Lava has got to be one of the scariest of natural phenomena. Spewing, hot, and forceful, lava is the closest we will ever get to sensing the earth’s heart. She’s alive and well, and let nobody forget that! What makes a photo a guaranteed winner?
One that shows a natural landscape along with some sort of example of the awesome power of nature – especially at such close quarters. And this picture certainly has it all. Well done to the drone pilot. One of the hottest things in nature, it’s hard not to imagine what lava would do to us if we ever got too close. Not that there’s much chance of that, of course. We’re keeping our distance.
Bird of Prey
You’re innocently flying your drone, taking lovely pictures of the countryside and before you know it...BAM! A hawk swoops in and attacks! Not fair, nature! We mean, we love birds of prey and all, but leave our precious drone alone! The good news?
It didn’t happen to me, but we still understand the sheer panic of trying to keep your drone safe. For now, we get to sit back and enjoy the entertainment value of a bird defending its turf from a flying toy robot. Who won this round? We're quite sure it was the hawk. But at least we know the drone stayed intact and we got an amazing photograph out of it!
Whale Spouting Water in Action
This is an outstanding shot of a whale spinning in the water while blowing bubbles to the surface. The drone captured it perfectly for our viewing pleasure. It seems that the whale is performing a maneuver known as a bubble net.
When it spots a school of prey, it surrounds them with bubbles, then lunges up the middle to devour them all! Who knew bubbles – those light balls of air and water - would take on new meaning in the ocean? Turns out that a whale swishing around in circles surrounded by bubbles isn’t putting on a delightful show, it means dinner is served!
Low Flying Airplane
Ok, something seems a bit off here. Is this jet plane flying way too low, or is the parking lot way too close to the runway? While perfect for plane spotters looking for a thrill, it’s dangerous in every other way.
Each landing has got to be a close shave for both the cars and the plane. Whatever it is, this does not seem like a safe situation to me and smacks of poor planning. Did you notice the airplane’s shadow on the parking lot? It’s the same size as the plane! That’s how you can tell how low it’s flying.
The Tubbs Fire, Santa Rosa, CA
What a tragedy. When The Tubbs Fire started on Tubbs Lane in Santa Rosa, California in 2017, it quickly burned out of control. The result was more than 5000 buildings destroyed. This drone photo documents several city blocks having been wiped away by the fire. Sadly, 22 people lost their lives in the fire.
It also caused over a billion dollars in damage. On a positive note, thanks to modern technology including drones, it’s possible to enter extremely dangerous areas much more quickly than before in order to plan and implement assistance efforts. If only technology could help prevent fires just as easily.