With every new model, flying a drone becomes easier, but for the first-time users, things might still seem complicated. To reduce the risks and not to leave it to luck, you should watch this step-by-step guide, demonstrated on the newly introduced DJI Mavic drones.

Lofoten, Norway has been getting a lot of attention in the last few years, and rightfully so. Known for its incredible mountains, open waters, and unspoiled lands, it has quickly become a favorite for photographers looking to capture dramatic landscape images. Australian filmmaker Michael Fletcher took two trips here recently and came away with a fantastic aerial film, captured during the season of the midnight sun.

On-site at DJI's Los Angeles Zenmuse X7 media event, DJI also previewed a new software solution it's working on in order to help plan drone shoots during the pre-production stages. Currently under development, Project Vertex will allow users to build three-dimensional models of a location and to bring them back to the office for more accurate shot-planning.

With the latest Mavic Mini release, DJI now offers four drones in the Mavic line-up, ranging from entry level aircraft to professional grade quadcopter. But picking the right model might be confusing. Here is clear and comprehensive comparison based on direct, hands-on experience.

The DJI Spark is a fantastic tiny drone, but it comes with its limitations. To maximize the quality of your images and have more control freedom over your settings, you better be ready to invest in a couple of accessories. One of the first items I’d recommend are ND filters allowing you to adjust your shutter speed and ISO however you like instead of being forced into specific settings because of the lighting conditions. I’ve had the opportunity to try out the PolarPro Cinema Series filters for a little while now and here’s why they are an absolute must in your kit.

DJI's drone lineup has grown into a well-respected and varied range of options suitable for everything from casual snaps to high-level professional work. Three of their most popular consumer options are the Mavic Mini, Mini SE, and Mini 2, and if you are wondering which one is the best option for your needs, this excellent video review will help you pick the right choice.

Chances are that many of you are familiar with the works of Michael Shainblum. Not only was he Fstoppers' Photographer of the Month earlier this year in September, but he also garnered quite a bit of acclaim for his iconic shot of the solar eclipse in August this year. Aside from being an impressively accomplished landscape photographer, Shainblum is a skilled photography mentor. I've been a fan of his work for years now, and to this date, his tutorial covering post processing for star photography is one of the most enlightening courses I've ever purchased.

Last week I was mailed a device that claims to turn a standard paper airplane into a drone. Could this possibly be true?

Love it or hate it, drones are becoming more and more commonplace in all areas of photography. See how Canadian-born photographer and director Joey Lawrence uses drones to film war zones and learn what challenges shooting in such a difficult environment can bring.

I recently came across this video by Christoph Galep and was very impressed by the editing thereof. The transitions between shots and the slowing down and speeding up of the time-lapse provided a good energy to the video, something a simple cut edit isn’t able to do.

Motherboard obtained nearly a hundred pages of emails between the Federal Aviation Administration and federal, state, and local agencies through a Freedom of Information Act. This correspondence describes the exchange between the law enforcement officials and the FAA regarding the establishment of a no-fly zone over the protest area. This is a critical issue because the temporary flight restriction required by the police to counter the use of drones in Standing Rock collide directly with the news gathering rights protected by the first amendment.

A few years back, Lume Cube hit the market with a very small, bright LED light that is close to the size of a GoPro Hero 5 Session. These little lights have built a name for themselves over time and are now available for the Mavic 2.

Here's a high-quality but low-price entry-level drone from DJI, the Mini SE. Originally, DJI said the drone wouldn't come to the U.S. or Europe, but today, it's hit the databases of major retailers like B&H Photo.

Despite $34 million in pre-orders, the Lily drone will not see the light of day. After three years of development, the team has announced that they have run out of funds and will be refunding anyone who pre-ordered the device.

Consumer drones continue to grow both in capabilities and sheer numbers at a rate that seems to be outpacing the government's ability to find a way to properly integrate them into the national airspace. As the FAA works to catch up, their newest proposal could be a big step forward.

