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We are all well aware that the Nokia Lumia 1020 features a 41MP camera, powered by Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 operating system and enclosed in a beautiful Nokia design. What better way to get some breathtaking shots than attaching your Lumia 1020 to a radio-controlled model helicopter?
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“Most of us go to crazy lengths to protect our smartphones from the slightest scratch. Then there’s Martin Hammerli, who one day last fall drove several hours to a rocky Swiss ravine, strapped his Nokia Lumia 1020 to the body of a radio-controlled model helicopter, and sent the fragile-looking craft soaring 36 stories into the crisp November air,” Microsoft stated in an official blog post.
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The 44 year old Hammerli, who is a corporate IT manager in Switzerland during his work hours, was intrigued by a contest by Nokia and the National Geographic. The contest challenged amateur photographers to put their Nokia Lumia 1020 devices to the test and discover the unimaginable.
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Hammerli, who was obsessed with radio-controlled aircrafts and photography, figured he was the perfect man for the job. In fact, Hammerli wanted to test his piloting and photography skills by taking a shot of the Landwasser Viaduct, a century-old train crossing that curves majestically 450-feet above the Landwasser River, between the Swiss towns of Schmitten and Filisur. Typically, Hammerli uses a Canon EOS 5D Mark III to take aerial shots, but this time, he was going to use a Lumia 1020.
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“Whenever I do this, it’s a mixture of adventure and uncertainty” – Hammerli
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“On a typical shoot, for example, Hammerli must keep a vigilant eye on things like the craft’s altitude, dwindling battery power, and unexpected wind gusts – all while hunting for interesting angles and steadying the copter enough to focus and shoot,” Microsoft explained.
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With the Lumia 1020 camera set to the highest resolution, Hammerli outfitted his “Henseleit Three Dee Rigid” radio-controlled aircraft with a GoPro Hero 2 camera used for a birds-eye piloting and navigating view and a GPS-based autopilot system, called the “DJI AceOne.” This autopilot system would take over control and steady the aircraft when it was time to take pictures. The aircraft even had a special mechanism used to hit the camera button on the Lumia 1020.
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Unfortunately, Hammerli didn’t win first place in the contest – he was a finalist. You can head over to his website to check out his aerial photography. It’s quite remarkable to see a smartphone take such amazing photos, even if the photos were slightly enhanced using Nokia’s Creative Studio app.
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