HighLights from our work

• Collaboration with Cinematographer Simon Carroll - ARA's "Artist in Residence" in 2005

The internationally acclaimed Simon Carroll collaborated with ARA's Chief Scientist Dr. Jorg Hacker in 2004 and 2005 to compile a series of video sequences illustrating weather phenomena, mainly focussing on nocturnal thunderstorms. An example of this work can be viewed in two different formats: 32Mb Quicktime movie or 26Mb DivX Movie (DivX Player required - free download from here).

Another activity was to integrate Simon's stunning time-lapse cinematography with ARA's unique airborne platforms and systems to create unprecented aerial time-lapse footage of thunderstorms building up over the Tiwi Islands to the North of Darwin in Northern Australia. Part of this footage is featured in the first session new BBC series entitled "Planet Earth" which has just premiered in UK television and will be shown around the world. A still photograph from this work can be seen here (lo-res) or here (hi-res - 4Mb) .

The images were taken using a Canon EOS 1Ds camera mounted to the wing tip of one of ARA's ECO-Dimonas. The aircraft was then flown in a large steady circle (diameter approximately 100km) around the thunderstorms over the Tiwi Islands. A report about the work in Nov/Dec 2004 is available from here.