Recent Aerial Articles

DJI Phantom 3: Capture 4K Aerial Footage Easier Than Ever Before

Popular unmanned aerial vehicle manufacturer DJI has announced the release of the new Phantom 3. With new features like a return to home button, the ability to start recording as well as playback, and exposure control all built in to the controller, the Phantom 3 is packed with a laundry list of new features all aimed at making the flying experience as simple and effortless as possible.

This ‘$250,000 Drone’ Footage Will Probably Be The Best Video You’ll See All Day

Get ready to leave your jaw on the floor. Brain Farm Cinema, the production company that is one of the global leaders for capturing ultra high quality, pioneering action sports and documentary cinematic digital video, has done something no one else has. They have just released this stunning footage showing what happens when you strap a very expensive high speed cinema camera, to a very expensive drone, and fly around trying not to have a $250,000 mishap. The footage is glorious, and is .

Ever Wondered What Challenges Astronaut Photographers Face?

In the last few years, us earth-bound humans have been blessed with stunning still images and breathtaking timelapses that were taken in outerspace. Veteran astronaut-photographer Don Pettit was at the recent SXSW event, and spoke about the challenges of capturing images in space.

Yes, 'Fast and Furious 7' Actually Dropped Cars out of a C-130

Remember watching the trailer for "Fast and Furious 7" and chuckling to yourself about how unrealistic, improbable, and over-the-top it was to be air-dropping sports cars from a cargo aircraft thousands of feet above the ground? Me too. Just 24 hours after the release of the trailer, the filmmakers put out this featurette to prove us wrong.

Arri Announces the Alexa Mini - 4K, Lightweight, Compact, Probably Not Affordable

Making generous use carbon fiber throughout the 4K cube that will be released as the Arri Alexa Mini, Arri's newest camera takes a direct stab at RED's Dragon, as both feature incredibly similar specifications — even their 2.3 kilogram weight. Of course, Arri isn't new to the game; they know enough to bring some game with the Mini.

Leaked FAA Document Hints at Possibly More Lenient Drone Regulations

According to Forbes, a document leaked online and captured before it could be removed outlines some of the FAA's thinking with regard to the implementation of regulations for drones under 55 pounds -- a final decision about which is due by the end of the year. While the document (titled, "Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Regulatory Evaluation," and dated February 2015) could be in its early stages, one of several porposals, or something that has since been modified, it gives a glimpse into at least some of the FAA's thoughts on the subject. Specifically, the 79-page document outlines less stringent regulations as well as the fact that the FAA sees an immensely positive social and economic impact in drone use.

Drone Almost Collides with Southwest Flight Near LAX at 4,000 Feet

Following several recent similar incidents with drones flying much higher than the FAA-mandated 400-foot recreational altitude, another incident occurred Monday as a Southwest passenger jet attempted to land. The pilot reported flying just under what seemed to be a red recreational helicopter drone at 4,000 feet: "Hey, there was just one of those radio-controlled helicopter things that went right over the top of us at 4,000."

Amazing Aerial Imagery of Overwhelming Trade Traffic off the Coast of Los Angeles

From factory workers to farmers, a 14-week labor dispute between operators of the 29 West Coast port terminals and the ILWU (International Longshore and Warehouse Union) has begun to affect many people. Ships and trucks carrying cargo containers from around the world are stacking up outside the gates and offshore. This accumulation of ships eerily waiting offshore caught the eye of fine art photographer Mike Kelley. In less than 24 hours, he was above them in a helicopter with camera in hand.

Vincent Laforet Adds Las Vegas to His New High-Altitude Series Along with Lofty Goals for Social Interaction

After the New York City debut of his new project, Vincent Laforet unveiled photographs of Las Vegas from a helicopter at an altitude of 10,800 feet, 7,500 feet above Sin City. This morning, Fstoppers caught up with Laforet to shed some light on the new project including the gear used to shoot it, technical limitations, and even some interesting goals for the piece.
24 Ways To Crash A Drone

Whether it pains you to see hundreds to thousands of dollars of expensive equipment be destroyed in an instant or you experience some kind of morbid pleasure from it, after you start watching this compilation of drone crashes it will be difficult tear your eyes away. From wild rams who decide that they would rather not be filmed to spontaneous quadcopter failures to the classic “oops, there’s a power line there,” the video shows a multitude of different ways to crash a drone that will make you wince.

