Best Aerial Photography of the Year: See the Jaw-dropping Winning shots

If you love stunning photography, the winning shots of the 4th annual International Drone Photography Contest will absolutely amaze you. Here is some incredible aerial photography from the fourth edition of the Dronestagram contest in partnership with National Geographic. This contest showcases beautiful aerial photography in four categories: urban, nature, creativity and people. Here are the winners of each photography category:

Urban

This category features images of skylines, buildings, and cities that these photographers captured – the aerial photography shows these cities and urban landscapes in a while new light.

1st Prize Winner: Concrete Jungle by bachirm

Bachir Moukarzel’s picture is of Dubai around sunset. He is particularly intrigued by the fact that this city was a desert just ten years ago, and is now a concrete jungle with the highest buildings in Dubai. It was taken on a P4PRO, and is a stunning example of aerial photography.

Photo: bachirm

2nd Prize Winner: Dawn on Mercury Tower by alexeygo

This photograph was taken in Moscow by Alexey Goncharov, and was near the International Business Centre. It was taken on a Phantom 4, and it showcases the work of industrial climbers on the tower “Mercury” in Moscow City.

Photo: Alexey Goncharov

3rd Prize Winner: Peace by luckydron

The final photo in the Urban category is of Madrid by Luis Saguar Domingo, and was taken by a Phantom 4. A unique perspective of a fascinating, vibrant city.

Photo: Luis Saguar Domingo

Nature

This category focuses on photography that showcases Earth’s beauty. These are all photos of beautiful natural places on the planet.

1st Prize Winner: Provence, Summer Trim by jcourtial

The winning photograph was taken by Jerome Courtial of Valensole. He used the Phantom 4, and explains how he captured this winning shot, “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. My girlfriend was with me and I must thank her for you patience as we waited quite a long time to find the perfect spot. It has now become my favourite picture ever taken.”

Photo: Jerome Courtial

2nd Prize Winner: Infinite Road to Transylvania by Calin Stan

Calin Stan, a professional photographer says, “Infinite road to Transylvania – yes, THAT Transylvania. In Romania, of course. This is the road that goes to Sighisoara, Count Dracula’s birth place. The legend says that this is how he sees the country, in his nocturnal flights!” A stunning image that even Count Dracula might love!

Photo: Calin Stan

3rd Prize Winner: Ice Formation by Florian

The final photograph for the Nature category was taken by Florian Ledoux, who showcases the sea ice formation in East Greenland during Febuary 2017. He says, “We can already see there the climate changes and direct impact on ice.”

Photo: Florian Ledoux

People

The drone photos in this category all feature people, but taken in creative ways.

1st Prize Winner: End of Line by Martin Sanchez

This picture was taken on a tennis court by Martin Sanchez, and features himself. He uses the DJI Mavic Pro, and says, “When you walk around a new world perspective you forget what is up and what is down.”

Photo: Martin Sanchez

2nd Prize Winner: Waterlilu by helios1412

This photo is of a boat in water that is surrounded by lilypads – a woman harvests water lilies in a pond in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. A creative take on this type of location, we love the vibrant colors on every inch of this amazing photograph.

Photo: helios1412

3rd Prize Winner: La Vijanera by feelingmovie

The final photo in the People category was taken by Javier Bustamante on a Phantom 4. It is a photo of a winter carnival in Silió, Spain.

Photo: Javier Bustamante

Creativity

The final category is a new one created to celebrate the talent of those who entered their contest. Each of these pictures has a special aspect you’ll love:

Two Moo by LukeMaximoBell

Two cows take their morning drinks as the sun casts their shadows across the water. The angle keeps the viewer staring at it for minutes at a time.

Photo: LukeMaximoBell

Next Level by macareuxprod

Once again, a creative spin on a relatively common thing. As the photographer says, “My girlfriend and me will be soon new parents, so this picture was a funny and original way to announce the new to our friends and family, inspired by old school videogames.”

Photo: macareuxprod

Ugo Le Marin by rga

This final photograph is such an interesting concept. It features a boat traced in sand with a person hanging on its edge. At the bottom, there is an angry sea creature looking at the hanging human. It is truly a creative picture that belongs in this category.

Photo: rga

All these aerial photography shots showcase an extremely cool way to view the world that many of us would never think of. Check out more stunning photography on Dronestagram.