20-Year-Old Drone Photographer Captures Stunning Aerial Images of Coastlines

Gabriel-Scanu-11

Drone photographer Gabriel Scanu had a love for photography from a young age. Taking inspiration from his father, who works as a cinematographer, he began using his first DSLR at the age of 12. Last year, after his father purchased a drone, Scanu began honing his skills as a drone photographer. Primarily photographing his native Australia, the 20-year-old photographer constantly pushed himself to explore the unique compositions that could be captured from such great heights. “The thing I love most about drone photography is the fact that you can capture scenes from a perspective that they are never usually viewed from,” he told Wired. “For me that’s a really interesting concept and it allows you to view landscapes in a different light.”

We're especially enamored with Scanu's vision of the Australian coastline. Clear turquoise water, crashing waves, and spectacular rock formations intersect with manmade elements to stunning results. The head-on compositions are framed beautifully by the young photographer, who has an eye for dividing the image between land and sea in order to create harmony. More recently, Scanu took his work on the road, leaving his hometown of Sydney for the California coast. Like a bird in the sky, Scanu's pulled back images reveal the majestic beauty that can often be taken for granted from our perspective on the ground. Reminiscent of Japanese landscape paintings, which use scale to value environment over humans, the awe-inspiring photographs push us to ponder our place in the immense universe.

Scanu shares images via Instagram—his account has over 100,000 followers—and offers behind-the-scenes clips on Snapchat and YouTube.

Above Image: Mona Vale Beach, Sydney, Australia

Mona Vale Beach, Sydney, Australia

Mona Vale Beach, Sydney, Australia

Bronte Beach, Sydney, Australia

Bronte Beach, Sydney, Australia

Coal Cliff Beach, New South Wales, Australia

Coal Cliff Beach, New South Wales, Australia

Sydney, Australia

Sydney, Australia

Bixby Bridge, Monterey, California

Bixby Bridge, Monterey, California

Maroubra Beach, Sydney, Australia

Maroubra Beach, Sydney, Australia

Malibu, California

Malibu, California

Pacific Coast Highway, California

Pacific Coast Highway, California

El Matador Beach, Malibu, California

El Matador Beach, Malibu, California

Mahon Rock Pool, Maroubra Beach, Sydney, Australia

Mahon Rock Pool, Maroubra Beach, Sydney, Australia

Mona Vale Beach, Sydney, Australia

Mona Vale Beach, Sydney, Australia

Gabriel Scanu: Website | Instagram | Snapchat | YouTube
via [Mashable]

All images via Gabriel Scanu

Jessica Stewart

Jessica Stewart is a Contributing Writer and Digital Media Specialist for My Modern Met, as well as a curator and art historian. Since 2020, she is also one of the co-hosts of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. She earned her MA in Renaissance Studies from University College London and now lives in Rome, Italy. She cultivated expertise in street art which led to the purchase of her photographic archive by the Treccani Italian Encyclopedia in 2014. When she’s not spending time with her three dogs, she also manages the studio of a successful street artist. In 2013, she authored the book 'Street Art Stories Roma' and most recently contributed to 'Crossroads: A Glimpse Into the Life of Alice Pasquini'. You can follow her adventures online at @romephotoblog.
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