Skip to main content

Watch this breathtaking drone video of a volcanic eruption

ICELANDIC VOLCANO ERUPTION 4K - Flying through the lava

Aerial filmmaker Stefan Forster has created an extraordinary piece of work (above) that captures the breathtaking beauty of a volcanic eruption.

Shot using several DJI quadcopters, the video captures an eruption that started in Geldingadalir on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula in March 2021. Forster’s mind-blowing footage has been enhanced by a masterful editing job that takes the production to another level.

“I spent several days and nights at the volcano,” Forster wrote in comments accompanying the video. “It was such an incredible adventure. Every day the volcano looked completely different.”

The Swiss-based artist used three Mavic 2 Pro drones to capture footage that he later edited to create his extraordinary video. He said it was “pure luck” that one of his quadcopters made it through the sizzling hot lava spray. However, it didn’t emerge entirely unscathed as it returned to base “completely melted” and now has “so many malfunctions and errors that it’s funny to fly.” But, amazingly, it’s still able to capture photos and videos.

Up until recently, a video like this just would not have been possible, after all, no helicopter pilot would ever be allowed to fly this close to a volcano in full flow, not that any would be crazy enough to want to risk it, of course. But with consumer drones now equipped with high-quality 4K cameras, the possibilities are endless for talented filmmakers with polished flying skills.

Forster, 32, has been making a living out of nature photography and filmmaking since 2008, spending seven months a year traveling around the world (in ordinary times, at least), capturing content and conducting tours for others keen to learn his tricks of the trade.

Of course, if you’re a drone enthusiast and you’re now considering hightailing it to your nearest erupting volcano (yeah, like there’s a lot of them around just now), be sure to do your research beforehand. The current volcanic activity in Iceland features little highly explosive activity, but many such events are of course extremely hazardous and can cause a huge amount of destruction. And take note — even relatively calm eruptions can release toxic gases that pose a threat to human life. Iceland’s government, for example, said of the current eruption that people are “advised to stay away from valleys and other places near the fissure where toxic gases can accumulate.”

Editors' Recommendations

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Watch this Mavic 3 drone soar above the world’s highest mountain
watch this mavic 3 drone soar above worlds highest mountain dji everest

As aerial views go, gazing out from the top of the world’s highest mountain must surely be hard to beat.

Well, a film crew thought it would have a go by launching a DJI Mavic 3 drone from the summit of Mount Everest in a bid to capture even more of an aerial view.

Read more
DJI’s latest Mavic 3 update made me love the drone all over again
The DJI Mavic 3 in flight in front of blurred green trees.

DJI recently launched a new update for its DJI Mavic 3 drone that adds some significant upgrades to the camera. This comes after months of progress that has seen the drone steadily improved since it was released last year. In many ways, the Mavic 3 in 2022 is almost a new drone entirely compared to what it was in 2021. Here's what I consider to be the most notable upgrades to the Mavic 3 in the latest firmware update, v01.00.0700.

Spring Journeys with the DJI Mavic 3
Greatly improved GPS
The constant problem that has dogged the Mavic 3 throughout its lifetime so far has been the abysmal speed at which it acquires a satellite connection. For many months, whenever I wanted to fly the Mavic 3, I'd have to stand there and wait patiently for far too long. When trying to capture a fleeting moment, this is incredibly frustrating. However, this latest update seems to have finally solved the long-standing flaw of this otherwise excellent device.

Read more
The Insta360 Sphere is a virtual invisibility cloak for drones
Graphic rendering of the Insta360 Sphere drone camera attachment.

On paper, drones and 360 cameras go together like pineapple and pizza, that is to say, they are an excellent if rather niche combination. However, the problem has always been when filming with a camera that sees everything, that the view also includes whatever the camera is attached to. This means that filming with a 360 camera on a drone feels more like riding a speeder on Endor than flying unsupported through the sky. The Insta360 Sphere solves this issue by turning the drone invisible, thus fully immersing you in the experience of flight.

The Sphere accomplishes this by placing one lens on top of the drone and one beneath. The Sphere then uses software to stitch the footage from each half together so that the drone vanishes from the video, creating a seamless sphere. It’s exclusively compatible with the Mavic Air 2 and Air 2S drones from DJI and has been designed so that it doesn’t interfere with the structural integrity or various wireless systems on the drone, such as GPS. The Sphere clamps on securely around the middle of the drone in such a way that vital sensors aren’t obscured.

Read more