Aerial

In case you missed it, ‘Rocket Wars’ is a five minute film that has changed the game. It's breaking new ground and heralds in a beautiful new era in filmmaking. 150,000+ views and a Vimeo ‘Staff Pick’ are pretty amazing, but what’s ground breaking isn’t that the film is just a beautiful cacophony of visual and aural eye and ear candy. What’s fascinating is the fertile new ground it thrusts us headlong in to, and how it engages us. How did the filmmakers pull this off – and importantly – what can we learn from them to apply to our own projects?

The Fotokite Phi is being marketed as more of an electronic "kite" than a drone. Why? Because it's tethered, just like a kite, to a person on the ground. I admit that this thing is pretty unique but is this actually a good idea?

I just ran across an incredible BTS video on Vimeo which uses the new Freefly Alta Drone, Movi stabilizer, and RED Dragon Monochrome to create an incredible infrared look at a post apocalyptic world.

Photographing The World BTS episode 6 is finally here and this is the one many of you have been waiting for. At this point in the series I had flown this drone in 7 different countries in snow and rain, and I even crashed it into the side of an ice cave but it kept on working. The streak finally ends in New Zealand when I have my first and only serious crash.

We all know Red Bull photographers capture some amazing extreme sports photos, and Dan Vojtech is no exception. He recently photographed Extreme Pilot Martin Sonka, using a set up of 30 Fomei S600 DC strobe flashes. Watch the video for a quick behind the scenes look at how he got some amazing shots.

Photographing The World Behind The Scenes Episode 5 is here. In last weeks episode (episode 4) we spent our last day in Iceland, and our photography guide went on a rant about photographers that is so hilarious, his rant has more views than the entire episode. In episode 5 we leave Siggy behind and fly to the opposite side of the world, New Zealand.

Camp 4 Collective, known for their high-end commercial and adventure productions, recently got to work with a pre-production ALTA Drone, made by the guys at Freefly (best known for making the MoVi.) Here is the behind-the-scenes video, with the final video inside the full post, and some more background information from Director Renan Ozturk.

While capturing footage of a San Diego pier, photographer Tice Ledbetter drew the attention of a seemingly annoyed fisherman who then cast his line into the drone's prop. Not knowing what had occurred, Ledbetter flew the drone for half a mile before landing and didn't know how the fishing line got entangled until after he watched the footage.

Another day, another drone is now available from DJI. You have heard of the Phantom 3 Advanced and the Phantom 3 Professional but the "standard" version is now available as well. Let's break down everything you need to know about these 3 quadcopters.

I have never really been into extreme sport videos ever in my life. The second I see someone decked out in Red Bull apparel, I am immediately turned off. But this video in particular has caught my attention. Everything from the directing, editing, camera operating, and sound design has been formulated perfectly into a four minute YouTube masterpiece.

Flying drones is a thrilling experience until you inevitably crash. This drone pilot's roommate crashed his drone on a neighbor's roof. Using another camera and coat hanger-equipped Phantom 3, he was able to retrieve it in a scene fit for a James Bond movie.

We have already seen a lot of news coverage on drones this week, including one flying over the White House and the horrible story about drones preventing helicopters from putting out wildfires in California. A new video recently went viral on Youtube showing a drone flying and firing a handgun. The video and contraption were created by 18-year-old Austin Haughwout, who has come under immense scrutiny.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No! That buzzing noise you hear overhead isn't superman either, it's a remote control drone with thousands of dollars in camera equipment strapped to the bottom. And wow do they get some cool images.

It takes a special talent and something truly different to capture the attention of the world these days. In fact, creating something that seizes a moment in time and brings attention to the simple things in life in an extraordinary way far outweighs creating just another pretty picture. That moment here is the birth announcement for designer and photographer Dirk Dallas as he brings a drone and a very well executed plan together for an outstanding video with his family.

As I close in on the last eight hours of my very first Kickstarter campaign, I wanted to share some of the knowledge I’ve gained through this amazing experience that might help other people who are thinking of launching a Kickstarter. It’s a daunting experience but one that can hopefully be improved by learning as much as you can before you start.

It's been a week since we launched a Kickstarter campaign for my first book, and what an interesting week it has been. As expected, I'm learning a ton about myself, about Kickstarter, about living on two hours of sleep, and about how amazing it is to have people that you don't know or have never met before support you right here and now in real time.

I'm not much for gambling, but I've always said that if I spent some time in Las Vegas that I would check out a show by Cirque Du Soleil. This short film absolutely confirms the kind of creativity and magical displays that I've longed to see in person.

I've spent the last two years photographing Los Angeles from a Helicopter, in what is surely the largest project I've worked on to date. After a long, extensive and ultimately unsuccessful search for a publisher, I finally decided to scrap that idea and self-publish via Kickstarter. I'll be doing a series of weekly posts about what I've learned and just how insane this whole thing has been.

