drone Archives | Moss and Fog

Art

Watch a Drone Fly Directly Into The Sphere’s Phish Extravaganza

April 26, 2024 Art

You don’t need to love the band Phish or be a fan of drone photography to be amazed by this epic fly-through of a live concert in the world’s flashiest new concert venue.

Storied jam band Phish played four sell-out nights at The Sphere in Las Vegas, with astounding visuals to accompany the party atmosphere. The venue’s all-screen and next-level sound are already considered legendary, even though Phish was just the second band after U2 to take up residency.

JayByrd Films takes us on an absolutely amazing drone journey from the exterior of the venue, through the lobby, turning tricks, and then going into the venue, which is full on rocking out to music and video.

The logistics of flying into such a complex venue during a live performance, full of people, is daunting, yet the drone operator seemingly handles it with ease. Even flying through a set of lit rings that feel impossibly small to pilot through.

Take a look at the Instagram video.

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Stills from the drone video show the progression of the journey, from outside the venue to the very heart of the stage.

Flying through the lobby of the venue, over crowds of people.

The drone flies through a series of small lit rings, showing amazing flight coordination.

The drone then flies over the huge crowd, to the stage, and around the artists as they play.

Next-level visuals from a next-level venue.

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A post shared by Jay Christensen (@jaybyrdfilms)

Showing the full surround of the Sphere’s interior displays.

The visuals enveloping the audience with color and pattern.

Check out more of JayByrd Films’ work on their website.

Photography

Fireworks and Drones Combine to Create Amazing Long Exposure Images

May 1, 2023 Photography

Combining drones, flammable powder, and long exposure photography, French visual artist Jadikan creates stunning light paintings over natural landscapes.

The rings of fire that are created look like sparkly veils, or even magical portals to a different dimension. We see the sparks fall in circular formation, captured beautifully with photography that takes in the scenic surroundings. Impressive work.

Petapixel talks to Jadikan who explains:

“In each photograph, you can follow a circle of fire that wanders from landscape to landscape to transform them into unknown and lunar places. This round shape inspires unity and harmony in the images while provoking a feeling of strangeness”

See more of Jadikan’s impressive work on their website and Instagram.

Documentary Film

Fly Directly Over An Active Volcano In This Stunning Short Film

April 16, 2021 Documentary Film

Fagradalsfjall volcano recently erupted in Iceland, just 25 miles from the country’s biggest city, Reykjavík.

In this age of accessible cinematography, the eruption was the perfect occasion for filmmakers to capture this amazing natural event.

French director Stéphane Ridard used a drone to capture some stunning footage of the eruption, in a way that normally we only see with major film crews and major equipment.

Called ‘Stranded’, the short film gives us a sense of the power and heat of the eruption, which we read melted a number of drones that flew too close to the lava.

Check out his beautiful short film and portfolio website.

Via Colossal:

Art

More of Reuben Wu’s Stunning Drone Light Landscapes

November 12, 2020 Art

Artist and photographer Reuben Wu has created a whole genre of long exposure drone photography, using lights on the drones to create geometric shapes and forms. His photos are often taken in alien-like desert landscapes, further pushing the images into surrealist territory. Here are some of his latest photographs, exploring dramatic and unusual rock formations, lit with drone aerials. See more of his work on his website.

Via My Modern Met:

Photography

Drone Footage Captures Families Surviving Their Quarantines

March 30, 2020 Photography

Photographer Adas Vasiliauskas shows us life under quarantine in his native Lithuania. Using a drone, (and permission from friends and strangers), he passes by their windows to see how they’re living under a strict quarantine order.

We see families at play, couples smiling out windows, and generally an upbeat attitude during this strange and scary time. And although life is getting especially tricky trying to continue working (or handling a new jobless status) at home, it’s good to see people trying to make the most of a bad situation.

Via DesignYouTrust:

Nature

A Textural Tour of Iceland

March 18, 2020 Nature

Iceland is like a laboratory for planet Earth, a landscape so wild and varied that it sometimes seems to defy explanation and reason. Indeed, it’s a country with few trees, but a massively diverse natural look and feel, and Kevin Krautgartner‘s Iceland From Above is a clear exploration of just that.

In his series of drone photography, Iceland’s multiverse of textures comes alive, from bright green lichen to rocky volcanic landscapes.

Click on the images below to see them in stunning aerial detail. Via Behance:

Future

Underwater Drone Seeks and Collects Ocean Microplastics

February 11, 2020 Future

Draper is a non-profit research institution that is helping to understand and solve the issue of micro plastics in our oceans.

One of their latest projects is the Draper underwater drone, which will seek and collect the micro plastic that it finds, almost like an underwater vacuum. Not intended to clean up the oceans just by itself, rather the Draper drone will collect samples and also map plastic hotspots, so that more detailed and accurate maps of the pollution can be made.

