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A podcast about drones and the people behind them. An educational and entertaining take on the current state of drones and what flies ahead in the drone world.
Alexander Forrest (00:00.258)
That consistency is huge. That's why, like all the best wildlife photographers, you they all get their good shots because they're out there all the time. there's a great quote by one of my mentors, Jake Wilton. I I don't think this is his quote, but I think luck presents itself when preparation meets opportunity. And so that was just one of those moments. Yeah. Fourth huntback whale live birth, like actual the the birth happening, live birth, I think documented in the literature and of, you know, maybe.
Full of actual sightings around social media and things. And then the first ever captured by a drone. So that shows you the amazing perspective we have with drones. Local radio ABC Sydney 702 with with the interviewer James, he's such a legend. And yeah, asked me plenty of questions and he he just like he he loved the story as well. At the end, he was just like, I couldn't have a new nicer guy and I was like, I'll never forget that. It was so kind.
Mark Masterton (00:57.1)
Drone as the future is made in partnership with Drone as a Service. Make your survey mapping or inspections safer, faster and more efficient with the help of our team. Elevate what's possible with droneasaservice.com. Alex, welcome to the Drone as a Future podcast. Thanks for joining us live from, well not live, but you're in Australia right now.
Alexander Forrest (01:20.386)
Yeah, yeah, thanks a thanks for having me on. It's such a such a pleasure to be here and chat about drones and chat about whales and wildlife. It's it's a cool it's a cool niche to talk about.
Mark Masterton (01:29.762)
Have you been on podcasts before talking about?
Alexander Forrest (01:33.27)
No, no, no. I've been on I've been on radio before, but I've never been on a podcast. So it's good to actually sit down and like chat 'cause radio is still a bit rush, T V's rush, radio's a bit rush. But yeah.
Mark Masterton (01:43.864)
We're like radio's cool cousin, I guess. Yeah. Anyway, welcome. Welcome. We're very, very lucky to have you. Feeling very quite starstruck, be honest, given the week you've had. anyway, as an adventurer and a wildlife photographer, what first drew you into the world of drones?
Alexander Forrest (02:03.522)
Yeah, yeah, it's been it's been amazing. I I first got drawn in when I received a drone as a birthday present. It was a pretty old, pretty old drone at the time. It was the Mavic Air 2, the classic DJ off-the-shelf consumer product. And that got me into the world of drones and only took one little trip out in Western Australia. We have half the state, half or rather, half the country of Australia in Western Australia. And so
to explore that on holiday with a drone was just like the gateway into getting into that aerial perspective, I suppose. And now I'm over here on the east coast of Australia in New South Wales and Yeah, loving it.
Mark Masterton (02:44.162)
You were into photography and stuff before you got your drone. was a gift, right? But what were you doing before drone photography took over your world?
Alexander Forrest (02:54.84)
Before before that I I'll start I'll start from the start for the context. So I
Mark Masterton (02:59.406)
You're still incredibly young though, so the start for you is like, what, five years ago? Yeah, take us right back to the beginning.
Alexander Forrest (03:02.126)
Yeah.
Alexander Forrest (03:07.798)
I grew up in Denmark, Western Australia, critically not the country of Denmark, but a s very small
Mark Masterton (03:13.582)
It did confuse me a little bit when I read that.
Alexander Forrest (03:16.168)
Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Pretty much at the very bottom of the southwest of the of the country. And it was only when I moved up to the city after after I did my first set like primary school up to grade six and then I moved to the city or the big smoke as we like to call it. Throwing some Australian slang there. But but yeah, yeah, I s I started noticing just like cool cars.
Like I was just a kid, you know, infused with a new setting and no starting to notice like all these cool cars. And I started with the only camera I had, you know, the best camera is the one in your hands, right? Absolutely. I start started with a phone and I took photos of cool cars that I just saw in the street and it grew from there. That was my that was my acumen. That was my practice of getting into photography. That was my, you know, repeat, getting getting my reps in.
