31. Koi Fish
Possible Drone Used: PowerVision PowerEgg X Explorer
Where to Buy: Amazon
Cost: $1,000*
Not all incredible drone photos have to be taken from mile-high spots. Some of them can get just high enough to offer up an entirely new perspective from above. The PowerVision PowerEgg Z Explorer may not be able to ascend quite as high as some other drones, but it’s just as worthwhile.
Koi Fish @abstractaerialart / Instagram.com
The PowerEgg X Explorer is actually one of the best drones for capturing water or aquatic photos, like this koi fish one. It does well in the rain, and it is often used to film at-sea rescue operations. It can take off and land from water when you have the drone’s waterproof accessories installed.
At first glance this picture looks like a mix of black and orange paint with flecks of gold, but in reality it’s dozens and dozens of Koi fish swimming together at a farm in Oxfordshire, England. It’s not something you would ever see on a walk or even while watching Netflix as the angle is just so unique.
32. Bird Island
Possible Drone Used: Altair Tomahawk Outdoor Drone w/ Camera
Where to Buy: Amazon
Cost: $199*
AM Photo Co was behind this beautiful drone photo of Bird Island in Australia. A drone was the perfect choice to use for this photo as an attempt to get near the birds would have likely scared them off. Not to mention, Bird Island is a protected nature reserve.
Bird Island ©AM Photo Co / Shutterstock
Bird Island itself has been around for six thousand years when it separated from the Australian mainland when sea levels rose. The island is made of Sydney Basin sedimentary rocks, and it is a total bird-fest. More than twenty species of birds have been recorded nesting on the island. Bird Island can be seen from above, with a drone like the Altair Tomahawk Outdoor Drone, or it can be seen from a nearby lighthouse on Norah Head.
On YouTube, the Altair Aerial Company has a lot of demonstrations for those who have just purchased a Tomahawk Outdoor Drone. It teaches you how to pair it to your TV remote, calibrate the drone, set it up, and more. Altair says that the Tomahawk is “stable,” “durable,” and holds up “much better” against the wind than its “two beginner offerings.”
33. Flamingos At Lake Logipi
Possible Drone Used: Traxxas Aton Quadcopter Drone
Where to Buy: Traxxas.com
Cost: $399*
Another photo that nature photographers will love is this one of the Flamingos at Lake Logipi. For those of us used to seeing flamingos in smaller quantities at zoos or nature preserves, this veritable pink army of them is both shocking and delightful. Lake Logipi is an alkaline, saline lake at the northern end of Kenya’s Suguta Valley.
Flamingos At Lake Logipi @u/iamgulshansingh / Reddit.com
To catch these flamingos from such a high altitude, the photographer would have needed a high-altitude drone, such as the Traxxas Aton Quadcopter Drone. It’s not only able to reach new heights, it is also insanely fast, as demonstrated on Traxxas’ YouTube channel. The maker called it the “ultimate flying machine.”
34. Narrow Street Between Woodland
Possible Drone Used: DJI Mavic 2 Zoom
Where to Buy: Amazon
Cost: $1,267*
Some drones can be ridiculously expensive, but you get what you pay for. Most drone lovers agree that when it comes to general photography, a DJI Mavic 2 Zoom is a good all rounder that could potentially take shots just like this one. For just $1,267 you could have your very own.
Narrow street between woodland ©oneinchpunch/Shutterstock
This model can be purchased on sites like Amazon, and it’s not hard to see why it would be popular. It’s another wonder from DJI. The Mavic 2 has a 1.66-inch 12 MP sensor. It has two-times optical zoom, letting it get close up to its photo subjects. The Mavic 2 Zoom is the latest of the Mavic line, coming in after the Mavic Pro was wildly successful and popular.
We don’t know if the drone was used to take this wonderful shot of an English road with a field on one side and the sea on the other – but if you buy this model you could quickly learn to take one just like it.
35. The Polar Bear
Possible Drone Used: DJI Inspire 2 with Zenmuse X7 Camera
Where to Buy: DJI Drones
Cost: $6,499*
Florian Ledoux won the top prize at the Drone Awards with their photo, titled “Above the Polar Bear.” “Above the Polar Bear” featured an aerial view of a polar bear clinging to an iceberg. The shot won the 2017 Pixel Sky Contest. Taken above the 74° North, Ledoux hoped that his photos would inspire people to care more about Arctic wildlife and the environment.
The Polar Bear @WIRED / Twitter.com
The drone Ledoux has used in many of his photographs, possibly including this award-winner, is the Inspire 2, mounted with a Zenmuse X7 camera. The DJI Inspire 2 Quadcopter is often paired with the Zenmuse for optimal photographic potential.
36. On The Sea
Possible Drone Used: DJI Mavic Pro
Where to Buy: DJI Drones
Cost: $899*
Photographer Robert Corinaldesi took this Drone Awards winner, which showed an aerial view of swimmers. Corinaldesi stated that the sea was the swimmers’ “refuge,” creating a “blue carpet” between the “white foam” of the sea’s waves. “On the Sea” is not for the faint of heart, if you’re someone afraid of the water.
