- Creator
- Equipment
- Location
A week long collection of visuals captured in the Centennial State at altitudes ranging from 10,000-13,500′.
Cinematography by Doug Urquhart (Atlanta, Georgia). Follow along for more adventures @instagram.com/dougurquhart
Score by Curtis Schweitzer (Colorado Springs, CO). For more info: CurtisSchweitzer.com
Finished in 4K (4096×2160, 23.976). For questions or comments, please contact doug -at- upthink.tv
Just like earth’s seasonal change, my creative approach as a filmmaker was beginning to transition this fall. Out of pure technological curiosity, I picked up a DJI Phantom 3 quad-copter in August. It wasn’t long before I found myself leaving my usual backpacking film-making tools (specifically time-lapse equipment) behind in favor of the Phantom. It was light and compact– just small enough to take anywhere. As I patiently honed my piloting skills, I was also planning a week long trip through SW Colorado with my wife, Karen. We were headed to Cimarron, NM for my sisters wedding and figured it was the perfect opportunity to finally check out what SW Colorado (namely the San Juan Mountains) had to offer. When we finally arrived in Colorado, I made sure to bring the Phantom along on all of our hikes and scrambles. The thin air and windy conditions above 10,000′ proved challenging to fly in. More often than not, I opted not to fly due to strong winds. However, I made sure that the Phantom 3 was always prepped and ready to fly should the conditions improve. Throughout the 7 days we spent weaving our way South along the Continental Divide, I captured the landscapes we explored during several overnight hikes in the Aspen, Ourey and Silverton areas. As the chlorophyll production ceased and the high altitude foliage displayed its vibrant colors, it was an eye opening opportunity to gain a new perspective of the landscape from above. What surprised Karen and I the most about Colorado was how easy it was to find solitude among the giants. Perhaps the changing seasons and dropping temperatures were the reason for the lack of other back-country travelers, but I would have never expected to climb the SW Ridge of Mt Sneffels (14,150′) with time to reflect all by ourselves on the summit block. Although I still have much to learn about my new interests in aerial cinematography and my passion for the outdoors, I’m optimistic that this will be the first of many more short, aerial films to come. I hope you enjoy these new perspectives as much as I do. Thanks for watching.
Special thanks to my wife, Karen, for her patience, inspiration, and continual laughter while we explored the Colorado landscape together. Additional thanks to DJI.com for producing such a powerful film-making tool – the DJI Phantom 3.
