Get a bird’s eye view of Neuschwanstein Castle in southwest Bavaria, Germany.
Amazing 360-degree video of an eagle flying through the air Insta360 RS the rear-mounted camera has collected more than 22K likes Instagram and continues to gain strength.
Shot by a professional falconer Paul Klima, the video makes it look like you’re strapped to the back of an eagle as it flies around Germany’s Neuschwanstein Castle. The castle, which was the inspiration for Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty castle, is located in a nature reserve, which means that no drones are allowed on the grounds. The only way you can get this kind of pictures is by enlisting the help of a winged friend.
Klima, who has been holding falconry workshops for the past 20 years, came up with the idea in 2007 during the production of a nature film for a Bavarian TV show. For that production, the crew strapped an HD camera to the eagle but unfortunately, the device was a little heavy on the bird, which reduced its flight time. That said, you managed to get some great looking photos.
What Klima really wanted to do, however, was give people a way to experience flying from a first-person perspective. The idea stayed with Klima for several years, and when small and light consumer 360 cameras began to hit the market, Klima saw an opportunity to capture immersive content accessible through a VR headset.
One of the biggest challenges Kliman faced was finding a way to strap a 360 camera to an eagle while still allowing the animal to fly freely without discomfort. To do that, Klima worked closely with his team and his birds to create a custom harness that was incredibly light and did not disturb the animal.
His work is important to him, and so are his birds. In the group member’s profile on Lowa’s websiteKlima talks about his passion as a falconer, saying, “During the summer, I train my birds every day at Falkenhof in the south of Bavaria. The mountains on the banks of the Isar River offer the best training environment – the best conditions for flying, so to speak.”
“Yes, birds also need their daily care. I am often accompanied by customers who put in interesting things,” he added. “Unfortunately, I can’t spend all my time wandering around outside (even if I wanted to). I still have a lot of office work to do and I have to answer emails. I get my reward when we film my eagles and install EagleCam in the mountains.”
When asked about the types of 360 VR cameras used to capture his image, Klima notes that Insta360 helped him solve a problem he had been struggling with for years. The first HD cameras were cumbersome and only gave you one view and the first 360 cameras had to be rebuilt to truly capture the eagle’s POV. Stability was a prevalent problem.
The Insta360 RS’s Duel 1-inch sensors, flow-state stabilization, 360-degree horizon locking, and durability gave Klima and his team a simple and straightforward way to record a thrilling 360-degree POV experience.
To learn more about Climate and his work, check out his website. Visit here to learn more about Insta360 and the Insta360 RS camera. You can watch the video on any VR headset that supports 360-degree YouTube videos.
Photo Credit: Insta360
