He is neither the most experienced in operating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) nor a professional full-time in photography. However he has mastered UAV flying and shooting skills in a very short time driven by a big wave of enthusiasm, and gradually become obsessed by aerial shooting and obtained awards one by one in various competitions. He has recently gained the 1st prize in the national 100 city home photography contest. He is Meng Juntao.

    Love shooting photos of his hometown and become a star

    Meng Juntao is a tall and strong guy. After you see the photos taken by him, it is found that there is an exquisite and observant heart inside his sturdy body. His full-time job is trade. He has been quite successful in the business circle for many years. Because of the achievements he has made in unmanned aerial vehicle shooting, he is called a “crossover star”. Meng Juntao told us that he was originally very interested in images. A few years ago when he came across unmanned aerial vehicle shooting, he could not help falling in love with it. He finds it is an enjoyment to shoot familiar living environments from a new perspective. Camera lenses on UAV can give him a broader horizon and his hometown can be more clearly recorded.

    In 2016, in the UAV photography contest entitled “Flying over West Coast, Have an Eyebird’s View of Phoenix Island” undertaken by the Qingdao Evening News edition “Aerial View of Qingdao”, Meng Juntao won first prize with his excellent works. Since then, more and more people have seen the photo of the West Coast taken by him on this platform. He has also become the invited photographer for the West Coast Beer Festival. In aerial photography of 100 cities -home photography contest held early this year, Meng Juntao won the national first prize with his photo of the television tower in the West Coast New Area.

    Organize lovers and become the mentor

    As the number of unmanned aerial vehicle lovers increases, more and more people join the team of UAV photography. However because of lacking experience, accidents occur continuously. More and more UAV photography lovers are looking for a suitable channel to learn skills. Per request, Meng Juntao has organized such a group where he shares his experience in photography and organizes short-distance excursions. His behavior has won unanimous praise. Zhu Cha Island is one of the shortest sea islands and it is only 2.9 km far away from the nearest coast. Because of its beautiful scenery, many photography lovers consider it as a holy place for taking photos. Meng Jutao’s grandmother lives on this island, and to facilitate taking photos, he regularly guides photography lovers to the island. They take star trails in the evening, sunrise in the morning, time-lapse in the daytime, and sunset at dusk. A lot of beautiful sea island pictures have been created.

    To go abroad to shoot the beautiful Bohol Island

    With a lot of outdoor shooting experience, Meng Juntao and his friends have become more and more ambitious. As the like-minded drone pilot of Aerial View of Qingdao as well as his partner, Zhang Quanxi decided to march on a journey with him to record the world images, seek the unknown and look for unrecorded beautiful things. This June, they will head for Bohol Island.

    Bohol Island in Cebu is the most beautiful one among over 7,000 Philippine islands. The beach here can outcompete the well-known Maldives. This is the paradise for the diving lovers from all over the world. Here are the peculiar chocolate mountain, the smallest mini tarsier in the world, the undersea cliff with the total drop of 3000 feet, adorable herds of dolphins and magnificent and the graceful biogroup at the sea bottom. Meng Juntao said that they hope to attract more talented companions and demonstrate the aestheticism and vicissitude of the world on this journey of recording the world. Song Xinhua

    （1. Qingdao Television Tower 2. The sunset at Jiaozhou Bay Bridge

    3. Meng Juntao and his partners （Meng Juntao in the middle)