Tekesi Bagua City Look Down

This image was taken from above Tekesi Bagua City, which is a small town in Xinjiang. For this image, I stood on Akeqi Street (Duijie Street) and then launched my drone. You can get a similar aerial perspective by launching your drone near the city center and then flying directly up. I recommend taking a car here and entering in "Tekesi Bagua City" into the GPS and parking your car in one of the city's public parking lots once you arrive. Then, reference the GPS coordinates to see where you can fly your drone.

No matter the season, you can find similar conditions of the look down on Tekesi Bagua City during any season.

The lighting will be softer at sunset, and without the harsh sun, you won't have to deal with shadows.

Before flying a drone, check and follow local drone regulations and permit requirements.

Symmetry is the most important element of composition at this location. To achieve a near-perfect shot, make sure to fly your drone directly above the city center.

The intricacies of The Bagua design can only be seen from high above. Try flying as high as you can so you can capture the entire scene in your frame.

While your drone is in the air, take a few photos so you have options to choose from. You can always edit the photos you take in post-processing, but it's easiest to capture a photo that doesn't need as much editing.

Explore each of the eight trigram designs of The Bagua. The eight areas have a street that feeds out to the main city center and since 1996, the town has functioned without any traffic lights — making the flow of traffic reliant upon the commuters. Grab your drone or camera and wander down the eight streets and see what other compositions you can create.

Don't forget to try some local food in the area. Milk tea is one of their specialties, so I highly recommend getting some.