If you’ve passed through Colwood at any point during your travels on Vancouver Island, you’ve likely noticed a grand structure that looks like it could belong to royalty.
That in fact is Hatley Castle, a part of Royal Roads University which one videographer in particular has paid close attention to over the past little while.
Conan Chee, a professional photographer of nine years and avid drone operator spent the most part of a week filming an array of unique angles and viewpoints from the 565-acre property.
Over the course of three sessions spanning seven hours, Chee was able to highlight the beautiful design of the property from a bird’s eye view through drone footage he says is an inspiring passion project.
“Close to two years ago I ended up buying a drone and I started doing videos and started capturing photos from different perspectives and different angles you normally wouldn’t get,” Chee tells Victoria Buzz.
What originally began as a way for Chee to unwind and relax from stressful work environments, soon grew into a professional skill that has since caught the eyes of local news outlets and those impressed by his creations.
“I was getting into video and I started doing videos while I was doing photography,. I ended up catching the asteroid striking the moon during the transient lunar eclipse. I was one of the very few around the world that actually caught it on video,” Chee continues.
Due to the unique nature of what Chee captured, the Vancouver Island visual artist decided it was best to launch a YouTube channel and share his content on the platform. Within three days of sharing his footage, Chee’s video of the asteroid received 48,000 views and public attention from local and national news outlets.
Today, Chee has spent the last couple of years capturing the beauty of local landmarks throughout Vancouver Island.
His most recent video of Hatley Castle marks the fifth edition of the series, with Jordan River’s Diversion Dam, an abandoned power station, Saint Stephen’s Church, and Kinsol Trestle also checked off of his list.
With some videos in the series taking several months to even a year to properly capture, Chee says while he doesn’t have immediate plans to film a new location, he looks forward to the next project as it will be sure to pose an exciting challenge for the talented drone operator and photographer.
“This is changing my perspective on the same location. This gives me new motivation. The local landmarks seem to be a hit because a lot of people can relate to them. I like to give the public what they enjoy seeing,” says Chee.
To find more of Chee’s work be sure to follow his YouTube channel and Facebook page.