Incredible Imagery of a Climber Scaling Frozen Niagara Falls

The world's eyes have been on climbing lately. With the recent incredible 19 day climb of the Dawn Wall in Yosemite Valley and now this, the Red Bull sponsored venture of scaling the frozen heights of Niagara Falls, climbing is producing some increasingly spectacular imagery. Canadian climber William Gadd became the first to ascend these icy walls - a dangerous stunt leaving us with incredible video and photos!

Drone Footage by BBC Captures Auschwitz-Birkenau 70 Years After Its Inmates' Liberation

Seventy years ago, on January 27, Russian soldiers arrived to liberate less than 8,000 prisoners still remaining at Nazi-Germany's deadliest concentration camp, Auschwitz-Berkinau. During the camp's operation, Auschwitz' officers were responsible for an estimated 1.1 million deaths. To mark the historic liberation of the camp, BBC treated its audience to a unique view that embodies the eerie and gruesome history of the vast camp.

Film Yourself From a Drone on Autopilot Using Just Your Smartphone

Offering next-level follow filming, the Ghost Drone can automatically follow you and be controlled via smartphone. Recently, professional kiteboarders Jullien Fillion and Jason Slezak put the device to the test by having it follow them on foilboards over the clear blue waters of Maui.

Alaska From Above: Heath Bennett Explores Juneau From a Helicopter

Heath Bennett, half of the Chattanooga, Tenn.-based wedding photography duo Jac and Heath Photography, is an absolutely avid film shooter. Recently he shared some work he shot while visiting friends and family in Alaska, much of which was photographed while flying high above the landscape in a helicopter. He was kind enough to sit down for a brief interview and supply the images to us before jetting off to Australia for his and Jac's next adventure.

X PlusOne: Is This The Next Evolution In Quadcopter Technology?

As an owner of multiple quadcopters, I always get excited when I see new technology coming out. When I saw the promo video for the Xcraft X PlusOne I was instantly intrigued. This quad combines the convenience of vertical takeoff and landing with super fast forward motion traditionally only achieved with fixed wing setups.

Creating Compelling B&W Aerial Images in Backlit Situations

For a bit over a year now, I have been taking regular flights over the city of Los Angeles, photographing the city from a helicopter. I get a lot of questions about how I'm editing the images to get the look and feel that I am, and the answer is actually quite simple. Using only carefully considered exposures and Lightroom adjustments, I've come up with a consistent and somewhat unique look for the project.

‘Gotham From Above’ - Exclusive Interview And In-Air BTS Video With Vincent Laforet

Pressure, fear, joy, excitement – these are not uncommon emotions on any shoot. A few weeks ago, I spent a few hours in a helicopter above New York City with Vincent Laforet where we experienced all of these emotions. This exclusive interview and BTS video highlights not only what’s involved to produce aerial stills of this nature, but provides 5 key insights we can all apply to our own shoots.

Then and Now Photo Series Showcases Tornado Devastation and a Community's Endurance

On Nov. 17, 2013, an EF-4 rated tornado ripped through central Illinois relentlessly damaging and destroying over 1,200 homes, and ultimately killing three people. The Journal Star’s photojournalist team sprung to action after the tornado subsided, taking to the streets and skies of the affected towns to document the ravaged community. One year later, they traced their steps of that tragic day to create this astonishing Then and Now photo series.

The Renegade Pilots of Instagram: Simply Beautiful or Just Dangerous?

Sitting front row for some of the best aerial views in the world, airline pilots (both private and commercial) have taken their selfies and photos to Instagram with some astonishing smartphone imagery from all over the world. It is undeniable that these images are unique by their own right, as pilots have access to views over the average passenger. However, the question stands, are these insta-snaps harmless or are they a despicable jeopardy of safety for passengers and crew?

