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Good day:
Welcome to my little project of taking aerial video from on and around Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
My wife and myself have been lucky enough to have been traveling to Provo since 1993. Added a couple of wonderful girls to the equation in 2002 & 2004, and as the trips piled on, we finally bit the bullet and bought our little piece of paradise. Again, lucky to be able to call it our home away from home. (our happy place)
Being a tech person and amateur photographer, as drone technology improved over the years, I got bit by the bug to purchase a new toy. A flying HD video camera. So came the purchased of my (first) drone. A DJI Phanton 3 quadcopter.
So with virtually no video experience, no video editing experience, and no RC flight experience, (a couple weeks of practice flights around the back yard / field) we were off to Provo for one of our yearly trips, to play with my new toy.
The beach is where this thing shines. I was so impressed with the video I was getting with minimal experience, I just needed to share. I'm sure there will be many others over time, if not already, that can turn circles around my flying / video editing abilities, but for now, I just had to share what I was able to capture.
So far I've been posting videos in 1280 x 720 resolution. These files are huge in the first place. Every video is actually 5 separate files in the hopes that whatever browser you are using will be able to play at least one of the files posted.
I may re-render some of these to a lower resolution for those that don't have the fastest computer or internet connection.
I've also rendered them to 1920 x 1080 for viewing at home. These files look fantastic on a 150" HD projector! Cold and blowing outside, and this makes if feel like you are right back on the beach again!
Enjoy !
(and Thanks to all the positive comments from all our friends on Trip Advisor)
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Aug 2019
Here the whole month of Aug, Lovin-it!
DJI Inspire II With X5S camera.
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1. Around The Sands
Been a while since I have been flying this thing, so just some general flying in front of The Sands
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(1080p)
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2.The Ritz update 201908
Aug 2019 update of the build process of The Ritz
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(1080p)
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3. Yacht Ambition anchored off Grace Bay
Nice Yacht "Ambition" anchored off Grace Bay for about a week.
Just so happened the day I shot this video, I was bobbing around our kitchen
slicing a lime for a drink, and was singing the "coconut song". Well our daughters
didn't have a clue what I was doing and of course thought I was nuts. Which led
to me playing the lime in the coconut song, which aparently our kids had never heard.
I've failed as a parent! So it only seemed fitting I should use that song
for this video. :-)
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(1080p)
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4. Emerald Cay and Sapodilla Bay
Amazing property Emerald Cay. Would really like to see inside this villa some day.
Couple other Villas along Chalk Sound, then a quick trip by Sapodilla Bay.
Sabodilla Bay sure has changed these last few years. Gone are the days of heading
over there for a private beach day. Oh-well, still wonderful.
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(1080p)
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5. Half Moon Bay
I love going out on the snorkel boat trips and spending time over on Halfmoon bay.
However its quite a chore to cart a large professional drone along for that trip. So
I've taken to just driving to the east end of Provo in the Leeward beach area and flying
the drone from there over to Halfmoon Bay and back. Excellent range on this thing. Love
the beach/water over there.
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(1080p)
(4K)
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Nov 2018
Couple weeks in Nov.
Same Drone as previous...DJI Inspire II With X5S camera.
Love playing with this thing, but I know it's capable of way better quality
than I'm getting out of it. Good reason to return and practice more!
I cut down on the multiple video file formats. Hoping your browser is compatible with mp4 files.
Hoping everybody enjoys what I was able to get and post.
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1. General up and down Grace Bay
Up fairly high when I turn around and head West.
Drone speed reaches almost 70mph when I head south along Grace Bay. (This is not a toy!)
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(1080p)
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2. Sapodilla Bay, Taylor Bay, Chalk Sound
Always love going over to Sapodilla Bay.
Watch the section for Taylor Bay... You'll be able to see the beach access path for a bit.
Check out the rebuilding progress of Las Brisas after the short time over Chalk Sound.
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(1080p)
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3. From the Club Med Dock
Taking off from the dock at Club Med. Just lots of happy people having fun in the water.
