for commercial planes. It can actually spoof the signals from the controller of the drone and allow for moving it to a safe location. The SkySafe team consists of experts from MIT, Air Force Research Lab and more. The company is tight lipped about the specifics of this technology though.

According to a blog post published on the website of SkySafe, the team consists of drone enthusiasts and they are trying to support the developments in the space by making sure one catastrophe doesn’t push back all the progress until now.

Airports and even private airfields can consider investing into the technology. However there hasn’t been any news of the company landing any major clients yet. It is yet to be seen if it works for all kind of drones and not just the popular ones. Because a simple search on ebay would hint on the infinite number of small drone manufacturers that have popped up recently. Another challenge could be autonomous drones that aren’t actually relying on radio signals to navigate. As drones continue to evolve, it is certain that we will see more such technologies in future.

To know more about SkySafe, you can visit www.skysafe.io.

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It is impossible not to mention DJI if we are talking about drones but as drone gain popularity for aerial photography, new players are entering the space. GoPro, the leader in action cameras is soon coming up with its own quadcopter to increase the head. Now DJI plans to stay competitive by joining hands with Hasselblad to share their technical expertise in cameras and to do so, they have acquired a minority stake in Hassleblad.

Only a while back, people were be more than happy with smartphone like quality from their drone videos but now most of them use cameras ranging from GoPro to full frame DSLRs. At this point, many of the DJI drones feature very impressive cameras and every new model comes with better imaging capabilities than the previous one. The camera on Inspire drone is so good that it is being sold as a standalone camera. But still the hexacopters and octacopters on top of the spectrum come without any cameras. This is because DJI knows that serious photographers need something even better. They usually rely on high end photography equipment for the same.

Frank Wang, CEO of DJI, says, “With this partnership, we combine our strengths to further push the borders of what’s possible in imaging technology”.

Hasselblad is one brand professionals look at and they have made cameras for Swedish Airforce and NASA’s Apollo missions in the past. They recently announced a new aerial camera that can use very high megapixel sensors.

It isn’t very sure at this point if we will see a joint project by the two companies soon but this space is surely going to get competitive going forward.

(Read: GoPro might already have a winner with their new drone)

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By now almost every adventure junkie knows that GoPro has been working on a quadcopter for quite sometime. The news first came out last year and the reports suggested that we will see the drone by now. Well the actual product isn’t out yet but GoPro has finally dropped a hint (quite a strong one) of what to expect from the upcoming GoPro Drone. Among all the crazy action videos they have put on their YouTube channel, you can also view a footage captured using the prototype GoPro Drone.

The video shows some beautiful landscapes as the drone flies through vast fields and tall trees. Like we mentioned, the footage has been captured using the GoPro Drone and stabilization system. The transitions look very smooth and GoPro proudly claims at the beginning of video that it hasn’t been stabilized during post processing. If that is the case, we might have a very strong competitor to the products already on offer in the market, not that we had any doubts about that. You can check out the video below.

The upcoming GoPro Drone is expected to be available for purchase in first half of 2016. While we are at the topic of drones, it wouldn’t be right to not mention DJI. At this point, most of the enthusiasts and professional moviemakers rely on DJI Phantom 3 which comes with its own camera. The previous versions used to come with the option of mounting the camera of your choice and as expected, GoPro was the choice of most people. With GoPro planning to compete against them, it was pretty obvious that DJI will put an impressive camera on the latest version of Phantom.

The video didn’t show the actual hardware and there aren’t any images available yet. Whatever it looks like, after this video, we are even more excited to see what GoPro brings to the table (or rather the skies). If you want to treat yourself to some awesome drone videos, you can check our list of 10 stunning travel drone videos.

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If you have been a follower of TravHQ, we bet you don’t need an introduction to drones. We had recently curated a list of some jaw dropping travel drone videos, check them out here.

Drones are mostly used in travel & military operations but the availability of latest drone models to through online portals such as Apple Store and Amazon, has astonished everyone globally. Their popularity has gone through the roof in recent times. Drones are available to regular customers now as the essential technology for drone flight has turned inexpensive. Their aerial abilities are already being used for commercial, occupational and aesthetic purposes.

Few photographers use Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to capture exceptional moments for either commercial use or personal collection. The video below is truly one in a million! This adventurous photographer duo were able to capture some brilliant shots which show the sporty surfers, the high-rising sea waves and the brutal wipeouts between them. The cinematography of the video is praiseworthy too.

Hawaiian surf photographers, Brent Bielmann & Eric Sterman shot this video in Tahiti. It is the largest island in the Windward Group of French Polynesia. The tides were particularly high when they were shooting, which made it a perfect moment to capture some of the best actions at sea. They flew their drone with a camera attached to it at an angle that could portray Teahupo’o, a village on the island of Tahiti, in the best form.

Credit: Brent Bielman & Eric Sterman. For more details, visit their website:

http://brentbielmann.squarespace.com/

http://www.stermanaerials.com/aboutericsterman/

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Drones are gaining popularity among filmmakers and enthusiasts alike and are going to be the future of photography. Some international travel brands are already using drones to shoot stunning promotional videos and image content. Accounts such as @dronestagram have become big on Instagram, clearly indicating that the trend is catching up well across all social media platforms.

Using drones for filmmaking can yield amazing results and travel brands can leverage them very well for promotion. Earlier Tourism New Zealand organised the NZDronie campaign. During the campaign, they offered drone mounted cameras at some tourist spots across New Zealand for travellers to shoot Dronies or Drone Selfies. This activity attracted a good number of tourists and they were being talked about all over. Other brands are also taking note and have started using drones as a part of their promotional activities. St. Regis recently shared a promotional video for their property in Doha and it largely comprises of aerial footage of the property and fun activities.

