Is this the apocalypse?

foto: E. Morgan

I witnessed the test run of a recently unpackaged drone yesterday, I forget the model - pricey enough though.

As I watched the drone soar up into the sky, uncomfortably high into the sky, and then saw the images it was producing, I found myself feeling a mix of awe and dread. Awe at the potential of these things, for photography and almost every other field of art and science; and dread at the unstoppable surge of technology we find ourselves facing/riding/drowning in.

For example, this particular drone had been bought to use primarily at weddings. That's right, people are wanting drone footage at weddings now. It still seems pretty incredible the lengths, and costs, that people will go to for photos at their weddings, but now they're getting aerial shots like it was some kind of filmset. I guess that's what it is for many.

Speaking of filmsets, drones and apocalyptic scenes. I recently watched this video (see below) of the destruction of Homs, Syria. Again, another strange mix of feelings. I was impressed and shocked by the scale of the destruction and by this new form of viewing what are effectively battlegrounds, but I also found myself taking a sort of voyeuristic pleasure from the beautiful Hollywood-style sweeping shot of this carnage, similar to how I felt watching the twin towers fall or the tsunami hit. It's that strange "it feels like a movie" feeling.

The jury's still out on drones but whether I accept them or not, they're here to stay.