And I started going to events and ended up working enough to get a little camera. I can't remember which camera it was a canon, but you couldn't even change the lens on it. I I wish I could remember that. I wish I could remember it. And I remember the the sales the salesperson going, I love this camera, you know, my my my auntie has this camera and it's such a good camera. Yeah, a classic, classic, a classic line. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like
Mark Masterton (04:38.136)
Good enough for his aunties,
Alexander Forrest (04:41.29)
like thirteen year old, but it was yeah, it was hurt. Anyway, that camera did get me into it a bit and I suppose I just started l to learn manual settings and things. And yeah, eventually I I just grew and I I networked as like the little kid. It was before TikTok. Now there's all like the TikTok car montage edit makers going around car events. But I I was that basically before TikTok. And yeah, just just talking to cool people with cool cars and
And we are working on my networking skills with random people and taking photos of, you know, all the all the amazing vehicles around the city. And that was the huge like practice of like the art, you know, it's like it's people people are like, you know, you're so talented and stuff and then I look and look back at like five years ago in my photos and they're absolute crap.
Mark Masterton (05:30.958)
you don't want to dig into my YouTube, Alex, honestly. You could start somewhere. I will say filming cars is actually quite difficult. mean, having done it in the past, like getting those angles is actually quite... You can make a car look bad is what I'm trying to say. But you're clearly very talented if you can make cars look good.
Alexander Forrest (05:36.866)
So happened, so happened. Yeah.
Alexander Forrest (05:52.63)
thank you. Yeah. Yeah. I I I've I've moved a few years, a few years on from that industry now. But certainly one of the biggest learning lessons I I learnt was to differentiate. That was a lot of like any like anyone can take the standard eye level photo of a car, but it's it's getting into the details. It's looking at how the light affects the affects the metal and affects the paint. And you know, just all those fine art aspects and low angles and high angles and what you can do with movement and
Yeah, that that was it was really just my practice of like learning learning all the settings, learning all the shuttle speed techniques and stuff along a nice static subject. Yeah.
Mark Masterton (06:33.198)
So how did you transition from that kind of photography into more wildlife stuff and drone photography, videography, all of that? How did you make the transition?
Alexander Forrest (06:46.456)
Yeah, well, it probably starts Mark at the at that moment where I got the drone. Like when we went out where we I think so, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. I d I didn't even know how to fly, you know. My first flight was in my backyard for about two minutes and then I landed. Yeah, sound safe. Yep, on private property, you know, all good. Yep. but yeah, it was that it was that first trip after after getting the drone to
Mark Masterton (06:52.598)
On that.
Mark Masterton (07:02.678)
That sounds safe.
Alexander Forrest (07:14.796)
have the open space of a trip in rural Australia, you know, to just go off the coastline. I just started taking photos of beaches and stuff on like, you know, your classic JPEG settings. Didn't really know how to operate the camera or anything in the drone. Well the camera is, now they have multiple. But yeah, yeah, it was it was checking out the Humpback Highway. We went on a trip and it happened to be whale season. Nothing of nothing of it was planned. I like to plan my shots a lot more now. But
Yeah, a as a kid just learning back then. you know, I was just I was just getting used to it, just getting used to the the quadcopter and figuring out how it actually flies and you know, it crashed a couple of times, nothing major, but yeah, had to do some bush bashing to get the drone at one stage on a flight. And yeah, it was all just a learning experience. Haven't crashed since. So so yeah, it's just
Mark Masterton (08:08.942)
Well you got it out of the way early. Nice. Yeah, we've got plenty of drone crash stories in this office, you're not on your own, but you've come a very long way since then. Was it always, did you like combine photography and video when you were shooting with the drone? Did you focus on one rather than the other?
Alexander Forrest (08:20.685)
Yeah, brilliant.
Alexander Forrest (08:31.628)
Yeah, I I probably have focused in my career thus far, I've probably focused more on photography, I would say. like a lot of the social media stuff sees video 'cause w whales, which is what the majority is the majority of what I shoot now with an aircraft is they're they just there's so much to see and video captures that so much so much better than photo. And certainly I started doing photos mostly in the drawing board when I when I
picked up that first aircraft. It was yeah, just random snaps of of the whales of the beaches. I was pretty unaware to any of their behavior or anything. Now that I'm a bit more seasoned, you know, I know the value as as learning about a species, learning about its prey, learning the behavior of its prey, of its predators, of its routes, you know, why they do what they do, all that kind of thing. But I didn't I wasn't really aware to any of that. I wasn't chasing any particular shot.
on those first few flights and those first hours. And it was really it was really just classic point and shoot and yeah, figure it out. It was like passion was just driving me. And so yeah, it was a very pure, very pure learning moment. And I'm glad I had that glad I'm glad I had that first experience to establish the establish the yes, the skills of piloting a little aircraft.