20 Photographers Growth in Post-Processing

People often forget that all successful photographers started from the bottom. This knowledge should be an aspiring photographer's motivation that fuels every action and re-touch. Each person has the ability to exceed beyond expectations; to set goals and reach them. In the future, you may look back at your work with embarrassment. Remembering where you started from should be a source of pride. The growth of 20 popular photographers in their retouching skills might be the greatest source of inspiration.

Watch Astronaut And Photographer Don Pettit Capture Stunning Images From Space In This Incredible Film

SmugMug Filmmaker Anton Lorimer has an incredible way of telling us stories about photographers. He blew us away with Arctic Swell, his dramatic film that followed surf photographer Chris Burkard to the ends of the earth in search of the perfect wave. But in the latest film of this exceptional series, the ends of the earth wasn't quite far enough. Space seemed like a more fitting backyard.

Watch This Incredible Timelapse and Drone Footage of Iceland

Patrick and I have been in Iceland for 2 weeks with Elia Locardi filming our next tutorial on landscape/travel photography. We brought a truck-load of gear with us but our favorite piece has been our DJI phantom quadcopter. Here's a quick cut of our best drone footage in Iceland.

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera Captures Breathtaking Video from Space

Keisuke Iwaya is an amateur Japanese astrophysicist. On July 20th, 2014, he sent a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera into the Earth’s stratosphere from Obihiro, Japan for the first time ever. The video captures a time-lapse view of the amazing voyage into the heavens as well as some behind-the-scenes views of the lift off and finding it after its free fall back down. If you've ever day dreamed of flying around the planet like Superman as a kid, this video will rekindle that fantastic flame from your youth! – check it out!

GoPro Is Developing Its Own Drones

GoPro HEROs may be flying in their own cape by late next year according to reports from the Wall Street Journal. GoPro, who currently leads the market in wearable consumer point-of-view cameras is said to be developing their own multi-rotor helicopters equipped with high-definition cameras. It is said that GoPro’s drones will seek to enter the market between the $500 - $1000 range.

Dan Winters Shares the Incredible Story of Capturing the Last Space Shuttle Launch

Capturing the launch of a space shuttle is undoubtedly a tremendous task to take on. Add to that the pressure of capturing the last space shuttle launch and you may have one of the most immense photographic endeavours of your career. In a very passionate and insightful video talk, Dan Winters takes us through the process of accomplishing said task. From his emotional relationship with capturing launches, to diagrams of his camera setups, Winters not only shows us how he captured his incredible photos, but conveys what doing so meant to him as a photographer as well as a human being.

Airbus Puts Five Enormous A350 Passenger Jets In Formation For Epic Photoshoot

In what surely must be one of the highest budget-to-film-length ratios in history, Airbus put five of its brand-new 300 million dollar A350 XWB planes together for a photoshoot. While most of the clips last only a few seconds, the amount of planning and preparation to pull something like this off is just staggering. With two chase planes, five hero planes, and the stakes as high as ever, watch how Airbus plans and pulls off this truly epic feat of filming and aviation.

fstoppers-chernobyl-danny-cooke-drone

Cinematographer Danny Cooke spent a week with his guide Yevgein, known as the Stalker, exploring Chernobyl and the city of Prypiat, Ukraine. He came back with a haunting and beautiful video which is essentially a time capsule of the city, frozen by a devastating nuclear disaster that occurred nearly 30 years ago. His aerial shots are especially quite stunning.

