Photography by Nick Abt
One filmmaker uses drone photography to capture the beauty of the Kansas landscape from a new perspective
“My latest video, Mysteries of the Tallgrass, is my love letter to the Flint Hills,” says Wichita-based videographer Nick Abt. “When I think about what our state has that no other state has, the Flint Hills are always at the top of my list. The Red Hills are an extension of what is in northern Oklahoma. The Smoky Hills are similar to what you see in New Mexico. But the Flint Hills are totally unique.”
Abt is the owner of Abt Films, a company that specializes in creating documentaries and short films about the history and geography of Kansas. He is most well-known for his stunning drone footage of Kansas landscapes, which you can watch in many of his documentaries, including his most recent film, Mysteries of the Tallgrass, scheduled to premiere later this year. Another of his latest films, Kansas From Above, showcases stunning footage of 12 unique regions of Kansas, along with each region’s history, through the lens of a drone.
“My documentaries are a call to people from outside our state to come and experience Kansas,” Abt says. “When I moved here from Florida, people told me Kansas is flat with nothing to see. Then I saw Horsethief Canyon, and I realized there is more to this state. If you are driving on I-70 out west, all you have to do is exit and drive 20 minutes south to get face-to-face with Cedar Bluffs, which offer massive 100-foot bluffs,” Abt explains. “Just south of Oakley is Monument Rocks, and Little Jerusalem is off to the east.”
Exploring the Land
As Abt began to explore the Kansas landscape, he realized just how much of its natural beauty was underappreciated. “After I found out about Elk River Trail, I knew there had to be more to Kansas than I was being told. I became obsessed with searching Google Earth for rougher and more remote areas,” Abt says.
In the western part of the state, he most enjoys filming the geology of the landscapes, which you can see in Kansas From Above and Exploration Kansas, an earlier production that delves into the diverse landscapes and geological history of the Smoky Hills and Red Hills of Central Kansas. “Bluff Creek heads south with a 300-foot, steep-sided cliff. You can see millions of years of geology in the hillside,” he says. “The Cheyenne sandstone sits on top of the red rock beds. It is extremely colorful.”
Abt has photographed the western part of Kansas, up and down the Colorado border. The extreme northwest corner of the state—where Colorado, Nebraska and Kansas meet—home to the Arikaree Breaks, named after one of the rivers in the area. Characterized by its deep, steep-sided canyons and eroded badlands, the breaks were once used by old-time rustlers to stash stolen cattle.
Abt has also visited the northeast part of the state, where he photographed the Glacial Hills, known for its rolling hills and rock-strewn valleys, and Echo Cliff, sandstone bluffs that wind along Mission Creek.
Picture This
“My passion has always been Kansas landscapes, and the drone is perfect for that kind of subject matter,” Abt says.
Nick first got into unmanned aircraft systems in 2016 and quickly got his Remote Pilot Certificate, or Part 107 license, for professional drone usage—an FAA requirement for commercial photography using drones. Nick currently operates a DJI Mavic 3 Pro drone and prefers Sony DSLR cameras to other professional still cameras such as Canon or Nikon.
“When I started work on Exploration Kansas, I upgraded to a better drone [a DJI Mavic II Pro]. Successful drone photography means being very aware of your surroundings and being cautious about how and where you fly to avoid crashing.”
After the premiere of Mysteries of the Tallgrass (available on the Abt Films YouTube channel later this year), Abt is set to start his next project—a look into the Smoky Hills buttes.
“I feel like my mission is to uplift Kansans with my videography. But, honestly, even if nobody watched my videos, I would still get out and do it because I truly love what I do.”
watch this!
Created by Nick Abt of Abt Films and Adam Dreher of Adler Grey Media, Kansas From Above showcases 12 unique physiographic regions of Kansas through the lens of a drone. The film first aired on PBS Kansas and is now available to watch at youtube.com/@seldomheard. Abt’s newest film, Mysteries of the Flint Hills, explores the history and native ecosystems of the Flint Hills. It will be available to watch later this year at youtube.com/@abtfilmskansas. In addition to these films, Abt has produced short-format documentaries on YouTube, including Lions in Kansas, Forests of Kansas and Into the Badlands of Kansas, all available on his YouTube channel.
