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.”