In this episode of Smarter Every Day, host Destin Sandlin takes a closer look at the construction of one of the most exclusive photography locations that humans have ever created: the International Space Station’s Cupola module. This seven-windowed observation module has allowed astronauts such as Dr. Don Pettit and others access to shoot some of the most incredible photographs and time-lapse videos made to date.

Joey Shanks, better known by his YouTube handle Shanks FX, has released another YouTube video based around the idea that Hollywood effects can be achieved by anyone and with only household items. This time he attempts to recreate the legendary Aurora Borealis (or Northern Lights), one of the seven wonders of the world, with just some sheets of fabric and a handful of fans. Combining those few fans, fabric, and just a little bit of precise lighting with just a touch of videography editing magic, he suddenly has one of the world wonders in his garage. Check it out!

I'm not someone who is big into drones and flying cameras -- mostly because they take a lot of effort to learn how to fly. More importantly, there are typically many more things I'd rather spend my money on. Then I received an email from Antoine Balaresque, CEO of Lily Robotics, introducing me to Lily, and I threw all those reasons out the window.

Just a few weeks ago, Lowepro launched it’s first grab-and-go protective and customizable quadcopter drone storage system, the DroneGuard Kit. Lowepro’s solution is an interesting one in that you can adapt it for different devices combining organization, portability, and protection using it as a stand-alone kit, or as an insert with some of their other bags. Over the last two weeks I’ve been putting this bag through its paces on the streets of Chicago, as well as the in desert and dunes of Michigan. In my full review I’ll cover the features, price, build, aesthetics, and function of the DroneGuard to let you know just how they fit the current market.

This month I'll be traveling to 5 European cities with Vincent Laforet to shoot and edit video for him as part of Project AIR, his new night aerial stills project. We have been working hard to offer something pretty unique – a totally free, direct first hand social event open to anyone who is interested in photography, video or the creative process, where we can share skills, technique and project support for your own projects as a result of what we’ve learnt with AIR. If you live in London, Barcelona, Berlin, Paris or Venice, we are throwing the doors open to you all.

Since the National Park system banned the use of drones in all National Parks in June of 2014, it hasn't stopped some people from disregarding the rules (or not being aware of them) when it comes to flying their UAVs on NPS land. In the most recent example of breaking this rule, a photographer ended up on the ground after being tazed.

This couple took wedding photography to a whole new level when they got their wedding shots taken. They used a series of drones in order to capture their big day. The shots that they created are undoubtedly original and stand out from the crowd... for now. With the release of the new DJI Phantom 3 that we recently covered, drones could be here to stay, but are we at a stage now where we can outsource our photography to machines?

Vincent Laforet's latest AIR series blankets the City of Angels with a farewell series of shots before the project will head to Europe for the first time starting mid-May. As Laforet continues shifting cities (from the previously covered New York City, Las Vegas, and San Francisco projects), his aesthetic slowly changes in response to the varying challenges and differences between shooting each city. Fstoppers caught up with Laforet to discuss the ever-present surprises in shooting AIR and its transformation as it grows into a larger project supported by G-Technology and pre-orders for Laforet's "AIR" book.

With budget options for aerial video becoming more affordable, while the quality and abilities of the cameras they host getting better, I knew it was only a matter or time until I got my hands on such a system. Even though I was a little skeptical from the onset, I’m pleased to say that the DJI Inspire is a phenomenal drone/quadcopter unit for adding dramatic footage to video or still projects, even for first time users.

Ever used a drone? If you have, you've almost certainly had that "oh sh*t" moment as your expensive, and admittedly, super awesome toy narrowly escaped a crash that would inevitably end its life. Well, Ryan Chatfield knows that feeling exactly. He was on a beach capturing a beautiful Western Australian sunset when his drone's batteries begin to die. Watch this video to see him race across the beach to save it before it plummets into the rocks and waves below!

What happens when you take a group of best friends who are all talented photographers and cinematographers and give them a near unlimited budget? The greatest bachelor party of all time. A group of friends decided that they needed to give their best friend a truly epic send off before his wedding.

Even if you don't know his name, you probably have seen this guy's videos. Devin Graham (now more commonly known on YouTube as Devin Supertramp) has blown up on YouTube with viral video after viral video. He's became known for his parodies of video games such as "Assassin's Creed," "Far Cry 4," and "Halo 5" in his "Real Life" series but more recently he has created a new genre: videos of people having fun in the most unique ways.

If you don't own one, then you're currently drooling over one of Freefly Systems' MōVI systems (we know the feeling), which have gained incredible acclaim as cheaper and more nimble Steadicam alternatives. This week at NAB, Freefly introduces not one, but four completely new and exciting products, apparently striving for the industry's continued droolworthiness.

Freelance motion graphics designer and London-based art director T Tagholm created this mesmerizing piece with the help of After Effects. I honestly can say what it is about this video that caught my eye but I found myself transfixed in a way that was reminiscent of the time I watched Koyaanisqatsi (the second time, not the first time when I fell asleep). The undeniably hypnotic 'simulacra' is part of a larger project that is still in the works but in the meantime you can check out T Tagholm earlier released piece, 'Plain Sight'.

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.