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Short abstract:

Drones are changing the ways we see our surroundings and our visual practices. From an interdisciplinary sociocultural framework, I explore how drones alter visual narratives and influence our understanding of the world.

Long abstract:

The common denominator of most (if not all) drone applications is the ability to capture images from new and different angles or in dangerous situations, providing visual aesthetics never seen before (Serafinelli and O’Hagan, 2022). Despite the growing interest surrounding drones, not much attention has been given to their visual impacts from a sociocultural standpoint. My research bridges this gap by exploring the role of drone-generated visuals in shaping new visual practices, applications, and understanding of our world.

In the context of constant technological developments, the growing use of drones opens new debates on the relationship between media and mobility (Hildebrand, 2019), material practices (Howley, 2018), and vertical power (Kaplan, 2018).

My research employs an interdisciplinary theoretical framework that includes science and technology studies (Jasanoff and Kim, 2015), cultural studies (Aiello and Parry, 2019), and human-computer interaction (Zemnukhova, 2013). This approach further honours the principle that a nuanced understanding of visual practices needs to consider the interaction between technological use and its integration into individual experiences, knowledge, and broader socio-cultural contexts (Pink, 2021, 2023).

My analysis delves into the synergy of technology, data, and human interaction that empowers drones devices to redefine visual narratives. Central to my analysis is how drones extend our capacity to see, perceive, and engage with our surroundings in unprecedented ways (Serafinelli, in press). This includes the generation of unique images that differ from traditional visual conventions, such as 360 degrees panorama, and top-down perspectives, and shadow play, thereby contributing new vocabulary to our sociocultural imaginaries (Serafinelli and O’Hagan, 2022).

Conclusively, my research endeavours to advance critical reflections on the augmented visual perception enabled by drones as well as the complex and wide-ranging effects these devices exert on our geographical conceptions and daily experiences.

List of References

Aiello, G. and Parry, Kate (2019) Visual communication: understanding images in media culture. 1st edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

Hildebrand, J.M. (2019) ‘Consumer drones and communication on the fly’, Mobile Media & Communication, 7(3), pp. 395–411.

Howley, K. (2018) Drones: media discourse and the public imagination. New York ; Bern ; Frankfurt ; Berlin: Peter Lang.

Jasanoff, S. and Kim, S.-H. (eds) (2015) Dreamscapes of modernity: sociotechnical imaginaries and the fabrication of power. Chicago ; London: The University of Chicago Press.

Kaplan, C. (2018) Aerial aftermaths: wartime from above. Durham: Duke University Press (Next wave).

Pink, S. (2021) Doing visual ethnography. 4th ed. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications.

Pink, S. (2023) Emerging technologies: life at the edge of the future. London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.

Serafinelli, E, (in press) Drones in Society: New Visual Aesthetics, London: Palgrave.

Serafinelli, E. and O’Hagan, L.A. (2022) ‘Drone views: a multimodal ethnographic perspective’, Visual Communication, p. 147035722110650.

Zemnukhova, L.V. (2013) ‘Human-Computer Interaction through Sociological Lens’, International Journal of Social Science and Humanity, pp. 232–236.