drone photography & mapPING Portfolio
Jabez Joshua Flores, Ph.D.
Environmental Scientist, GIS Specialist, Drone Pilot
who am i
photo: godwin gabriel monzon
I love flying
DRONES
& making MAPS!
- I have been interested in maps since I was a child.
- My first drone was a Syma X5Sw toy drone in 2017.
- I used the DJI Ryze Tello for research for 4 years before I upgraded to a DJI Mini SE in 2022.
- In 2024, I use a DJI Mini 4 Pro for my fieldwork.
photo: dr. rina tan de luna
My background
Education
- PhD Environmental Science, University of the Philippines Los Banos, 2020
- M Environment and Natural Resources Management, University of the Philippines Open University, 2016
- BA Sociology, University of the Philippines Los Banos, 2007
Work Experience
- One Health Fellow, St. Luke's Medical Center-College of Medicine, 2022-present
- Spatial Data Scientist, Pure Earth Philippines, 2022
- Senior Lecturer in Physics (2022) and Earth Science (2022-present), UPRHS
- Senior Lecturer in Statistics (2021) and Landscape Ecology (2021-present), UPOU
- Research Assistant, UPOU, 2020-2021
Training
Certificates and Training
- Basic Remotely Piloted Aircraft Flight Training, North AeroDrone Inc., 2024
- Drone Operations Micromodule, IRRI (openlearning.cgiar.org), 2023
- Cartography, Esri, 2022
- Do-it-Yourself GeoApps, Esri, 2022
- Spatial Data Science: The New Frontier in Analytics, 2021
- Going Places with Spatial Analysis, 2021
- Imagery in Action, Esri, 2021
- Creating Story Maps with ArcGIS, Geodata Systems, Technologies, Inc. 2021
- Introduction to GIS using ArcGIS, Geodata Systems Technologies, Inc., 2021
Memberships
- Associate Member, National Research Council of the Philippines
- Member, International Association for Landscape Ecology (Europe Chapter)
photo: north aerodrone inc.
photo: neena ebron
photo: dr. joane serrano
DRONES
DJI Ryze Tello for social media
DJI Mini SE for video
DJI Mini 4 Pro for mapping
I maximize the capabilities of three mini drones from DJI. In the right hands, these drones can do much more than what the reviews say.
Read: Documenting Permaculture Farm Landscapes in the Philippines Using a Drone with a Smartphone (Flores, Bagunu, & Buot, 2020)
FEATURED & PUBLISHED WORK
UPLB OARDEC Map (Ver. 1)
UPLB OARDEC Map (Ver. 2)
May Pera sa Agrikultura book
LB Times article
FlipScience article
OA Fair Tarpaulin
SEARCA book chapter
OARDEC Brochure
Pure Earth Philippines
Drone outputs
Aerial Images
2D Maps
Orthomosaics
3D Maps
Aerial Videos
Social Media Reels
Interactive 3D Model
Click the image to explore
Dataset Collection
Click the image to explore
aerial photography
Basic aerial photography up to 120 meters (394 ft) for various purposes such as designing, planning, and monitoring.
Photo of OARDEC-UPLB used in an event tarpaulin (above) and book cover (inset)
Location maps
Location maps for legal documents, research for school or work, and other purposes.
Location map of Pitogo, Quezon (highlighted in yellow)
FARM design PLANS
Remote farm design planning using coordinates from geotagged photos of the site.
Estimating the area and perimeter of a farm site and digitizing using QGIS and Google Earth
point maps
Points can show the location of certain components of a data set with corresponding attribute data such as population of a barangay or town.
Point map of DepEd schools with school populations represented by different hues of blue.
heat maps
A heat map is a version of a point map that works well with large data sets.
Heat map of COVID-19 cases in Los Baños
3D Data visualization
Data can also be visualized in 3D in addition to color categories.
3D choropleth map of COVID-19 cases in Laguna
CHOROPLETH MAPS
A choropleth map can visualize percentages or ratios of datasets with spatial components. It can also be used to distinguish different political boundaries such as regions and provinces.
Choropleth map of risk projected rainfall (left) and map of Luzon divided into regions (right)
CONTOUR MAPS
Contour maps can be used for surveying of small or large-scale areas
Contour maps using Digital Elevation Models (DEM)
3D ELEVATION MAPS
A 23-hectare farm in Pitogo, Quezon
A 20-hectare farm in Tagkawayan, Quezon
In addition to a contour map, a 3D elevation map model can offer a better visualization of the landscape.
georeferencing/orthomosaics
An orthomosaic of photos of Laguna Lake created in Microsoft Image Composite Editor. This was a mission for GLOBHE (right). An orthomosaic of OARDEC-UPLB georeferenced on a Google Satellite basemap (above)
Landscape monitoring of OARDEC, UPLB
Aerial photos from the drone can be georeferenced on satellite images to provide updated landscape documentation.
time series monitoring
COVID-19 cases in Laguna in 2020
A series of images and/or maps can be sequenced and saved in GIF format to visualize changes over time.
PHOTOGRAMMETRY
Several aerial photos can be used to create a 3D model of a landscape or building structure using Agisoft Metashape. Available in PDF or video format.
spatial analysis
Various spatial analysis functions can be performed on raster and vector data using a suite of QGIS tools and plugins.
Crowd estimation in Nuvali, Sta. Rosa, Laguna. A project for Leni Robredo's presidential campaign in 2022.
multilayer maps
All mapping methods can be combined in different combinations on a single map.
Georeferencing a drone photo on a contour map in Laguna
aerial videos
Watch my Reels!
GLOBHE ad fan video
The DJI Mini SE can provide 2.7K quality video footage for various purposes.
The DJI Ryze Tello can also shoot 780p video in lower altitudes.
Video montage of OARDEC in UPLB
GALLERY
GALLERY
publications & CONFERENCES
Use of Geographic Information Systems Software
- Keeping Up with Veterinary Public Health: Epidemiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, UPLB (2023)
Drone Mapping Workshop
- Pamumuno Lab Restoration Workshop, Green ReLeaf (2023)
QGIS and Drone Workshop for PRPH Student Scholars
- Permaculture Research PH (2022)
- Conference: International Conference on Open and Distance e-Learning (ICODeL 2021)
- Conference: 20th International Conference on Nature Studies and Innovation for the Environment (ICoNSIE) 2021
Documenting Permaculture Farm Landscapes in The Philippines Using a Drone with a Smartphone
- In book: Methodologies Supportive of Sustainable Development in Agriculture and Natural Resources Management: Selected Cases in Southeast Asia, Chapter: 5. Publisher: Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) 2020
- Conference: 10th International Association for Landscape Ecology World Congress (2019)