The St. Regis video is just one of the many stunning aerial videos being shared all over the internet.

We have researched & curated a list of 10 of the best travel & destination videos captured using drone cameras all over the world.

1- Keukenhof- World’s largest flower garden in Lisse, Netherlands

The Keukenhof is one of the world’s largest flower gardens with around 7 million flowers planted every year over an area of 79 acres. Every year it attracts more than 800,000 tourists from all around the globe. This video features various flower beds, lakes, fountains and a drawbridge. Posted by Wiebe de Jager, the video has already generated over 44K views. A DJI Phantom 2 was used to shoot this video with GoPro Hero 4 mounted on with Zenmuse H4-3D Gimble.

2- Naxos Island in Aegean Sea, Greece

Naxos is the largest island in the Cyclades island group near Greece and has an approximate area of 429 sq. km. With many ruins and large number of beaches, the island is a popular tourist destination. This video features stunning aerial views of many beaches on the island. The video was shared by Vimeo user Picorna and has been captured using GoPro Hero 3 Black Edition mounted on Zenmuse H3-3D on DJI Phantom 2.

3- Serengeti National park, Africa

The Serengeti National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is famous for the annual migration of 1.5 million brindled wildebeest. This video perfectly showcases the scope of drones in wildlife photography. It starts with beautiful shots of the park and goes on to showcase the diversity of animals there. This stunning video uploaded by wildlife photographer Will Burrard Lucas has already generated more than 325K views. He develops his own equipment for photography (found here) and likes to call his drone, a BeetleCopter

4- Dolphin Stampede in Dana Point, California

This has to be one of the most stunning drone videos and easily the first iconic drone videos people would have come across. The video shows a huge pod of dolphins stampeding off Dana point California and some whales playing together. The aerial view surely adds a different dimension to it. Captain Dave Anderson filmed this off a tiny inflatable boat. He has been whale watching for decades and is also the author of Lily, A Gray Whale’s Odyssey. The video has been captured using GoPro Hero3 Black Edition mounted on DJI Phantom 2.

5- Koh Yao Noi Islands, Thailand

Koh Yao Noi or Little Yao Island is part of island group in Phang Nga Bay in Thailand. Unlike other drone videos that are captured from insane heights for most parts, this one uses the mobility of drone to provide smooth transitions. It travels across beaches and flies close to the ground for some parts giving a very interesting perspective. The video has been captured using GoPro Hero 4 mounted on DJI Phantom by moviemaker Philip Bloom.

6- Altez in Tanjong Pagar, Singapore

This video proves that you don’t always need to shoot beautiful landscapes for stunning drone videos. This one promotes a real estate in cityscapes by showcasing it from a different angle.  The video starts with a top view of the region and then the drone moves to the property in question for a better view. Something like this could be very well done for tourist attractions. As this was a promotional video, we don’t have many details on the equipment used for this job.

7- Flying over Binjiang Avenue, Longsheng, Guangxi China

This video comes from the beautiful city of Longsheng that is a few hundred miles away from the DJI factory. The city is a mix of modern architecture and traditional structures. The place is popular among tourists and is famous for its rice terraces, hot springs and numerous waterfalls. The video shows the city with the beautiful landscapes that surround it. It has been uploaded by YouTube channel of Helipal which is an online RC helicopter store. This one has also been captured using GoPro Hero 3+ on DJI Phantom 2.

8- Hovering over Cornwall Coast, England

The setting for an aerial video doesn’t get better than this. Beautiful landscape, right amount of wind, sun on the horizon and a drone mounted camera. It starts with the beautiful landscape of the coast and as the drone hovers over the water, it captures the amazing visuals created by the sea foam. The video hasn’t been edited apart from the cuts and transitions. This video by Clym Montgomery has been viewed over 590,000 times. The video has been captured on a GoPro Hero 3+ mounted on a TBS Discovery Pro.

9- Bouldering at Bulamsan in Seoul, South Korea

Bulamsan, also known as Buddha Rock Mountain is a popular destination among people who love hiking and bouldering. It features steep sections as well as simpler tracking routes so it is good for both experts and beginners. The video shows some amazing views from around the mountain and group of hikers making their way up. Such videos can be used to promote activities around a destination. It has been captured using GoPro Hero 3+ on a DJI Phantom 2.

10- Kovalam Beach, Kerala, India

Yes Indian destinations are also on the drone map This video from Kovalam Beach shows you an entirely different view of the waves rolling in on the beach. It then goes on to show a large number of fishermen trying to pull their net out of the water while others heading into the water in a fishing boat. The video isn’t professionally edited like some others on the list but it is surely is a great effort by the videographer. Shot by Dmitry Sumin, this video has been captured using DJI Phantom drone.

Indian brands should also explore the possibilities with drones. Luxury hotels at exotic locations can do something like St. Regis and give their marketing videos a very different perspective. Instead of inviting guests to check-in and post selfies, they can offer them drones which can then be spun to create video content for the property. Destinations can find similar uses and with states like Kerala & Goa Tourism who are really active on Social Media, we would love to see them raising the bar of their video content.

NZDronies was an interesting campaign and could be a good inspiration for other destination marketers. Virtual first person tours are also gaining popularity. Drones can be used to offer even better experience for such tours.

Bonus Update: Inspired by these videos and feel like grabbing a drone for yourself? Here’s some good news DJI has just released a budget drone, DJI Phantom 3 which is perfect for noobs and comes at under $800 USD. Visit the DJI website for more info on the product & purchase details. Happy droning!

Feature Image Credit: B Ystebo on Flickr.

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