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(1080p)
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4. Leeward
Almost didn't do this flight. The DJI Inspire II is a beast of a drone, but also very expensive
Was getting some severe wind gusts, but took it up anyway for a short flight. Always love the
color of the water in the channel there. Will be nice to see the docks replaced some day. |
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(1080p)
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5. Smiths Reef
Did this flight the day after some good friends and I did a snorkel there.
Have snorkeled there many times over the years. One of the better shore accessible snorkel
spots on the island. Did this video so anybody who has not been there can see the exact
locations of the coral patches from the air. Hoping it helps you pick your entry area.
Pay attention to the couple of snorkelers getting out of the water. Good entry/exit location.
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(1080p)
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6. Turtle Cove
Nice fly around Turtle Cove. Starts out at the harbour entrance. Specifically did this
to show the area where a new condo development is scheduled to show up. Great Location.
All the favorite spots, Mango Reef, Yacht Club, Shark Bite. Ends with a good top view
of the coral areas of Smiths Reef.
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(1080p)
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7. From Coral Gardens
Took off from the parking lot at Coral Gardens. West along the beach to West Bay Club,
Gansevoort, Bight Park, then back in front of Coral Gardens for a bit
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(1080p)
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8. Beaches
Couple of videos of the massive amount of space occupied by Beaches. They are the 500lb
gorilla on the island. Not my cup of tea, but so many love going there.
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(1080p)
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9. Ritz Progress (201811)
Put together a couple of arial shots of the current progress of the Ritz property
Have several shots of the area before they started, maybe some day I'll stitch together
the progress as it takes shape. |
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(1080p)
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Aug 2018
3 Week trip end of July/beginning of Aug.
DJI Inspire II With X5S camera.
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1. Grace Bay
My standard up and down along Grace Bay. Usually taking off from just beside The Sands.
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(1080p)
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2. Leeward / Half Moon Bay
Love doing this flight. Go to the extreme east end of Provo. Taking off and flying
over to Half Moon Bay. Up and down the beach and back, checking out whatever snorkel
trips are spending some time on the beach. Love the range of this drone. Able to do all this
while still over on Provo.
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(1080p)
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3. Club Med (dock)
Taking off from the Club Med Dock and flying down to Seven Stars. Lots of happy people playing in
the water again.
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(1080p)
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4. Barefoot Palms Villa
Quick video shoot over at Barefoot Palms
Around the Villa / pool area, then a quick trip to the beach close by.
Clouds just would not cooperate that day. Not the best for drone video, but this is what
we got after a couple hours. |
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(1080p)
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Oct 2017
Couple weeks in Oct. (Post Hurricanes).
DJI Inspire II With X5S camera.
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1. Caught this ray heading between The Sands and Point Grace
Why is it stuff like this happens when you only have 5 min of battery life left.
Kinda cute all the same
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(1280x720)
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2. I've done this flight many times before
Taking off from around the marina, past Blue Haven, past the ferry docks
over the conch farm, across to the mangroves. Good shot of half moon bay.
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(1920x1080)
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3. This just a continuation of the video from above
Spinning back from over leeward beach, then back to the docks
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(1920x1080)
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4. Grace Bay from about Club med to Leeward
Pretty empty beach. Not many around after the hurricanes
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(1920x1080)
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5. Again, just a continuation from the video from above.
From the dock at Club med, down to Seven Stars, and back a bit
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(1920x1080)
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June 2016
A quick trip for a week in June.
Playing with a new drone (DJI Inspire 1 Pro). Many times more expensive than the Phantom3 I had here last year. Hoping / fingers crossed for some major improvement in video quality. But with the upgrade there are many more controls to work out, so I'm just getting used to it so far. Been busy few days, and so far have only had it out a couple times.
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1. Just messing around, first flight with new toy:
Point Grace down to Beaches and back
Very long, not really edited down to just "the good stuff", but figgured I'd share.
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(1280x720)
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2. Windsong & Coral Gardens
Bit of a cloudy / windy morning. Figgured I'd pop down to the Windsong & Coral Gardens to do a couple loops around the area.