​Aerial Photography in the Age of Personal Drones

Drone technology and camera technology are on converging courses. Photography and flight actually share a twin history of development dating to the turn of the twentieth century, with the Wright brothers’ first flight on the heels of the proliferation of Kodak’s “Brownie” box camera. But thanks largely to the smartphone revolution this convergence is now advancing at a remarkable rate, as core components for both drones and cameras become increasingly smaller and more powerful. It’s easier than ever—and with 3DR’s open copter platforms

Chilling Hot Air Balloon Jump Filmed on a GoPro

Here's another adventure video from Devin Super Tramp involving people doing things that will make your hands sweat! How about swinging from the sky with a GoPro? Making use of the Hero 4 and its 4K resolution, these daredevils risk it all over the desert as they swing between two hot air balloons.

How To Prep, Fly, And Photograph with A Quadcopter Drone On Location

If you've ever thought about trying out a drone, you probably have heard how complicated it is. Sure, there are easier systems to use like the DJI Phantom, but there is still a learning curve that you need to overcome before you should fly and shoot with a drone on your own, especially before an important shoot... and also before any situation where you may possibly LOSE the drone. Watch the video and learn more below.

A Technicolor-Like Time-Lapse Video

Watching this magical time-lapse video - of the Annual Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta shot by Knate Myers - I couldn't wipe the silly smile off my face. The stunning colors and compositions captivate. If you ask me, Knate completely succeeded in providing the best seats in the house for anyone who didn’t get to attend this magnificent event. I am certainly adding it to my bucket-list of things to do and see.

Using Aerial Video To Re-Create A Classic Videogame Look

If you've played a few shooter video games in the last two decades, chances are you've seen at least one with a point of view that is looking from the top-down. The team over at Corridor Digital wanted to recreate this style in a video short (which also meant doing it all in a single take!) so they partnered with DJI to make it happen. This video takes you behind the scenes on their shoot, but check the full post for the final video and a second BTS piece.

Medium Format in the Sky: Eric Crosland's Aerial Photos of the Icelandic Eruption

Eric Crosland is the director of Sherpa Cinema, a collective of artists who produce some pretty amazing stuff. Crosland recently went to some rather remote parts of Iceland with Dave Mossop and John Trapman working on capturing some landscapes, something for which Iceland is a mecca. While there, the Icelandic eruption occurred and Crosland was ready with a Phase One.

This Aerial Video of a "Typical" San Francisco Morning is Anything But

Toby Harriman, founder of the creative collective Planet Unicorn and good friend of mine, just finished a beautiful aerial video featuring my hometown, San Francisco. In just two, one hour flights, Toby was able to masterfully capture the beautiful pink sunrise and signature San Francisco fog out the door of a helicopter. It reminds me how much I love this city.

On Roof Tops Crew Hijack Sign in the Heart of Hong Kong

The On Roof Top boys are at it again, this time "stealing" a digital sign high above the streets of Hong Kong in this sick behind-the-scenes video on how they did it all. Shockingly these guys are rarely caught, given the nature of the city and its crowded streets its almost impossible to catch everything that happens. We do have to thank them for risking their lives and pushing the limits of photography by doing what they do.

Photographer and Pilot Chase the Sunset Around the World

Can you imagine having the unlimited golden hour for a photo shoot? In this incredible video project created by photographer Simon Roberts and NATO pilot Jonathan Nicol they were able to exactly that. By exact calculation and plenty of research they made the sunset last as long as possible, here is how they did it.

A Time-Lapse Adventure Of Norway

If you haven't been to Norway this video by Rustad Media will have you booking your plane tickets. This video is the work of a 5 month adventure, shot from a 15,000 km (almost 10,000 miles) long road trip. In addition to video, tens of thousands of images were taken along the way. This journey covered all of Norway’s 19 counties, from the far south to the Russian border in the Northeast.

Incredible Drone Aerial Footage Of Iceland Volcano

Eric Cheng of DJI recently took his Phantom 2 to Iceland, hoping to get close enough to fly over the erupting Bardabunga volcano. The footage he brought back is spectacular.

Dutch Visitor Fined $3000 for Crashing Drone at Yellowstone

A Dutch man who was visiting Yellowstone National Park was fined $3,000 (£1,847) for crashing his done into the Grand Prismatic hot spring when he pled guilty to the charge of illegally flying a drone last week. He is not the first person who was levied a fine for drone flight this year either. A German man was also fined $1600 for losing his drone in Yellowstone Lake.

