I took this award-winning (NZ Geographic 2022) drone photo while on assignment for the Nelson Mail / Stuff. The story was about the opening of a new basketball court and playground in Stoke, and when I arrived, I initially shot some standard photos of the subjects posing for a shot on the court. However, I quickly realized that these photos would be quite samey and wouldn't stand out from the rest.
To capture a more unique shot, I put my drone up in the air, hoping to capture a wide shot of the whole brightly colored playground. While the photos came out alright, they weren't quite what I was after. However, while I was shooting my drone, some teenagers started playing basketball on the court.
After getting their permission to be photographed, I shot a series of photos of them playing basketball, with the hope of capturing their shadows in action. Although the time of day didn't quite align with what I was after, I decided to shoot some low and close-up shots of them anyways. When I reviewed the shots, one particular frame stood out above the rest, capturing the teenagers' shadows in an incredible moment of action.
This photo went on to be featured on the cover of the local community paper and became the main image for the online story. It's an example of how sometimes, the best shots can come from unexpected moments and improvisation.
Photographed on a DJI Mavic Air2S with no filters in SPORT mode.
ISO 100, 1/500th of a second, 22mm, f/2.8