This photo was captured using a DJI Mavic 2 Pro drone, hovering just 10 meters above the active lava flow. A perspective that would have been virtually impossible to achieve with older technology. Traditional aerial methods like helicopters couldn’t safely get this close, and ground-level photography would never offer this vantage point. The intense heat melted parts of the drone, permanently damaging the proximity sensors and warping the plastic casing. Yet it still flies, and now carries a battle-scarred patina that tells the story of how this image came to be.
Litli-Hrútur eruption, Iceland, 2023.