Mark Masterton (09:51.734)
you've come an incredibly long way. So that was your first trip out into the wildlife, fresh with your drone that you got as a present and you went straight to the Humback Highway, which is where you would come back to all these years later. It was always whales that were your focus or were there other species and animals that you were particularly drawn to? Because wildlife has sort of become your entire focus now and your passion. You're very passionate about.
conservation as well.
Alexander Forrest (10:22.818)
Yeah, thanks Matt. Yeah, certainly my my younger self wouldn't wouldn't have expected to be where I am now and my and my younger self maybe a few after those first life would have dreamed to be where I am now, certainly. But it was mostly just wherever I was. I was lucky to grow up on a small farm, two hundred acres in Australia. And so whenever I would return there, back home after, you know, the period of schooling, I would
Have a chance to get the drone out and check out the aspects of the farm or the surrounding area, like the beaches. Beautiful beach I grew up on called Anvil Beach. And there's a classic shot I have of the of the inlet, like the way the the town surrounds itself around the inlet. It's ocean going in and then a small channel that seasonally seasonally gets closed off. And then the large inlet. And I got a epic shot probably four, four or five years back, of
the inlet kind of the outgoing tide like emptying out into ocean, creating this like whirlpool shape with all these browns and blues. It's like the beautiful clear ocean water mixing with the brown, yeah, riverine outflows. But that that likes just shots like that around the area. I was very happy to have that image and it got in the it got in the local paper. There's a wholesome little talking point between friends.
Mark Masterton (11:47.832)
Was that your first taste of the media latching onto something that you'd made?
Alexander Forrest (11:52.834)
Was actually, yeah. That was probably my first taste of of recognition with photography, really, besides like doing the shooting. I'm not sure how old I would have been. Probably fifteen or sixteen. Yeah.
Mark Masterton (12:08.578)
Yeah, I read on your website that you were incorporated at 15. You became a business.
Alexander Forrest (12:14.188)
Yeah, yeah. Pretty much as soon as as soon as I was old enough to do that, I was I was on it, got my ABN and yeah, started doing starting started doing like formal formal bookings and formal shoots. Whereas before it was just friends and they'll be like they'll be like, Hey, let's come come shoot with this, you know, I'll give you I'll give you like five bucks, whatever.
Mark Masterton (12:34.414)
You take what you can get as an artist, No, that's incredible. that whirlpool photo was your first taste of media spotlight, but we've got to talk about it. We've got to talk about this Humback Whale video that you captured just recently. This must have been a whole new level of media spotlight and speculation and eyeballs on your work. How did it feel? How did it come about? What were you doing in that area?
Alexander Forrest (12:36.629)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Alexander Forrest (13:04.3)
Yeah, yeah. It was like it was pretty hectic. and not to repeat this story, but it was just another like another day. It was just another day and, you know, flying like highway because I I work well, I'm I'm pushing now, now that I've graduated from my recent film studies, to work full time as expedition photographer filmmaker. I've done like five or six, probably bit more, expeditions around Australia and around the Pacific Islands and stuff. And
Yeah, now I'm really pushing for that. But when I'm not doing that, I'm here at home and I'm photographing. We we're so lucky to get like platypus in our backyard and the humpback whales. Like the humpback highway really pumps during the winter. It's like everyone's out all the time looking for whales. And yeah, I was just lucky to come across this particular behavior. Like often I'll see maybe once a week, I'll see like a particularly unique behavior when I'm when I'm checking out the highway at home. And so you're out.
Mark Masterton (14:00.812)
every week.
Alexander Forrest (14:01.336)
Was that yeah, pretty much I try and go out every day at least once, once or twice a day. Yeah, that that that that consistency is huge. That's why like all the best wildlife photographers, you know, they all get their good shots because they're out there all the time. there's a great quote by one of my mentors, Jake Wilton. I I don't think this is his quote, but I think luck presents itself when preparation meets opportunity. And so that was just one of those moments, yeah.
Mark Masterton (14:29.08)
It's incredible. And what an amazing thing to capture as well. Yeah. The first person in the world to capture a Humback whale birth on a drone. Like it's incredible. How did it feel? I believe I'm right in saying that. Four times it's ever happened, ever been recorded. What's it like to be in the history books for something that you captured on your drone?
