Recent Drone Articles

DRL Simulator: The Best Alternative for Flying Indoors

So, it's cold, windy, and snowing outside. What are you supposed to do with that fancy drone of yours? Considering it's hard to fly most drones inside, DRL Simulator is game for PC or MAC that you can use to practice flying.

Lensrentals Has Decided to Start Renting Drones for Aerial Video and Photography

In a bit of a surprise, a blog posted today from Lensrentals explains the different options of drone systems now available for rent, including a short list of rules and tips for flying for both recreational and commercial use. While I've seen many requests online from people asking where they could rent a drone for a one-time shoot, most companies have stayed away. So is this a good idea or a bad idea?

Drones Are Saving a Life Every Week

Drones are often maligned, whether as nuisances or dangers. Nonetheless, they are a very useful tool for rescuers, so much so that a new study shows they are saving a life every week.

Creative Aerial Photography: Photoshop Time-lapse

As I continue to add content to my YouTube channel, I thought it would be fun to try something new and screen-record myself while doing an edit. During this process I remembered the importance of trying edits like this to familiarize myself with the programs I use on a day to day basis.

New York State Police Unmanned Aerial System

The announcement of the unmanned aerial program by New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo states that drones will be used to support law enforcement on disaster response and traffic safety. This aerial program will be used to assist law enforcement and become more cost effective over police helicopters and planes.

Can You Clean Your Gutters With a Drone?

Anyone who owns a home with trees around it will tell you what a pain cleaning the roof and gutters is; it is probably one of the most universally hated but necessary household chores. Wouldn't it be great if you had a flying leaf blower that could take care of things? It turns out you kind of do — if you own a drone.

Helpful Tips for Better Drone Photos

Consumer drones have made remarkable strides in the last few years, and it is now possible to get professional image quality from affordable devices, opening entirely new perspectives and creative possibilities to photographers. If you are new to working with a drone, this great video tutorial will give you some helpful tips on settings and editing to get the best possible images.

Epic Views From a Secluded Fire Lookout

I have only been to a fire lookout once, and it was by accident. The experience of being high above the landscape was exhilarating, and the views were outstanding, but I didn’t stay long, as I thought I was trespassing.

Tips for Flying Your Drone After it Snows

Flying your drone in snow is not a good idea, but after it has finished snowing, there might be a great opportunity to capture some singular and beautiful shots, both video and photo.

PSA: Three Days Left to Get a Refund for the Lily Robotics Drone

News of Lily Robotics' action-oriented drone arrived with much fanfare. But a few months ago, Lily filed for bankruptcy and announced it would not be able to fulfill any of its pre-orders. Thankfully, they're at least trying to refund pre-order customers (pending approval by a judge), but you only have until July 10 at 4 p.m. Eastern to submit a claim. While you can mail one in, it will be much easier and faster to simply fill out the information online. But if you don't act now, you could lose your right to a refund.

The New York City Drone Film Festival Is Only a Month Away

The third annual New York City Drone Film Festival will be held on March 17–19, 2017. The Festival will consist of aerial cinematography seminars, beginner/intermediate/master classes, Day of Drones at the Liberty Science Center, drone expos, flight demonstrations, drone building programs, FPV racing, and last but not least, a red carpet event and film screening.

Your Drone Registration With the FAA Will Be Publicly Available

The countdown to mandatory drone registration with the Federal Aviation Administration has begun here in the United States. But there is one major privacy issue that has recently come to light. Personal information from drone owners, including names and addresses, will eventually be publicly available, according to a report from Forbes.

Capturing Something Different: Abstract Aerial Art Creates Amazing Images of the Earth's Texture

I have been flying my drone for just about two years now and am always looking to push myself to find new things to shoot. A year ago when I was in Nevada, I shot the ground of the desert with my Phantom 3 and was intrigued by the look and texture in the photo. At the time, I hadn't seen many photos showing textures of the earth until a few months later when I stumbled upon Abstract Aerial Art. Every time I look at their photos, I can't help but to stare at them and try to understand what I am looking at.

Should Drone Insurance Be Required?

Drone manufacturers and legislators are constantly working to adapt to each other and to create a framework in which operators can work safely alongside everything else in the air. As part of that, the insurance industry is trying to tackle the new landscape. Should drone insurance be mandatory?

Fstoppers Exclusive: Santa Is Switching to Drone Delivery

Amazon is not the only company planning on using drones for shipping. Following the trend, Santa Claus enrolled the professional drone pilots from Team BlackSheep to expedite the massive gift delivery operation. Here is an inside look at the Christmas mission operated directly from Finland.