I have to admit that this isn't something I had envisioned doing with a drone, but boy, is it neat. DroneDeploy allows you to autonomously create 3D models of buildings and terrain as well as 2D analyses, and the best part is that it's free.

If you're like me and you've already purchased a Ronin-M gimbal, hearing news of its replacement is terrible news. Luckily, the new Ronin-MX brings new features to the table, and it's a whole new beast.

There have been many times I've wished for a zoom lens on my drone, simply because it wasn't reasonable to fly closer to something to get the shot, whether that was because of airspace, people, or some other reason. DJI has now made that possible with the release of the Zenmuse Z3.

Drone footage is mainstream, but when an elite racing pilot decides to edit his best footage captured all over the world, the result is amazing.

I have way too much fun with my drone. And while it's great for landscape shots, I wanted to try something a bit different, so I put a call out for musicians, told them to lay on the ground, and put a camera in the air. However, using a drone to take portraits is far different from having your camera at eye level.

Flatland is a project created by the Turkish photographer Aydın Büyüktaş. These images resemble scenes from the hit movie Inception, where the city seamlessly curves upward into the sky. Each image takes months of planning, and because of the complex scenery, Aydin must constantly reshoot locations in order to get the perfect alignment.

One of the biggest concerns when it comes to flying drones is airspace and safety. Drones must always yield to manned aircraft and now DJI has found a way to make this process easier than ever before.

When DJI's digital FPV system was first announced, it was big news for a lot of people in the drone industry. How does this new system stack up against what already exists in FPV and how will DJI's Digital HD FPV system play a role in its new ecosystem?

This is a really good idea, and as far as I know it's an original one. The folks at Skylum, who have given us the Luminar and Aurora image editors, are today offering AirMagic, a Mac or PC app designed to apply AI (artificial intelligence) to any drone or aerial-based image you drop into the app, either a single image or a bunch of images. The app will be released March 21, but I got an early review copy and I'll share my impressions below.

As most of us know, those who would like to fly for commercial use (any flying where the pilot will be paid) must now pass a test from the FAA and score 70% or over to fly legally. Now, I am a few days into studying for the test and realize that there is really a decent amount to know.

Panorama photos are huge, sharp, and fascinating. In this article, I will show an easy way to automatically stitch a panorama in CameraRaw and finish them off in Photoshop.

Drones are often in the news for being nuisances or potentially dangerous to aircraft, but they've also brought quality aerial cameras into the hands of thousands, including rescuers. Recent research by DJI indicates that drones saved the lives of at least 65 people last year, and they have dramatic footage of some of the rescues.

Flying a drone through a tight forest is not something even an experienced pilot would willingly do. The Skydio R1 makes it shockingly simple, and you don't even need to be a drone pilot.

As I’m sure you’ve heard or seen if you’re at all active on Social Media, there’s a new craze sweeping across America and several other countries. For many it reaches as far back as elementary school, and for some it’s new territory. You guessed it, Pokemon Go has arrived and it’s apparently changing some people’s lives as well as the way people are interacting with each other.

From the "this is why we have rules" department comes news that a drone pilot has been been convicted of reckless endangerment in a 2015 crash that knocked a Seattle woman unconscious.

I've been shooting real estate for about two years now. Today, I am shooting for my company, Simply Visual Productions, and another company, Jump Visual, which has been around for many years, and because of them, I have learned so much about working in this field. I have shot hundreds of homes and met many new people and worked with them to create photos that sell a home or space. I think it is funny that I do this because when someone thinks photography, I feel like real estate photography is the last thing they would think of. Aside from the photography aspect, I see aerial and video becoming more and more popular, which is one reason I have such an interest in it.

It has been over three years since any update to DJI's Phantom series, and given how quickly the line used to see updates and how the Mavic models have progressed, it would not be unreasonable to assume the Phantom series has been put out to pasture. That might not be the case, however, as DJI's latest event invite seems to point at a new model.

Terrorist attempt, paparazzi, intrusive droner, or unaware tourist? Whoever conducted a drone flight near the summer residence of French President Macron lost their drone, as the secret service managed to jam the aircraft before it crashed into the sea.