Alexander Forrest (14:53.57)
Yeah, pretty wild and ultimately I'm glad it can contribute. Fourth huntback whale live birth, like actual the the birth happening, live birth, I think documented in the literature and of, you know, maybe a handful of actual sightings around social media and things. And then the first ever captured by a drone. So that shows you the amazing perspective we have with drones. And it's just a surreal moment, like.
I I was coming in to change batteries before it happened. And when the the actual video is me flying out back to the animal and I just saw her rising to the surface and I was like, okay, I've got to I've got to hear record. I know from from experience flying with thousands of whales, I know that it's not just breaches, it's not just their incredible surface behavior, but it's any time that they come up for air, which you know, about seven minutes or so is the average that they'll come up. Like any time that they'll come up for air is
is a chance to, you know, see an incredible behavior that you might not ever see. And and on this on this chance, I hit record maybe one or two seconds before and I was bewildered at what happened next. It was yeah, it was it was life changing. I've received the most amazing messages from people all around reacting to it.
Mark Masterton (16:08.534)
I mean, what was going through your mind? I you just changed batteries so you're fresh. You're getting all the things, but like, it was that rush of red into the water, right? And you initially thought it was some sort of an attack on us.
Alexander Forrest (16:21.176)
be bewildered at the time. I initially thought she was sleeping before before the actual birth. She was like just going super slow. Normally when whales do that, they might they may be sleeping. often from anecdotal experience they'll stop and have a sleep and then keep going and stop and have sleep. but she was like very consistently slow. So that first instinct was pushed back pretty quick and I was just like tentative just like reading her behavior, like what's happening.
And it's only Leo I realized she was in labor. And then yeah, at that moment when the red plumage happened, I was like, was there an interaction with a predator? This looks bad, right? Like red is not weird, red humans, pretty much every animal is evolved to see red is a bad color. And in in the ocean, it's also so rare. It's just the way light reacts to the water. I mean, from the air, we get a really good clear perspective down. You probably see better than you would from
you know, sea level or under the water. Yeah. but yeah, it was just like that red is so rarely seen. It's such a contrast that you'll never see in the ocean. Those warm light waves just dis disappear first, just the way light interacts in water. And it was just a contrast I'll never forget. Like it just the red plumage came out and that that first first thought again was dispelled like, okay, fuel, there's no predator around.
And that white calf just like shot up to the surface. I was just putting the pieces together like I'd had no idea what was happening. I was crying on the inside, but on the outside I was just absolutely bewildered. I was like I knew it was rare, but in you know, in my research I knew was rare. but yeah, I I had no idea what would follow, of course.
Mark Masterton (18:05.336)
How did you feel when that calf first emerged and you were like, and you did piece it together, you realized what was going on.
Alexander Forrest (18:12.738)
Yeah, pure pure relief and so lucky to be recording at the right time and get that first initial behaviour on camera. And with the aerial perspective, it's so good because you can see everything that's going on in the picture, like what the mum's doing, how the blood is, you know, coming out, like how much of it is really there, you know, what the calf is doing, its breasts. You can see everything. It's great.
Mark Masterton (18:36.744)
probably checked if you were rolling or not. then sometime after you also reached out to Orca for more researchers to come out with their drones and record the rest of the following events. Is that right?
Alexander Forrest (18:52.364)
Yeah, yeah. So I I immediately reached out with unusual behavior report to the Organization for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia, which is our monitoring body for our pinnipeds and cetaceans, our seals and whales. and yeah, luckily we're able to rally a couple of pilots together to monitor the rest of the behavior. And I was pretty much writing down data logs as well whilst filming whatever I could, just kept the record button on. And certainly after I ran out of the battery, 'cause that
That battery as well was my, I believe it was my last battery of the day. I had four bat I bring four batteries with me, and usually that's plenty of time, you know, 45 minutes each per battery. They've had a few recharges now, so they might be a bit older, but a bit less reliable. But yeah, yeah, on the last battery and just recording everything I can and in the returning flight. I was just like, I hope my micro SD has not corrupted this footage. I hope it's all good. Yeah. The first thing I did as soon as I landed pretty much was grab my computer.
Laptop out of my car and and ingest it. Yeah.