FAA Approves Drone Use for a Handful of Aerial Production Companies

The FAA announced yesterday that it is giving certain exemptions and special status to six video production companies that would use these exemptions specifically for the purpose of aerial filmmaking with drones. While information about the process of earning an exemption is scarce, these production companies were approved after consideration of a special request that they sent to the FAA -- 40 more of which have been sent in by numerous additional production companies and are supposedly still up for consideration.

Behind the Scenes Video Photographing Stunning Military Jets

We've shown you how the USAF Thunderbirds get their amazing imagery, but how do others do it? Go behind the scenes with aerial photographer Liz Kaszynski in this incredible video highlighting what goes into the process for the most epic military jet photos in the world. Liz explains where she travels along with the strenuous training that goes into shooting such an interesting subject matter.

And the Drone Save Of The Year Goes To...

If you are a quadcopter owner like I am, you know how frustrating it can be when you are in the middle of a great flight and those red lights start flashing that warn the pilot of low battery. Usually the pilot will return the aircraft safely to their side before the impending doom occurs. Unfortunately, YouTube user Redphive didn't notice the warning lights while flying over the lake behind his home. All of a sudden, you see the drone start falling and the pilot start freaking out. At one point it looks like he considers getting in the canoe for the rescue, but realizes this course of...

NASA Asks for Everyone to Pitch In to Analyze Almost Two Million Photos

Since the 1960s, NASA has accumulated 1.8 million photos from various missions and sources that it now needs help analyzing and placing into context. Volunteers have already catalogued 20,000 photos, according to CNN, but without a greater public interest, cataloguing the 1.8 million photos (and counting) would likely never happen. If you want to be a part of the cataloguing efforts, you can view the images at The Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth.

Enjoy a Gorgeous 4K View of the Dubai International Airport in This "Little Planet" Timelapse Video

The team over at Dubai 360 shared with us a rather unique view of the world. In the video above, you'll get to watch a full day's revolution of the Earth directly above the Dubai International Airport. You'll see airplanes fly in and soar off, you'll watch them taxi into their various gates and you'll see it all from a spectacular 4K panoramic "little planet" downward view! The team mentions that Terminal 3 actually serves as an hour hand on an imaginary clock with midnight at the top and midday at the bottom, allowing you to know the time of day each frame was taken!

Submit Your Work Now to the First-Ever Drone Film Festival in New York City

Director, photographer, and aerial cinematographer Randy Scott Slavin has created the first-ever drone film festival. The New York City Drone Film Festival, which takes place in NYC on February 21, 2015 was created to “celebrate the art of drone cinematography.” I spoke with Slavin about the process of putting together the festival which is, as of today, taking submissions.

Getting Started With Camera Drones: How One Small Rig Can Add So Much Production Value

Aerial videos that have been shot by drones have been flooding YouTube for the last few years, especially as the cost and expertise needed to get into it has come down. A birds-eye point of view can add a lot of production value to a video project, but where does one start when looking to get into aerial video? I spoke with Brent Foster who told me about the doors that shooting aerial video can open, as well as the challenges they present.

Amazon Pushes Forward In Their Quest To Bring Amazon Prime Air To Life

In December of 2013, Amazon teased the world with the thought of delivering (small) packages to your doorstep using drones, as first reported here. It got a lot of people talking. But since that initial announcement from Amazon, there hasn't been any indication that it was real. Was it purely a publicity stunt? If it was, it was a good one. But what if it was real?

Meet GimBall: The Crash-Proof Drone

You can really get yourself into trouble putting your expensive camera gear on a drone, Lee Morris has personally lost two drones and Chase Jarvis famously crashed his DJI Phantom into a lake in Iceland. Now Swiss researchers are looking to change all that, or at least help prevent some minor crashes. Enter GimBall: while it may not be waterproof, this drone concept is looking to change the way we approach UAV-based photography.