It’s no secret that photographers will go to great lengths to capture the perfect photo. Allowing your drone to be melted, however, is really taking that dedication to a new level. When the Fagradalsfjall volcano in Iceland erupted recently, photographer Garðar Ólafs flew his drone so close to the heat and lava that part of it actually melted. Luckily, the drone didn’t perish on its mission and he got some pretty epic footage of the eruption.
Photo: gardarolafsphotography/Instagram
A Photographer’s Drone Melted Capturing This Insane Video of an Erupting Volcano in Iceland
Ólafs told PetaPixel, “I was flying my drone around the eruption and decided it would be cool to see it from straight above. I slowly lowered the drone until all I could see was erupting lava, and when I looked up, I didn’t see the drone anymore. Basically, I was inside the crater of the volcano.”
After the drone flight, he noticed that the volcano had melted the light on the underside of the drone and also damaged its obstacle-avoidance sensors. Although the drone does still fly, it doesn’t perform quite as well as it used to thanks to its battle scars.
Ólafs doesn’t seem to regret the treacherous flight, though. “It’s a special feeling having an erupting volcano 15 minutes from my home,” he said. “Reykjanes has always been an underestimated part of Iceland, but today it’s probably the most known part, funny how things can change in one night.” 