The smart controller merges a CrystalSky monitor with a regular controller to offer an all-in-one package. This solution is effective and comes with interesting features.

I love my Mavic. Having flown with drones for a couple of years I have to admit that little machine made photography even more fun. It also improved my photography, my vision, my ability to pre-visualize scenes and it increased the production value of my videos tremendously.

I'll be the first to say it, smoke bombs are usually too Tumblr for my taste. Generally you see them with a moody girl looking off into the distance in some backyard forest. I never got the point of those images. But I found myself mesmerized by "Chromaticity"; the smoke bombs were alive, more like wayward spirits hovering above the big blue. I was so entranced it took me half of the video to realize they were attached to drones, and the drones were nowhere to be seen.

For the longest time, I had mixed feelings about drones. Once I finally picked one up, I found myself wishing I had done it sooner.

Today, DJI announced the Mavic Mini, a 249-gram drone priced at a stunning $399. This makes the Mavic Mini one of the most affordable drones on the market, but what does this drone have to offer?

A couple of weeks ago, I bought my first drone: a DJI Mavic Pro. I’d been eyeing one for months, trying to decide if it was worth it and if I could justify its use for my business. I pulled the trigger right after Thanksgiving, have been trying to learn all of the rules about using it, and have been studying for the FAA Part 107 test ever since. And there are a lot of rules. And one of those rules is about to change — again— thanks to a bill President Trump signed yesterday that requires all drone flyers in the U.S., including hobbyists, to register with the FAA.

If you’re the parent of small children in this global pandemic, stop right now and order a drone. It will keep you (photographically) sane during what is most definitely a trying time. It certainly has helped me.

The DJI Mini 2 is here, and it brings with it a bevy of useful improvements and new features, all in the same impressively light and small package that can easily be dropped in your bag on the go. This excellent video review takes a look at the new drone and the kind of footage you can get from it in real-world usage.

For about a year now I have been shooting with my DJI Phantom 3 and it has really been an eye opener for me. I have shot people, cars, landscapes, real estate, and so much more. Learning how to fly and shoot from an aerial perspective was probably the harder part of things, which is why I needed a place I could go to fly freely. Luckily, I went to school at Monmouth University in Long Branch, New Jersey which is only about a mile away from the beach.

My entire senior year of college, I would take my drone out in the morning, day or even dusk just...

If you're a landscape photographer, a drone can offer all sorts of new perspectives and creative opportunities. This great video talks about using one, getting good shots, and working around their limitations.

I love my Phantom 4 Pro. Part of the fun is the intrigue of exploring perspectives I haven't seen before. That's why this underwater drone looks particularly interesting.

The use of drones over sensitive areas is certainly a point of contention here on Fstoppers. I think we can all agree that airports are a no go. Even if the risk is small, the damage could be catastrophic. What about irreparable heritage sites?

The holidays are a time where many photographers take a few weeks off to either be with family or relocate for vacation. Most of us who are not videographers shy away from the idea of recording the time simply because we fear it will look amateur. A few tips will help make your vacation and time with family more impressive than you thought it could be.

Drones are being gently integrated in to all areas, with photography being just one successful use. Amazon were one of the first to publicly discuss using them for delivering, but Russia launched its first postal drone today to a small public gathering; it did not go well.

Today's airspace is more and more crowded with drones that, for the most part, all do the same thing. This lack of product diversity is the reason Lily, with its unique combination of features including landing and taking off in water or on your hand, awed thousands when its promo video launched. Its incredibly good pre-order deal undoubtedly helped spread it further at a low price of $499. The best part: this wasn't a crowd-funding campaign. Lily had financing. This was happening. Until it wasn't.

During my latest trip to the Faroe Islands I noticed how many tourists were flying drones. Drones are very popular, and rules for flying become more strict by the hour. I wonder why people like to fly a drone; is it just to fly, or to make films? I use it for landscape photography.