Mark Masterton (19:55.064)
Yeah, back up, back up, back up. So moving forward in the following days, how did that all play out? mean, how did it first get picked up? Was it a post you made on Instagram that then the news outlets then picked up? And who's been in touch? mean, it feels like half the world's been reaching out to you. I saw an article in the New York Times.
Alexander Forrest (20:16.578)
Yeah. Yeah. Ha I had another friend of mine saying he sees my video at least six times a day. He's just so stoked. And he yeah, he's the nicest guy. I really appreciate it. but yeah, yeah, just everyone, everyone's been reaching out and the most amazing comments coming through to my messages and Instagram just being like so heartwarming, people crying, people, you know, showing it to their kids, teaching it to their class.
Just amazing, just just so good to see. And it's a a real feel-good story, right? Like and I'm so glad. That's why I'm so glad that even the big outlets have picked it up because it's such a good, feel-good story. Like everyone can feel good with this story. And yeah, that's just such a pleasure to share. It was initially social media. So we just pushed it out with socials and the mailing list to our local corporations. And that night it swept Australian news. It was amazing.
we pretty much were on every nightly news channel. And I yeah, I was yeah, I was still I was processing the whale encounters still. But yeah, that that took that was definitely like I knew at the time, yep, this is gonna take a while to process. And pretty much the next day we had some some radio interviews, which is great. And we were able to we were able to kind of separate that. Like if you ever get a viral video with a drone, this is what I totally recommend is separate the domestic release with the international release. And so we we were able to separate that quite nicely.
And then respond to all the international people after after it went through our local local outlets. And then that just kept it organized and let us, you know, get get all the logistics ready for for the it's for the extra spread. Having that planning is so huge. Like when you know you get something like a first for science as well, especially in the scientific world, it's it's pretty it's pretty clear that's gonna take off, right? Like that like AUCA new Orca knew I wasn't too privy with it. I have stuff in, you know.
local papers, but this is next level. But lucky yeah, luckily Orc and you and they like, all right, we've got to prepare, we've got to, you know, get everything ready and, you know, sort it all out. we love drones. We've got to make sure drones are shown as well. Like this is the first drone video that's has been marketed. First drone video of a whale birth caught on camera. And and yeah, from there we just went international. And I've had all kinds of people reach out from like local local papers in France to like
Alexander Forrest (22:39.138)
BBC, which has been wild, and scientific scientific journal or not journals rather, but you know, s like scientific magazines and then like the American like CNN and stuff. And yeah, it's been wild and talk shows like New Zealand.
Mark Masterton (22:55.884)
What's been the most interesting media interaction you've had to do? Have you been live yet on TV or anything like that? What was that like?
Alexander Forrest (23:05.474)
Yeah, I've had a couple of live T V and radio interviews. Some some pre recorded, which is good. I was I was pretty glad the other day to go on VBC Radio News Hour and find that it was pre recorded the thousands.
Mark Masterton (23:17.934)
You're new to this. You're new to this.
Alexander Forrest (23:21.91)
Yeah, just their incredible expertise with and your guys' expertise as well with audio as well is amazing to to learn about as well as a as an exiting film student. It's just like so across like all the audio tech technicalities and things and and get getting the specifics about the drones and stuff. But yeah, the most interesting one I would say has been a a local radio local radio ABC Sydney seven two.
With with the interviewer James, he's such a legend and yeah, asked me plenty of questions and he he just like he he loved the story as well. At the end he was just like, couldn't dunge a nicer guy and I was like I'll never forget that. It was so kind.
Mark Masterton (24:01.838)
Is that the one with the biggest clout among your family and friends, I imagine?
Alexander Forrest (24:06.234)
no, no, that's just that's just one of the one of the nice local ones. But yeah, New York Times definitely woke everyone up. Like yeah, my family group chat was like, You're the New York Times I was like, my god And we did a little interview with them over the phone and they were very nice. So yeah, had a great time.
Mark Masterton (24:22.008)
Just circling back to your efforts in conservation and the oodles and oodles of research that you've done to present yourself with this opportunity. It's exactly what you said, like luck meets preparation. We've read a few articles that said you were perfectly positioned, but you were just the right distance away from the birth taking place. Like a good safe distance. Can you tell us a bit more about why you're so
passionate about wildlife and doing things the right way. You hear lots of stories about photographers maybe getting a bit too close for comfort or invading a habitat or something like that. mean, the drone gives you more possibilities, but can you tell us a bit about that, how you like to document but from the right distance? Yeah.
