Drones help photographers reach new heights

New technology's growing appeal sees fresh sense of creativity take flight, Xiang Wenjian and Yan Weijue report in Wuxi, Jiangsu province.

As darkness fell, a drone ascended slowly, its rotors whirring like the wings of a humming bird. It began roving over high-rises, bridges and expressways, and wove its way through dazzling modern and ancient architecture in downtown Wuxi, in Jiangsu province.

This was how Wu Yidi spent his nights ahead of Spring Festival in February, testing out his new "toy"－a DJI Mavic 3 consumer drone－using the 4G network in his hometown.

"I just couldn't wait to have a go at its enhanced image transmission, which is said to have high quality and stability," Wu says.

The trial flights were far from a failure. In fact, the 28-year-old amateur pilot was so enthralled by the much-improved picture quality. It led him to make what would become a popular online video.

On Jan 30, Wu steered the 900-gram vehicle along the route of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and a string of downtown waterways.

In a 28-minute flight, covering roughly 19.7 kilometers, the drone shot stunning footage of the canal from a new perspective, prominently displaying the city's varied bridges, which span multiple eras and architectural styles.

"I chose bridges mainly because there was nothing blocking them," Wu says. "I think it is a great medium to connect the footage and form a complete story."

Wu edited that raw footage into a five-minute video and uploaded it to Bilibili on Feb 3. The site is an online video-sharing platform popular among younger internet users.

The work struck a chord with viewers, garnering tens of thousands of clicks in just three weeks, along with plenty of positive feedback from the community.

"I love it! Chinese cities look great at night," comments Jeffrey Stevens from the United States who once lived in Wuxi.

The video aroused nostalgia among those who share a bond with Wuxi, whether they are current or former residents. "I recognize my childhood neighborhood. But many buildings in my memory have gone now," one Bilibili user comments.