“Perhaps more conventionally, you’d be waiting for a sunset, or a really kind of perfect angle of light by the sun, in order to capture something in its best light, but for me, I'm trying to actually create this perfect angle of light by using the drone,” Wu says. Some may think taking a landscape photograph when natural light is fading may be too difficult, but Wu prides himself on capturing a place in perfect angles of light. The cover image took about three hours to photograph, starting when the sun was setting so Wu could capture the fading light, and through the night. Henderson launches the drone with a light panel attached into the sky near Stonehenge. Wu typically either controls the drones himself or works closely with an assistant, to maintain control over the lighting. Wu created his composition-multiple images taken throughout an evening at Stonehenge-by using both a very small drone and a pole to light the stones in a precise way. Wu hopes readers are able to take away a renewed perception of Stonehenge through his photography. He argues that since it’s so familiar to most people, they tend to dismiss it as something ordinary. He wanted to reimagine the classic landscape photograph of Stonehenge and force viewers to really think about the grand structure. “There’s this jarring landscape where you wouldn’t expect that kind of lighting to be, and it shows you something which you may have seen every day in a completely different light.” The use of artificial light in natural environments helps, Wu says. Legends of Texas come alive along this wild frontier.India is reinventing its energy strategy-and the climate may depend on it.Dazzling photos show horseshoe crabs thriving in protected area.See how stones, strength, and smarts built Stonehenge.Stonehenge was just one triumph in a surprising prehistoric building boom.drone exam, and calling ahead for permission from English Heritage, which maintains Stonehenge, and from the Royal Air Force every time the drone was launched. Wu says there were several hoops to jump through, including the infamously unpredictable U.K. Photographing this landmark presented new challenges, especially the use of drone piloting, which is typically not allowed at Stonehenge without complicated approvals, and the task of showing such a familiar site through a new lens. He says this project presented an opportunity to make the monument look extraordinary by capturing pictures that really speak to the timelessness of Stonehenge. “You’ve seen so many pictures of it that it just seems ordinary.” “You can obviously go and visit later, and it can take on a different meaning as you grow up,” Wu says. who take school field trips there, as Wu himself did growing up in England. There is a strong attachment to Stonehenge because it’s a household name, Wu says, especially for those in the U.K. Throughout the ages millions of travelers have been attracted to the site annually, and the summer solstice sunrise and winter solstice sunset draw thousands. The prehistoric monument’s mysterious past has inspired a number of theories on its creation. Stonehenge is an iconic archaeological site the stone circle has stood for more than 4,500 years on Salisbury Plain, just 90 miles southwest of London. We spoke to Wu about his first cover- National Geographic’s August issue-which he says still hasn’t sunk in.

The annual convention hosted at National Geographic headquarters brings together photographers, writers, filmmakers, and journalists to celebrate storytelling. Wu says he’s grateful National Geographic photo editors made the connection between his composite work and new research-thanks to modern technology-about Stonehenge after he spoke at the 2020 Storytellers Summit. This timelapse video of Stonehenge featured on the August 2022 cover of National Geographic was filmed over the course of about three hours Video by Reuben Wu, Animation by Rebekah Barlas

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