Alexander Forrest (25:11.286)
Yeah. It comes down to and we're really lucky in Australia that we have solid drone rules to regulate not only recreational but yeah, also commercial flights are they're critically regulated and yeah, just very paid attention to. And, you know, there's licenses and things like I have my CASA license that you that you should get if you're gonna do commercial work like myself. and yeah, we just have the overall governing body of the with the Civil Way Aviation Authority and yeah, it's just really good.
but yeah, when it comes to ethics in a wildlife, it can it can be tricky, right? Because not everyone knows everything about animals. It can be hard, like someone someone a scientist know who knows their behavior will see someone approach a platypus and be you're doing everything wrong. but but a tourist looking at a platypus, you know, might say one word and little do they know that would scare the animal away, right? So yeah, every animal has its has its different behaviors that need to be accounted for and it all comes down to
To research and education. and it yeah, it and obviously there's so many factors that go into educating people about wildlife, especially when there's so many complex species and their dynamics are changing all the time with not only human influence but just general climate change and general species interactions and behaviors, and the it even it comes down to the personality of every single animal, they all have a different personality.
Mark Masterton (26:37.774)
How important is this, you recording this birth and obviously Orca taking away this footage as well and analysing things. How important is it for the future preservation of Humbug Wales as well because the population is growing.
Alexander Forrest (26:53.112)
Yeah, yeah. And humpback whales are an amazing social species. And they there's an estimated fifty thousand that travel there in the E1 population, which is the Australian East Coast pop population of huntback whales. Estimated fifty thousand. That's considering, you know, from near extinction, after after whaling was banned. But yeah, it's it's been really critical to just contribute it to science. We're gonna go in depth and
and and analyze all the footage, not only the footage of the birth itself, but also all the additional footage I captured and the field notes and also from the other pilots that were the other two pilots that were there to help monitor. And yeah, we're really gonna sort it out and s do a write-up about it and yeah, figure out how it can contribute to the understanding of maternal behavior and new huntback whale mums and also huntback whale calves and what they're
first first moments look like in the yeah, a d a as a part of the hunt back highlight.
Mark Masterton (27:54.124)
And are the whales around for a little bit longer? Are there any other shots that you're hoping to add to your list and knock off while you're there?
Alexander Forrest (28:03.138)
Yeah, it was I I certainly didn't plan the getting getting that getting this shot, did I? But it was it was just spur of the moment, which is very fortunate to see. And yeah, I was just a spectator. I wasn't even a filmmaker at that moment. It was incredible. But yeah, I'm really hoping to see. I haven't seen any whales with any particularly unique patterns yet. Usually I'll come across a whale that has like it's recovered from a skin disease, so it looks like
you know, may it looks like it looks has just some incredible jigsaw patterns or I come across a whale that has some epic scars from fighting other whales or something like that. But yeah, maybe once or twice a season I'll see a unique whale like this. And so far this season I haven't seen that. So I'm hoping to come across one of those one of those cool looking dudes that are just cruising along and and they have they have a unique story that we can we can talk about.
Mark Masterton (28:53.868)
As a person who flies drones very regularly, and you've seen the tech come a long way in the short time you've been using me, five years, they've been around for a while now, what excites you about the future of them? Batteries that are longer than 45 minutes? What are excited that you, other things that you might be able to capture in the future with drones?
Alexander Forrest (29:18.37)
Yeah, the the drones are just unlocked such an incredible effective, haven't they? I mean I got in probably at the time those batteries was just starting to get extended and you know, you could actually go off the shore and look look at whales or you could actually go off the shore and, you know, just take a photo of your boat or something. it's been really been really amazing to see, you know, how how strong they are, how resistant they are, like weather sealed, like my aircraft just barely needed any maintenance and it's you know
Gone off into the salty air, like that th probably thousands of flights. yeah, what really excites me is just how how incredible they are at becoming quieter, you know, becoming longer lived. Their batteries are always getting longer, like every year. It was like what, forty-five minutes for the for the Mavic 3 Pro, and now the Mavic 4 is like up to an hour, right? and that that zoom is incredible. Going back to
Going back to wildlife and ethics, with drones having such incredible zoom means you can see that wildlife without getting close at all. I mean, a hundred meters is how far in Australia we have to stay away from whales. But you know, you get an amazing shot from from a hundred meters. You you have like a pretty good camera with seven times zoom on the Mavic 3 Pro looking down at a hundred meters and you can see every detail, right? And it's just getting better and better. In the in the Mavic four pro, it's you know, it's even better off the shelf. Drones are just
next level and camera technology is really evolving and you know, all those components getting smaller and smaller and more efficient. And yeah, what what really excites me is seeing that development and seeing them be able to achieve more conservation goals for this niche. they have, you know, so many uses aircraft from delivery to like to agriculture to, you know, monitoring and mapping and everything. I've did my hand in just a few of those scenes and there's so much more to explore, right?