It’s a very futuristic design, we appreciate the need for “This is not a weapon” to be emblazoned on the side, so scuba divers and boaters don’t think they’re seeing an underwater torpedo. Fascinating project, read more on DesignBoom:

Colors

Finnish Island Photographed Overhead For All Four Seasons

July 8, 2019 Colors

This small but idyllic little private island in Finland hosts a small home, a barn, a dock, and a few animal sheds. It is the focus of photographer Jani Ylinampa who explores the northern Lapland part of his country. Located in city of Rovaniemi, Ylinampa has cleverly photographed the island from above in all four seasons, giving you a full year’s perspective on this little drop of land. Via DesignYouTrust:

General

Gorgeous Mexico, As Seen From Above

April 11, 2019 General

Mexico is such a beautiful country, full of as much natural beauty as it is culture and food delights. What better way to capture the essence of Mexico than by seeing it from an aerial perspective? Photographer Dimitar Karanikolov travels to Tulum, Bacalar, Chichen Itza, Rio Lagartos, Holbox, Oaxaca, Hierve El Agua, and Puerto Escondido to create a stunning series of imagery.

We’re big fans of Karanikolov’s style, having written about him here and here. He has a natural eye for composition, and his fabulous travels take him to some amazing locations around the globe. This series shows us a particularly relaxed and at ease view of Mexico, from a gentleman casually riding a bike through the surf, to a catamaran floating on perfect cerulean seas. Delicious. Via Behance:

Colors

John Dean’s Impressive Ocean Aerials

March 31, 2019 Colors

Really beautiful ocean aerial photography from Australian John Dean. Warm sunsets and turquoise waters blend perfectly, creating vibrant compositions that make you want to dive right in. Via Fubiz:

Documentary Film

Award Winning Drone Photography from 2018

March 26, 2019 Documentary Film

SkyPixel hosts an annual drone photography contest, and 2018 proved to be a very impressive year, with entrants from all over the world, and some really stunning aerial vantage points.

From pods of hippos, to silhouetted sand dunes, to statues appearing through the clouds, it’s clear that aerial photography has progressed rapidly since the advent of affordable drones. We see an amazing array of colors, textures, and scenery that simply isn’t viewable from anywhere but high above. Take a look at some of the submissions below. Via DYT:

Architecture

Barcelona From Above

March 8, 2019 Architecture

Inspired by the many shapes, forms, and topography of Barcelona, Márton Mogyorósy scours Google Earth to find places to explore, and then photographs them with the use of a drone.

His images are as varied as the makeup of this Spanish city, from curving apartment blocks to the hundreds of boats moored at the coastline. We love good aerial perspectives, and these are especially dynamic. Via Colossal:

Documentary Film

Tom Hegen’s Winter World

February 14, 2019 Documentary Film

A beautifully white and serene series by Tom Hegen, showcasing earth in winter snow cover, from shoreline to mountain range to open field. The diversity of our landscapes are impressive, and we’re in an era where cheap, high quality aerial photography is available to almost anyone. Via IG:

Images used with artist’s permission.

“I focus on aerial photography projects that show impact of human presence on earth. As a photographer I am interested in the relationship between man and nature. In my aerial photography I focus on landscapes that have been heavily transformed by human intervention. I am trying to sensitize the viewer for those subjects by taking a look on the extraordinary forces impacting our environment.”

Colors

Western Australia’s Coast From Above

February 1, 2019 Colors

We know people like to hate on drones, but doggonit, they allow for some amazing aerial photography, previously only possible with expensive helicopter and airplane access.

Case in point – this lovely collection of shoreline photos in Western Australia, by Kevin Krautgartner. The color of the water is beautiful, and make us want to jump into the sea. More of Krautgarter’s work available on Behance, as well as the ability to buy prints.

Art

Eery Aerials By Leah Kennedy

August 31, 2018 Art

Aerial perspectives can tell so much, from an all-encompassing vantage point, but also the mood of a location, and the way it fits into the larger landscape. This striking series by Leah Kennedy shows a vast and empty desert landscape, dotted with small, almost toy-like homes. What we’re seeing is the outskirts of Swakopmund, Namibia, in Southern Africa. The Monopoly-piece homes are part of a development that has taken shape over the last few years, bringing communities to an otherwise featureless part of this land.

Her unique perspective on this unusual place makes for a striking visual canvas. The cute, colorful homes are appealing for their small stature, but the tree-less, featureless surroundings make us feel vulnerable and turned off. We know Namibia to have some of the most impressive landscapes and animal life on the planet, so it’s new to see this strangely desolate side of the country. Via Behance:

Art

Reuben Wu’s Aeroglyphs

August 28, 2018 Art

Artist Reuben Wu is becoming known as the ‘drone artist‘, a moniker we’re not sure should stick, but one that describes the tools with which much of his art is created. In his latest series, Aeroglyphs, Wu uses drones with lighting attachments to create simple, geometric forms over bodies of water, thanks to long exposure photography.

The simple forms you see could so easily be created in Photoshop, but the fact that they’re made with flying objects make them so much more interesting. His choice of open bodies of water for the imagery makes for a clean, open canvas, and allows for the long exposure photography to capture the light reflections. We love the simplicity, and the physical nature of this art, despite it being only viewable through the camera’s lens. Via Colossal: