Expertly photographed with the DJI Mavic 3 Pro, this landscape of frozen peat pools looks like an ethereal, alien world

As a regular writer for Digital Camera World, I get to look at a lot of beautiful photographs. But this one really took my breath away.

The aptly named Golden Treasure marries a love of ancient folklore with modern drone technology. The image captures frozen peat pools in an Estonian bog, their surfaces shimmering with an otherworldly golden glow. This evokes the country's traditional folktales of mysterious lights guarding hidden treasures.

Pretty spectacular, right? It's no surprise, then, that it secured Estonian photographer Sven Začek second place in the Landscapes category at this year's GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year. So how, exactly, did he pull a shot like this off?

Technical setup

Začek deployed the DJI Mavic 3 Pro drone to capture the stunning scene, utilizing its Hasselblad-branded medium telephoto camera at its 70mm equivalent focal length, f/2.8 aperture, and ISO 100.

The 70mm equivalent focal length proved particularly astute. While the Mavic 3 Pro offers a 24mm equivalent wide-angle on its 4/3-inch main sensor and a 166mm equivalent on its long telephoto, the medium camera provided ideal compression for capturing the abstract bog patterns.

Operating at ISO 100 allowed Začek to extract maximum quality from the 1/1.3-inch sensor, which delivers 48MP files with respectable dynamic range; crucial for preserving detail in both golden highlights and darker peat areas.

Put all that together, and the elevated perspective transforms the frozen peat pools into something mysterious and compelling, with golden light contrasting beautifully against organic, irregular shapes dotted with frost-covered trees.

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Portability and practicality

To put things into perspective, the DJI Mavic 3 Pro sits at the top of DJI's consumer and prosumer range. Weighing just under 1kg, it requires registration in most jurisdictions but remains highly portable; a crucial consideration when accessing remote locations like Estonian bogs.

Its triple-camera system addresses a longstanding challenge in aerial photography: providing multiple focal lengths without bulk or complexity. Photographers can switch between cameras with a single tap. The main 24mm camera handles low-light with its larger sensor and captures video up to 5.1K 50fps. The 70mm medium camera that Začek used offers 4K 60fps capability, while the 166mm telephoto extends to 7x optical zoom.

Importantly, all three cameras feature stabilization systems designed to counteract vibrations at altitude; something that's particularly crucial at longer focal lengths. The 43-minute battery life provides ample time for scouting, composing and capturing multiple frames in unpredictable natural environments.

And perhaps most importantly, collision detection and obstacle avoidance offer crucial safety margins when working in challenging terrain with trees, vegetation and uneven surfaces.

Key takeaway

Clearly, Začek's work demonstrates the creative potential of the Mavic 3 Pro's medium telephoto camera, which is often overlooked in favor of the dramatic wide-angle or long telephoto. But it also serves as a reminder that technical excellence means little without artistic vision.

While the Mavic 3 Pro is a professional-grade tool, Začek's ability to recognize potential in frozen peat pools and execute the shot with precision exemplifies the marriage of technical capability and creative vision; the key to revealing hidden beauty in overlooked places.

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