Aaron Johnson's Photography Hobby Takes Flight
Newtown High School alum Aaron Johnson rolled into the parking lot of his alma mater one recent sizzling summer afternoon, parked, and pulled out a microwave-sized case removing what looked like a big white plastic X.
But after quickly affixing four small propellers to corresponding spindles and placing his smartphone into a cradle device with a hand grip, his plastic X whirred into life and took flight, capturing a bright, clear image of the Blue & Gold Stadium, its minute operator, and his accompanying Newtown Bee correspondent from about 200 feet straight up.
Call it a “drone selfie.”
After featuring some of his contributed aerial photography, The Bee wanted to know more about Mr Johnson, who it turns out is a Connecticut state librarian by profession, serving as a library media specialist and debate coach in the Greenwich public schools system.
During off hours, however, Mr Johnson said he currently enjoys the combined hobbies of photography and piloting his quad-copter, also referred to as a UAV, or unmanned aerial vehicle.
“There is an economy for someone to pursue this hobby as a career, but in my case I just like photography and it’s a new way to explore that,” he said. “The FAA has made it very clear that you need a license to operate for commercial purposes.”
As Mr Johnson is flying his DGI Phantom quad-copter around town snapping breathtaking perspectives and Newtown landmarks from far above, he is also closely following many of the legal and constitutional issues currently under review as more and more people begin flying UAVs of many sizes and capabilities around their neighborhoods and communities.
“I spend a lot of time with a lot of kids at Greenwich High School dealing with a lot of constitutional issues,” said Mr Johnson, who reacted with scorn to the case of a state youth who successfully attached and discharged a handgun from his model drone last month, gaining global attention. And he shakes his head in disappointment when talking about recent cases of drones being sighted near commercial aircraft flying in and out of New York area airports.
“I don’t engage in things because I like being ‘that guy’ — A JERK,” he wrote in a follow-up email. “I guess it is my inner debate coach [who likes] to discuss things to further my own understanding. I do this because it stirs up a good conversation with friends, family and colleagues.”
Mr Johnson said he does not believe the government should create a lot of drone legislation.
“But the guy who crashed his drone in the White House lawn should face large penalties if they can prove he did it deliberately,” Mr Johnson countered. “Whenever I’ve flown my drone over nonpublic or private property, I have always asked for consent from the owner or business manager.”
And what if his drone comes into proximity or into the sight lines of someone who feels their privacy is being invaded?
“These aren’t spy satellites,” he remarked. “My purpose is always to focus on the task at hand like examining the roof or looking for dead shrubs. Not what is going down a few lots down — skinny dipping ... playing fetch ... whatever it may be.”
Learning To Fly
It is a rush, he said, to be commanding something of such value with such speed and maneuverability through the air. While his quad-copter has a maximum altitude of about 400 feet, he generally operates at about half that height.
“And it’s a challenge to learn how to fly it, because each flight has limited battery power,” he said. “Also, you may only have a limited time when the shot you want to get presents itself.”
As an amateur or hobby operator, Mr Johnson is not required to hold the same credentials as an individual who may operate UAVs for profit. One industry trade group site (uavjobbank.com), projects there could be as many as 100,000 paying jobs for drone operators and owners by 2025, and currently lists more than 900 job offers.
Mr Johnson’s “consumer class” drone is much like a model aircraft in that he always maintains a line of sight when it is in the air. But unlike some other model aircraft, his UAV has a GPS system that will hold a fixed position until its battery dies, or will return to its launch site if the operator’s connection is somehow broken.
New Places, Perspectives
While he shares many of his images on social media, to the delight of his family and friends, Mr Johnson is always thinking about new places and perspectives he can visually explore with his camera-mounted drone.
“I’m planning to go to Block Island to get some cool, interesting perspectives,” he said. “I think the appeal to me as a photographer is that I can find a shot, pull it out, and potentially capture the moment, like a spectacular sunset.”
Once in awhile, his manufactured flying machine meets one of its natural predators.
“I’ve heard of hawks or other birds trying to attack them,” Mr Johnson related. “I got nervous taking that shot of the Ram Pasture because several big birds came flying in near the drone. I don’t want any midair collisions, so I maneuvered out of their space and took it down.”
He knows the agony of defeat after unfortunately crashing his first UAV, and urges parents whose younger children are clamoring for a drone to think twice.
“Little kids see these and want one, but you could be making a big mistake,” he said.
The Newtowner said he has no designs on upgrading or acquiring a second UAV, but his interest is piqued by new developments in the industry. He is intrigued that GoPro, which has revolutionized the clip-on, high definition camera and video industry, is coming out with a line of drones with as many as five cameras that will produce up to a 360-degree image perspective.
“It will be as cool shooting a sunset, as it will serve practical uses like doing 3D mapping,” Mr Johnson said, adding that with new, more popular technology will come inevitable, increasing government oversight of UAV operators.
“I assume there will come a time when all operators will have to be licensed in some way,” he said, “but for now, I’ll call it a passion — I really took a liking to it.”