scott_bancroft

Horizontal Waterfalls

My first job as a pilot was to fly tourists around the beautiful West Kimberley Region in North Western Australia. Departing Broome in the morning a 1 hour flig...
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My first job as a pilot was to fly tourists around the beautiful West Kimberley Region in North Western Australia. Departing Broome in the morning a 1 hour flight North East takes you to the magnificent "Horizontal Waterfalls" located in the heart of Talbot Bay.

With tidal differences up to 10 metres in this area, the water flow cascades between to two narrow gorges creating the illusion of a "Horizontal Waterfall".
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iPhone 6

Aperture f/2.2 ISO 32 Shutter 1/1130 Focal Length 83/20

upload_date

Jan, 2016

Views

115

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Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken over the Horizontal Waterfalls in the Kimberley's situated in Western Australia. My job as a pilot allows me to fly over stunning scenery and capture great shots. The rapids are caused by extreme tidal flow. A few orbits over this phenomenon was enough to fill an SD card. This will always be a highlight for the passengers and the pilots.

Time

This shot was taken an hour into a scenic tour, 140 miles north of Broome, WA at 8:30am. The early morning allowed for cool calm air, allowing for greater stability in the shot when flying low level. Early mornings also provide mystical fog formations on the ground, and crisp clear skies when in the cruise.

Lighting

The sun was rising from the east proving natural golden lighting on the rock faces and water surfaces. Early mornings and late afternoons are my favourite time to take aerial photos of landscapes. The golden light in the morning and the purple hues in the afternoon create stunning photos. Living in Broome which is a coastal town on the west coast of Australia, capturing sunsets over the Pacific Ocean during flights like these is indescribable.

Equipment

This was shot on my iPhone 6; after this period of scenic flying I realised my love for photography and have now upgraded to a DSLR. My Canon 700D is not too bulky for the cockpit but provides great quality photos. Flashes create to much reflection on the glass around the cockpit, so natural lighting is best of photos inside the plane.

Inspiration

To witness both rapids flowing like they are in this shot during a low tide is rare; the decision to capture the flowing rapids was not negotiable. Every day when I am flying I see amazing scenery, and it is only right to capture it all. I use my Instagram @scott_bancroft23 and my viewbug to share my adventures with the world. If I see a breath-taking sight I will capture it. At the end of the day i file all my shots as a reminder of how fortunate i am to be where I am.

Editing

This photo only had light post processing to get the blue and green hues deeper to replicate the actual sight of the Horizontal Waterfalls. During my initial stages of photography I was still very new at post processing.

In my camera bag

In my LowerPro Tactical Bag which fits in the cockpit nicely, I have my Canon 700D, 18-55mm & 50mm F1.4 lenses. The 18-55mm is a robust versitile lenses which doesn't take up a lot of room in the cockpit, it allows for a wide enough angle for the classic "wing shots". The 50mm F1.4 is great for ground photography once I have landed at remote communities to be able to capture community life. I'll carry a spare battery, lens pen and water proof case for my iPhone. I strap my Gorilla Pod to the bag to allow for quick easy tripod use. I have a SD card reader for my iPad which I will do my post processing on if I am away from base. Despite having 2 batteries, not matter how long the flight I will always take phone and camera charger cables. You never know where you will be asked to fly next.

Feedback

For aerial photography a clean window is great, but no window is better. Smaller planes can fly with the doors and windows removed, and to eliminate that extra glass layer is the difference between a good shot and a stunning shot. Auto focusing on finger prints during a prime shot is enough to make you want to fly home immediately and take up Origami. An iPhone performs just as great as a DSLR - as along as you can capture the mood of the scenery and show your passion in the shot. Next time you are on a light aircraft, ask the pilot the best ways to capture shots in that specific aircraft. We are more than happy to customise your flight for best photos, it adds some excitement to our day.

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scott_bancroft

scott_bancroft

Horizontal Waterfalls

My first job as a pilot was to fly tourists around the beautiful West Kimberley Region in North Western Australia. Departing Broome in the morning a 1 hour flig... Read more

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow scott_bancroft

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My first job as a pilot was to fly tourists around the beautiful West Kimberley Region in North Western Australia. Departing Broome in the morning a 1 hour flig...
Read more

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes.
Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.