Flying the Mavic 3 over the Krušné hory and Fichtelberg region last autumn was a surprisingly immersive experience. The crisp mountain air, drifting fog, and rustling leaves created an atmosphere that felt more cinematic than real—even before I hit record. I planned my flights carefully to catch the dynamic light and movement of the changing weather: slow drifting clouds over forested ridges, patches of sunlight breaking through mist, and the quiet isolation of small mountain villages. The drone performed flawlessly in those conditions, handling elevation changes and occasional gusts without sacrificing smoothness in the footage.

I shot everything in D-Log, with the goal of pushing the footage creatively in post. Back home, I used DaVinci Resolve paired with Dehancer to bring out a moodier, analog feel. The grain, bloom, and halation settings added a tactile softness to the otherwise clinical digital video, and I leaned into slightly desaturated tones with colder shadows to reflect the subdued, introspective vibe of late autumn. The color workflow was intuitive and let me really experiment with contrast without breaking the natural atmosphere of the original scenes.

What made this shoot stand out wasn’t just the landscapes—it was how quiet and slow the environment felt. There was a sense of time stretching, especially up on the Fichtelberg plateau, where the wind carried only distant sounds and the occasional creak of trees. The Mavic 3’s flight time let me take my time with each shot, often just letting the drone hover or glide gently forward to let the space speak for itself. The final result feels less like a traditional travel video and more like a short atmospheric piece—almost meditative, which is exactly what I hoped to capture.