Location Scouting: A Vital Step When It Comes to Creating

A few days ago I had the idea to shoot a new video. This project would involve three cars driving in a formation next to one another, which means location is key. Over the summer, I went to a spot next to a bridge to do some flying and thinking back to then, this would be an ideal spot to do this shoot. Without any planning, this idea would crumble which is why it is important to always scout these locations beforehand.

Behind the Scenes of a Landscape Shoot at Mount Fuji

Mount Fuji is one of the most iconic locations on the planet and it is often photographed. However, shooting it at sunrise, in the fog, and with a drone are three slightly rarer occurrences, and all feature in this video!

Multiple Companies Testing Drone Jamming Systems

Drones continue to be polarizing: many photographers are embracing them for the way they enable new creative opportunities at relatively affordable prices, while some are bemoaning them as a danger, particularly to air traffic. Three British companies worked together to develop the Anti-UAV Defence System (Auds), which will soon be deployed for testing by the FAA and two U.S. companies.

Great Performance at a Great Price: Fstoppers Reviews PGYTECH’s Mavic 3 Filter Line

DJI’s Mavic 3 is an amazing drone, but DJI’s pricing for their filters isn’t so amazing. Fortunately, companies like PGYTECH have made a range of filters compatible with the Mavic 3’s unique mount and camera setup. Are they worth pairing with the high-performance camera the drone is equipped with? I put PGYTECH’s Mavic 3 filter series to the test in this review.

Law Enforcement to Use Drones to Respond to Gunshots?

Authorities in Louisville, KY have submitted a proposal to utilize drone fleets to quickly provide situational awareness to local law enforcement in the event of gunfire. How will it work and is it a good idea?

FAA Begins Testing Drone Detection System

One of the biggest concerns about drones is their usage around airports. Several recent close calls have left the government scrambling to continue to catch up to the quickly evolving capabilities and usages of the flying cameras. The FAA is now testing a new system for detecting unauthorized drones near airports.

Using Drones to Make Lighting Fires Safer

Controlled burns are crucial to conservation efforts, but setting them can be dangerous to firefighters. In fact, five have lost their lives in the past eleven years during such efforts. A team from the Nebraska Intelligent Mobile Unmanned Systems (NIMBUS) Laboratory at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is seeking to make the job safer by removing humans from the equation.

Astonishing Super 8 Drone Footage

Strap yourself in, Jason De Freitas is back with a new project. This time he’s attached a Super 8 Camera to a drone and the footage is astonishing.

Embracing the End of the Seasons

Here in NJ we are lucky enough to have four seasons: Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer. Maybe I shouldn't say "lucky" because it would be nice to have warmer weather year-round but the seasons do make for taking great photos. Though it's the first week of spring, we were just slammed with another big snow-storm and hopefully the last.

Drunk Droning Set to Be Illegal in New Jersey

New Jersey lawmakers approved legislation on Monday to ban inebriated drone operation. With drone sales continuing to skyrocket in 2017, there are increased concerns of drone accidents, leading to increased regulation worldwide on the aerial gadgets. If the bill is signed into law by outgoing governor Chris Christie or governor-elect Phil Murphy, the message that the state of New Jersey will deliver is don't drink and drone.

How Drones Are Being Used to Help Stop Poaching

Tsavo, a region in Kenya, contains the world's largest elephant population, and thus, it is a prime target both for poachers and conservationists. Nonetheless, policing the 8,150-square-mile area is a daunting task. With some clever math and the help of drones, though, Penn State University researchers are helping to make that task much easier.

Is Snap Looking to Get Into Drones, In Talks With Hover?

It’s possible that Snap has more than just spectacles on the brain (er, head?). Reports are floating around that Zero Zero Robotics, makers of the Hover Camera Passport drone, approached Snapchat’s parent company for funding.

Scientists Are Using Drones to Study Tornadoes

Tornadoes are notoriously hard to predict and to study, but better understanding the complex processes that lead to their formation is crucial to providing the sort of advance notice needed to save lives. Researchers in Project TORUS are turning to drones to better study these dangerous storms.

First Hands-On Look At New DJI Avata 2 FPV Drone

DJI, maker of the world's best consumer and professional camera drones, recently announced the brand new Avata 2 FPV drone. They were able to send me one to test out, and in this video, I ask the question: "is the Avada 2 worth upgrading from the original Avata drone?"

A Review of the Affordable DJI Mini 4K

The new DJI Mini 4K offers a very affordable and portable entry into the world of drone photography and filmmaking. Can it match your needs? This excellent video takes a look at what to expect.