Notice the empty space beside Coral Gardens. :-)
Will have to see what gets put there over the next few years.
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(1280x720)
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Sept 2015
A return tip for another couple weeks in Sept. Replaced the camera / gimbal to help stabilize the video . Also purchased several ND filters (to slow down the shutter speed)
Its a slow time of year, so not as many people along the beach.
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1. Grace Bay East:
Piloted from the dock at Club Med
Venetian, Ocean Club West, Club Med
Mostly along the beach
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(1280x720)
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2. Halfmoon Bay:
Another wonderful trip aboard Caicos Dream Tours 1/2 day snorkel trip
Video from along the beach at Half Moon Bay
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(1280x720)
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3. Leeward:
Piloted from the Ferry dock area at the end of Leaward Hwy.
Ferry dock, Conch Farm, across to the mangroves, over to Blue Haven Resort, then a quick turn around
over the floating concrete dock at Leeward
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(1280x720)
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4. Sapodilla Bay:
Piloted from the gazibo at the point at Sapodilla Bay
I just love this place. Many a cold beers and wings from Sweet T's have been consumed while sitting under that gazibo.
Nice fly-by of most of the condos along Sapodilla bay, crossing over to Taylor bay
then some more Sapodilla Bay on the way back.
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(1280x720)
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5. Provo out on the Reef:
Wanted to take the drone out to the reef, just over a mile out from the Sands & Point Grace
Happened to be a bit of surf action breaking in the late afternoon
What was I thinking? :-(
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(1280x720)
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6. Classic Grace Bay:
This is the area it all started for us
Stayed at the Ramada Turquois Reef back in 1993. Current site of Seven Stars today
My how the beach has changed.
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(1280x720)
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July 2015
First trip to the island with the drone.
Camera / gimbal was damaged while on route to the Island. (packed well inside checked luggage)
What exactly happens to our luggage once we check it at the airport? :-(
I was able to get another (apparently slightly defective) camera brought to the island for the 2nd and 3rd week of our July trip.
So although not perfectly stable video, the links below are what I was able to get.
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1. A Morning along the Beach:
Piloted from a beach chair at The Sands
Starting out looking at Point Grace, past The Sands, Sibonne, Summerset, The Palms
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(1280x720)
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2. Lets chase some boats around:
General passing from The Sands to the dock at Beaches
Then chassing a couple boats around Grace Bay
And finally ending up with a Grace Bay sunset.
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(1280x720)
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3. Up high from The Sands:
In and around The Sands, but from up higher this time
Some good shots of the waters of Grace bay from up high.
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(1280x720)
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4. Provo Mornings:
Starting out from high over the dock at Beaches, along the beach back to The Alexandra
The out over the water to circle boats, paddle boarder, and hobbies.
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(1280x720)
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5. Around the island (Leeward & Shore Club):
Starting out at the Ferry Dock at Leeward, Conch farm, Mangroves, Blue Haven Resort
Leeward Marina / dock, The over to do a circle around The Shore Club (under construction)
And of course a shot of the Kite Boarders, (without getting too close to upset anybody) :-)
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(1280x720)
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6. Sapodilla Bay:
New condo additions to Sapodilla bay, out over the point, and along the Bay.
If you are going to Provo, don't miss at least a few hours at Sapodilla Bay.
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(1280x720)
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7. Caicos Dream Tours / Halfmoon Bay:
Milling around Half Moon Bay, after doing the 1/2 day snorkel tour with Caicos Dream tours
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(1280x720)
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8. Gracebay East:
Starting out at Grace Bay Club, along the beach to Seven Stars, Ocean Club West
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(1280x720)
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9. Grace Bay East #2:
Grace Bay club, along the beach to the dock at Club Med
Up high view of Flamingos (restaurant) and Club Med
Back along the beach from up high, good view of Grace Bay from the air
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(1280x720)
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10. Provo Days along Grace Bay:
Point Grace, The Mansions, LeVele, Camio from Jojo, The Sands
Happy people enjoying the waters of Grace Bay!
Several friends in the water that we have met over the years at The Sands
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(1280x720)
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Created by Brad G
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