And yeah, I I would love to see them get quieter. I think I think being quiet with wildlife is gonna be best hands off is like the best way to see wildlife. Just keeping the keeping your distance. It's that rule of thumb. If an animal is approaching you, you know, you stay still. If an animal is going away from you, then you're doing something wrong. but yeah, just just having that having that blend into into the sky is just another bird or something. S see being able to
Alexander Forrest (31:45.25)
capture more with that camera technologies. Yep. Is really, really promising. I know it will contribute to conservation.
Mark Masterton (31:52.256)
Is there any dream places that you would like to go with the drone and film a specific wildlife event? mean, you've probably watched Planet Earth and seen all the amazing things that we've captured there. We actually had Grant Baldwin on our podcast a few episodes ago, who's capturing amazing stuff actually for Planet Earth. So is there any particular events you'd like to witness or take the drone with this brand new audience for your work?
Is there like a bucket list trip that you'd like to make?
Alexander Forrest (32:23.51)
That's amazing. I'd love to I'd love to go back to that episode and see that conversation. But totally Antarctica, I think it's the number one. for research, Antarctica often doesn't need our curiosity, right? That last untouched paradise. But yeah, if there was some research initiative that I would be lucky enough to join and go out with an aircraft, I think that perspective would be incredible. Just those open, wide landscapes look so amazing, especially in rugged conditions. probably not
you know, heavy, heavy blizzard conditions. But I I think it's so underrated to get your drone out in rugged conditions when they can last so much like like the off-the-shelf drones can now, you know, deal with some of the harshest winds that we can experience every year. And so seeing seeing those other perspectives, that those other moods and atmospheres, I think would be something really special to hold on to. As far as a particular encounter goes,
my mind immediately goes to David Adenborough's dream, which is seeing a sperm whale and giant squid hunt. But drones can only go so far, right? they can't go underwater and end in the air, probably well yet, you know, there's there's some coming out, right? But there are
Mark Masterton (33:33.678)
Yeah.
Alexander Forrest (33:38.082)
Yeah, that would be hectic. to combine a ROV with a with an aircraft would be nuts. But yeah, toad probably probably as far as wildlife as far far as wildlife goes, I think checking out more whales, in particular other big cetaceans, like your sperm whales, like your blue whales. You we actually get some blue whales in Western Australia where I'm from. And so I'm surprised I haven't filmed any yet. So that might be the next the next yeah, shot to add to the list.
Mark Masterton (34:05.806)
I think if anybody's going to get it, it's probably you, Alex, to be honest. You're in the perfect part of the world. You're always there. You're showing up every day with your drone. think you're in a very good position. You're clearly very good at what you do. Is there anything that you would say to youngsters out there? You said that this shot has been shown in classrooms teaching people about wildlife.
Alexander Forrest (34:09.104)
I hope my luck hasn't run out.
Mark Masterton (34:32.277)
If there's any youngsters out there who are considering getting into maybe drawing photography, wildlife photography, what would you say to them if you had to pass on any knowledge and advice other than doing your domestic release first before your international release when you get that viral shot?
Alexander Forrest (34:47.094)
Well yeah. It just comes down to a matter of consistency for a shot to pick up and make a real influence. Like you just have to be consistent. and I I've been lucky to now have that when I'm still young, you know, I'm still young, still got a lot of shots ahead of me, I hope. And totally I think it comes down to just your passion for it. Like drive drive it with the passion, everything else will come after. Getting into there's so many genres in photography, you don't have to go just into wildlife. There's a lot to explore, right? Like
It's the same it's the same with some scientists. I know I know scientists that have, you know, wanted to get into whales and now they're into snails or something. And and and yeah, you it's like the same with photography. There's so much to explore. The techniques and the art is still really pushing, I think. And I I th I see a real promise there, just despite the influence of AI, people still love photography in the photography community. People still love science and people still love different perspectives of seeing seeing animals, like the aerial perspective.
