Drones have changed photography forever and we can’t be thankful enough!
Dronestagram, an online community for dedicated to drone photography enthusiasts, has released the winners of its annual photo contest. Here are the best.
(CLICK ON THE IMAGES FOR A LARGER VIEW)
Next level by Macareuxprod
Creativity
This picture was captured on a Normand beach with my girlfriend Manon. We look forward to a happy event (a baby) and look for a fun, original and unusual way to announce it to our loved ones, family and friends. So I had the idea of this picture: Manon & myself creating a baby, represented by an old pram and like a video game. We love Normandy, the sea, and outdoor activities, so we chose naturally to shoot on the beach.
Photograph: Thibault Beguet/Dronestagram
Two Moo by Luke Bell
Creativity
It was a cold early morning in South Africa on a farm near Stellenbosch. Two cows drinking from a nearby dam caught my eye when I saw their long shadows. I launched my drone to capture the scene in a way impossible with any other type of camera.
Photograph: Luke Bell/Dronestagram
Ugo le marin by RGA
Creativity
This picture was taken early in the morning, I had gone to the beach to take some pictures. After two flights I did not find anything interesting and the weather was rather bad. I was going to leave but I had one last battery left. As I watched my children playing on the beach and drawing in the sand I had the idea of using the sand as a large sheet of paper.
So my two sons and myself drew a scene related to the sea, in the image you can see my oldest son.
Photograph: Romain Gaillard/Dronestagram
Summer Trim, France by J Courtial
First Place, Nature
I went to Valensole hoping to get an original picture rather than the classic view with the sunset in the background. I knew this was the beginning of the harvest season so I hunted down tractors and waited patiently until some started to harvest in a pattern that would create a pleasing composition from above. I just had to start the drone engine and capture the photo against really strong wind. I thought I would have had a nice picture in the day, but I had no idea this one in particular would be so well received.
Photograph: Jerome Courtial/Dronestagram
Infinite road to Transylvania, Romania by Calin Stan
Second place, Nature
This is the image of Cheia DN1A road that takes you to Transylvania, here in Romania. Yes, THAT Transylvania. Or, as the legend says, this is the view that Count Dracula himself saw on his nocturnal flight. The truth is that this is the first road that I have photographed with my drone for the Transylvania Roads Project. It all started last year in July when I was eager to see the world differently. I love nature and shooting in nature so it was a “natural” thing to do.
Photograph: Calin Stan/Dronestagram
Ice formation, Greenland by Florian
Third place, Nature
I am passionate of the Arctic and started to photograph in Greenland in 2014 to report changes in Inuit culture and to witness the beauty of this huge land. I worked 9 years in French military navy where I finished as a photograph-reporter. I did a series of photo exhibition in France about Greenland culture. Since I got the Phantom 4 pro + I am planning to do photo exhibition about the Arctic landscape, only shot from the drone.
Photograph: Florian Ledoux/Dronestagram
End of the line, USA by Martin Sanchez
First place, People
It was on a Saturday afternoon in April just before sunset. Earlier in the day I had my batteries fully charged and decided to drive down the New Jersey coast. After a full day of exploring and shooting the coast, I was tired and hadn’t had anything to eat. All I had was the fuel of some good iced coffee. It was time to finish up so I drove through town to get back on the main highway. While driving, I noticed an empty tennis court that just stood out like a treasured story in a book of empty words. First thing that came into my mind was, can’t finish the day without some visual drone art. After a few takes things got a little weird. Two people came by to play some tennis on the other court. As they got closer they had no idea what was happening on my end. They seemed very confused watching just lay on the ground and make weird holding positions. They didn’t know whether to play or call for help. When I was all done, I showed them the somewhat final result and both of them said Ohhhh! I get it.
Photograph: Martin Sanchez/Dronestagram
Waterlily by Helios1412
Second place, People
A woman harvesting water lilies in a pond in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam.
Photograph: Helios1412/Dronestagram
La Vijanera, Spain by Feelingmovie
Third place, People
La Vijanera is a winter carnival that takes place in the town of Silió, in Cantabria (Spain), the first Sunday of each year. This party consists on a group of hunters who want to capture a bear. Tour the village representing the capture of the bear. This photo is the end of the party in which the bear is captured.
Photograph: Javier Bustamante/Dronestagram
Concrete Jungle By Bachirm
First place, Urban
This picture was shot at sunset time in Dubai at 6pm trying to capture an area which was a literally a desert 10 years back and now became a concrete jungle with the highest buildings in Dubai.
Photograph: Bachir Moukarzel/Dronestagram
Dawon on Mercury Tower by Alexeygo
Second place, Urban
Sometimes going to work I leave home a little bit earlier and I get my drone with me in order to take a flight. That was the case with the given photo. I was sitting on a bench at the square near Moscow International Business Centre in search of a beautiful reflection in mirror windows of ‘Mercury’ tower. While in the flight, I saw industrial climbers. I liked the way their work looked from that perspective: they seemed to wash the city itself, not just the building’s windows.
Photograph: Alexey Goncharov/Dronestagram
Peace by Luckydron
Third place, Urban
I was in Madrid looking for a nice place for flying my drone and add it to my Instagram account (@luckydron). And I found a good place for taking a picture and when I saw my picture it was really cool and symmetrical in my point of view is hard taking a picture like that.
Photograph: Luis Saguar Domingo/Dronestragram
