Skip to main content

See the National Forests like never before in these awe-inspiring drone videos

MTJF | DIXIE

What’s the difference between a National Park and a National Forest? Drones. The National Park Service banned drones several years ago after tourists proved time and time again that they couldn’t be trusted with them. But no such ban exists in the National Forests — at least, not yet — which gives filmmakers a way to capture the immensity of these locations with stunning results.

This isn’t just about having some pretty pictures to look at; the Forest Service manages nearly 200 million acres of public lands, but getting the public to actually pay attention and care isn’t always easy. To bring renewed attention to how these lands are used, the Forest Service knew it would need more than a pamphlet — much more. Its new campaign, called Your Forests Your Future, looks to build an audience across new types of media, including a podcast, video series, and eventually a VR experience. The Bridger-Teton (below) and Dixie National Forest (above) videos are the first two in a planned 155-episode series exploring every National Forest — that’s no small undertaking.

Related Videos
MTJF | Bridger Teton

To accomplish it, the Forest Service turned to veteran outdoor filmmakers Will and Jim Pattiz, brothers who have been working tirelessly on their own video project documenting the National Parks (sans drones, but still with gorgeous results). The Pattiz brothers were accustomed to working long hours for weeks at a time in the wilderness, so they were a natural fit for the Your Forests Your Future campaign.

What was new to them, however, was the ability to use a drone. “The great part about working with the Forest Service is that we can use drones, and it really allows us to make these films so much better and more representative,” Jim Pattiz told Digital Trends. “We used the [DJI] Inspire 2 for the aerials, which is an amazing tool (when it works!).”

The Inspire 2 wasn’t the only camera in the brothers’ arsenal, however. Time-lapse sequences were captured with the Sony A7R II, while most of the realtime video was shot on a Blackmagic Design URSA Mini. They have also since picked up a DJI Mavic 2 Pro, which they say doesn’t match the image quality of the Inspire 2, but is both more versatile and reliable. When we spoke with Jim Pattiz for this article, he and Will were already on location for the third video in the series. They’re not wasting a minute producing the next 153 videos.

Editors' Recommendations

Is DJI about to launch its most affordable drone yet?
Packaging apparently showing DJI's incoming Mini SE drone.

DJI looks set to announce its most affordable drone to date.

The Mini SE quadcopter has already been spotted in a Walmart store by at least one eagle-eyed shopper, along with a $299 price tag.

Read more
DJI Air 2S enters pro territory with its one-inch camera sensor and 5.4K video
dji air 2s drone one camera sensor news specs price lifestyle 2 of 4

One company that’s been getting a ton of exposure lately is DJI. Just last month, the company announced its most ambitious drone to date, the DJI FPV drone, which finally brought the company into the world of first-preson view (FPV) drones. Now, it looks like there’s still more gas in the tank because we’re getting yet another brand-new drone!

Following in similar footsteps to Apple, the DJI Air 2S is a refresh of the company’s Mavic Air 2 drone from less than a year ago. Boasting the same compact and foldable design from before, the Air 2S is most notable for the 20-megapixel, 1-inch sensor it’s boasting -- a substantial size upgrade over the ½-inch sensor used by the Mavic Air 2. With a larger sensor, you can expect better results, especially in lowlight situations, because it’s able to absorb more light.

Read more
DJI could drop a new drone this week. Here’s what to expect
dji could drop a new drone this week heres what to expect air 2s pre launch photo

Though not confirmed by the company itself, DJI is expected to unveil an update to its popular Mavic Air 2 drone this week.

The new drone is expected to be called the Air 2S, and while the name suggests an incremental update rather than a major design overhaul, there will still be some notable improvements. The news comes courtesy of OsitaLV, a reliable leaker who called it right with, for example, DJI’s FPV drone and the Osmo Pocket 2 camera.

Read more