I think ultimately it does come down to practice. Photography is a very it's it's not just it's not just instinct, it's intuition. You have to really practice to get the right shots and you know, know when that rare moment is going to present itself. And yeah, ultimately I think it would come down to learning about wildlife through passion, learning about photography through passion. And this is a really exciting niche, you know, as I as they say and as probably your guests have echoed.
You know, now is the best time to get into drones, right? Like they're they're really coming along and then there's so much to explore and yet they're just such an incredible perspective.
Mark Masterton (36:22.158)
So just to wrap things up here, you went to study film, I believe. Where did you go study?
Alexander Forrest (36:29.868)
I study film h here where I'm tuning in from on the gold coast of Australia.
Mark Masterton (36:34.35)
So you study film and you finish your studies now,
Alexander Forrest (36:38.786)
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Graduated. Graduated eight months ago now.
Mark Masterton (36:42.498)
What would you like to do as a dream career? Would you like to combine film and drone cinematography? now you are so passionate now about following the wildlife photography journey. Where would you like to end up in a few years?
Alexander Forrest (36:58.028)
I'm very lucky. I'm very lucky in the fact that I've got a few mentors with my dream job at the moment. And so I've been lucky to be taught by them. And certainly their their niche is in the expedition filmmaking and photography space. from everything, from stills photography to underwater cinematography. I think that storytelling space is where I want to go into. And ex expedition not only do you get to travel for a purpose, but you get to connect with cultures. You get to you get to tell that to the world.
You get to spread you get to spread positive, meaningful messages that are run run by passionate people who want that message to get out there, right? Like these are good messages that are gonna go far and are worth talking about. So certainly I think it would be not only around Australia but around the world is pushing not only with the drone, but also, you know, a myriad of other cameras, putting my film skills to use and getting out there and really storytelling.
For those audiences, for their audiences, for those important conservation research causes. I think that is just such an incredible world. And so far I've been lucky to dip my toes in it and I've still got a lot of certifications to pick up and all that sort of thing and a lot to learn. And yet again, very lucky to have all those mentors to help me out. And it's such an incredible industry, I think.
whenever you're into wildlife, attaching a purpose to that is really important. There's so many stories, especially from the smaller animals that don't get anthropomorphized so much. There's a lot of stories that they need they need to be told as well for their protection.
Mark Masterton (38:29.902)
Is there a particular documentary that you watched growing up that really inspired you and got you interested in this line of work? Can you think back to a particular scene or something that you saw that made you think, I think I want to do this as a job?
Alexander Forrest (38:45.848)
To be honest, Mike, as a film student, I probably should have an answer to that. But it's it all comes down to a myriad of documentaries that I've watched. I was obviously just like the rest of my generation, raised by David Attenborough. so all his work is such an incredible inspiration and all it comes as well as, you know, Sylvia Earl, the yeah, her deepness, Sylvia Earl and Jane Goodall, they're all such incredible figures and really like to just see their stories told, I think.
Yeah, mostly it just comes down to accumulation of that. And to be able to rather than watch it through the screen, but to experience wildlife itself. You know, I was raised in a rural background on a farm. I was raised watching a Huntback Highway. And my acumen comes through seeing wildlife before I graduated high school and photographing before I ever started a business. I think that passion is really drawn from that practical experience and getting out there.
And exploring nature is I think what has been most influential for where I am now, totally.
Mark Masterton (39:51.95)
lucky to have grown up in such an amazing part of the world as well where it's not on your doorstep but very close by.
Alexander Forrest (39:58.114)
So so lucky. Yeah. So lucky in Australia. We have plenty of wildlife and the wildlife still needs protecting. So yeah, we're on it.
Mark Masterton (40:05.698)
Yeah, I'm sure the future is very bright for you Alex. I can't wait to witness the next viral video that you capture on your drone on your next adventure. And please when that one's gone viral, you've done the international release and all that. Please pop on the podcast again. We'd be lucky to have you.
Alexander Forrest (40:23.992)
Thanks so much, Mark. Yeah. Hop hope to be hope to be chatting with you guys soon about incredible aircraft and the incredible aerial perspective on Wild.