[Note: links may take you to affiliate partners who may pay me a commission should you make a subsequent purchase]

I bought my first drone, a DJI Phantom 4 Pro, two years ago this week!  In the past two years I’ve learned a lot about aerial photography and cinematography, as well as the laws for operating the dang things in various countries.  The Phantom 4 Pro was (and still is, I still have it) an excellent drone but took up a lot of space, so I was looking for something more portable.  DJI announced the Mavic Air and I picked one up immediately…but then my travel kinda stopped for a bit, I never got to use it on an international trip 🙁

Last summer DJI announced the Mavic 2 Pro (and Mavic 2 Zoom) and the M2P was the absolute perfect blend of versatility and size for me.  I got the drone in the mail just before I took off for an epic trip to Iceland, where I created the following video:

Anyway, I thought my two-year anniversary of droning would be a great chance to take a look at my Top 10 drone pictures from around the world!

My favorite drone pictures

Before we get going, just a quick note to always check and verify any airspace restrictions before flying a drone.  I’m not a lawyer and make no claims that all of these flights were legally flown, as regulations may have changed since they were taken, so always check for yourself 🙂

10. Rackotzbrücke, Germany

The famous circle bridge in Germany (near the small village of Kromlau) was the perfect subject for an airborne shot.  They’re currently doing some renovations to the area so the pond is drained right now but hopefully it’ll be reopened soon for everyone to enjoy again!  I love the circle created by the bridge and the reflection in the pond, it was definitely worth the 5-hour roundtrip drive from Berlin!

9. Downtown Fort Worth, Texas

This was before the ever-so-handy panorama modes came out for the DJI drones so I had to assemble this manually (which is why some of the buildings start looking a little strange in the lower corners.  Fort Worth, Texas, has a beautiful old courthouse on the edge of downtown and I love the message it conveys: from history to modernity, with the skyscrapers just a few blocks away.

8. Pennybacker Bridge, Austin, Texas

This one was a lot of fun to put together.  It involved an almost windless night, which allowed me to keep the drone in the same place, and quite a few long exposure shots, which I then combined in photoshop to show the car light trails.  I enjoy blending my landscape photography techniques with the drone to make some very cool images!

7. Krosslaug Pool, Westfjords, Iceland

The Westfjords of Iceland are incredibly remote.  In the middle of all the remoteness there’s a random public pool called Krosslaug.  It’s geothermally heated and is just so nice and pleasant.  I sent the drone up to capture just how remote the pool was compared to its surroundings.

6. Dallas, Texas

I almost didn’t want to post this one because I now know I was flying without permission in controlled airspace (sorry Dallas!) but I loved the picture too much not to (please be gentle in the comments).

5. Hamnoy, Norway

Norway’s Lofoten Islands are without a doubt one of my favorite places in the world.  Flying the drone here was a bit of an adventure because it was so windy but I ended up with this beautiful panorama during the hours-long sunset!

4. Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Town was incredible for many reasons, this drone panorama.

3. Hong Kong

This is a vertical panorama that captures a top-down look at the craziness and urban sprawl and then scrolls up to let you see the beauty of Victoria Harbour and some of the more prominent buildings Hong Kong is known for.

2. Seward Highway, Alaska

I took this picture during a season known as The Breakup, when the weather starts warming and the ice begins to melt on the waterways.  I loved the juxtaposition here of the beauty of nature on either side and then how mankind carved a path in the middle of it all.  Some would say that’s tragic but I think it was an interesting look either way.

1. Henningsvær, Norway

This sight was one of the reasons I wanted to come to the Lofoten Islands (I saw something similar on Reddit).  The cute little fishing village, the epic mountains in the background, and then, of all things, a beautiful soccer pitch on an island barely big enough to fit it.  Nearly lost my Phantom 4 Pro for this shot but it turned out just as epic as I knew it would!

Onward and upward!

I’ve taken on a few commercial projects with my drones now and am getting better and better at it, so here’s hoping for more pics to share with you soon!

Which of these is your favorite?  Tell me in the comments below!