Artist and photographer Ismail Sirdah is a photographer with an eye on the future. One might describe his approach with the phrase “better results through better tech.” Sirdah has become relatively well known in the world of photography for capturing unique and memorable shots of Miami. Through the use of UAV’s (commonly called “drones”), he has been able to capture the world in a way that is both fresh and vibrant.
The use of drones allows him to fly over the entire city and capture the kind of pictures that would normally only be seen by a bird. Since birds cannot operate cameras, and because traditional aircraft are so incredibly expensive, it has been much more difficult (if not impossible) to capture such images without a lot of funding in the past.
There are also a lot of scientific applications for this kind of photography. As many people know, the US military has used drones such as these for reconnaissance in recent wars. Just like so many other technological advances, it began on the battlefield and gradually trickled down to the public.
There are a lot of scientific applications as well. When speaking with a marine expert who specialized in undersea images, Ismail Sirdah became intrigued with her idea of using a drone on a tether to record underwater footage and images. The very next day, Mr. Sirdah purchased all the necessary equipment and began experimenting with this. It has been found that these drones can capture remarkably clear and colorful images at depths of up to 100 feet. The use of onboard lighting has the potential to extend that range.
As with anything new, this idea of drone photography has met with some resistance. Those who prefer the traditional way of taking photos have a natural aversion to this, as it would almost feel like cheating for a traditional photographer. However, according to Mr. Sirdah, even they are beginning to come around to his way of thinking. He says that the response to his work and the images produced by his drones has been very positive overall. As such, he plans to continue his work with the same ingenuity for which he is known.
Read the full interview on Patch: https://patch.com/florida/miamibeach/ismail-sirdah-impact-drones-miami-photography