On The Sea @WorldPhotoOrg / Twitter.com
“On the Sea” was taken in a climate that had salty air and possible water splashes, so a drone that could have been used was the DJI Mavic Pro, a powerful drone that has a maximum transmission range of over four miles. The drone is a favorite among photography professionals.
37. Dubai Marina
Possible Drone Used: Yuneec Z500 4K Typhoon Quadcopter
Where to Buy: Yuneec.com
Cost: $1,300*
Carmine Chiriaco’s “Dubai Marina” is an aerial view of the pier of the Dubai Marina. It gives a contrasting view with the ocean water, creating an all-new angle for a space that thousands of people visit every day. The buildings in Dubai are architectural wonders, and “Dubai Marina” lets us see them from the sky.
Dubai Marina ©Carmine Chiriacò / droneawards.photo
The Yuneec Z500 4K Typhoon Quadcopter is a possible drone that could have been used for Chiriaco’s project. The Typhoon is a high-altitude drone, with the ability to reach 3,291 feet in height. Though not as high as the DJI Phantom line, which can reach almost 19,700 feet, the Typhoon is still a solid drone for those looking to get into high-altitude photography.
38. Where Herons Live
Possible Drone Used: DJI Mini 2 Quadcopter
Where to Buy: Best Buy
Cost: $599.99*
Unlike geese, herons are a bird that pretty much everyone likes. People often think that herons only reside in reeds or swampland (as that’s the most likely place you see them). However, that perception is inaccurate, as herons build their nests at the tops of giant trees.
Where Herons Live @oko.magazine / Facebook.com
Dmitri Viliunov let us see where herons call home with his aerial photograph, titled “Where Herons Live.” This ethereal, almost painting-like photo won the Wildlife Category at the Drone Awards. The DJI Mini 2 Quadcopter could have been used for “Where Herons Live.” It has the altitude capabilities to get to a height where the herons nest, but it is small enough not to spook them.
39. The Lockdown
Possible Drone Used: DJI Mavic Air 2
Where to Buy: DJI Drones
Cost: $988*
Everyone’s lives changed when the Coronavirus pandemic struck. Lockdowns and quarantines made social distancing a harsh reality, and “The Lockdown,” a photo by Bachir Moukarzel, demonstrated the way that usually-busy highways and thoroughfares were abandoned when the restrictions were put into place.
The Lockdown ©Bachir Moukarzel / droneawards.photo
The eerie, empty street in the photo was once Dubai’s busiest highway, where nearly 7,000 vehicles an hour traveled. The drone used might have been the high-flying DJI Mavic Air 2, which The New York Times described as “the best drone” for photographers looking to take aerial, high-altitude shots. That was the publication’s pick for 2020, the year this photo was taken.
40. Carpet Field
Possible Drone Used: Hubsan Zino Pro 4K
Where to Buy: Amazon
Cost: $439*
Mehmet Aslan’s “Carpet Field” was “Highly Commended” in the “People Category” of the Drone Awards. The photograph features hundreds upon hundreds of differently-colored rugs of all shapes and sizes that stretched across Turkish fields. Aslan, the photographer, said that around fifteen workers were taking a nap on the rugs, likely tired after a long day of rug-making.
Carpet Field ©Mehmet AslanReport / droneawards.photo
The reason that the rugmakers lay the rugs out in the sunshine is to draw out different colors. The natural light changes and enhances the pigmentation of the rugs. Aslan’s drone of choice is unclear, but the Hubsan Zino Pro would be great for capturing a panoramic, high-altitude, detailed picture such as this.
41. Water Lily
Possible Drone Used: SwellPro Splash 3
Where to Buy: Swellpro.com
Cost: $1,199*
The 2018 Drone Awards featured a beautiful shot, titled “Water Lily” by Le Duong. The photograph was taken in Vietnam. It is one of many that Le Duong has done featuring women at work in the country. The photograph was taken in Mekong, Vietnam. The water lily season of the Mekong Delta, which lasts for just a few months in the fall, is striking.
Water Lily @u/Nomsfud / Reddit.com
The lilies not only captivate tourists, they also are picked and harvested by locals to make additional income. The drone possibly used for a photo like this could have been the SwellPro Splash 3, a drone that is great for aquatic aerial photography.
42. Blacktip Shark
Possible Drone Used: SwellPro Spry
Where to Buy: Swellpro.com
Cost: $899*
This wildlife award-winner is titled “Blacktip Shark.” Photographer Adam Barker took this photo of a blacktip shark swimming among hordes of fish off the Abacos Islands, in the Bahamas. The Abacos Islands are a 120-mile chain of islands that offer natural wildlife for photographers and snorkelers alike.
Blacktip Shark @WIRED / Twitter.com
Blacktip sharks, along with turtles and eagle rays, are most often seen at the Walker’s Cay National Park. Blacktip sharks are usually pretty timid, scoping out divers and swimmers from a safe distance. The only time that they’d get aggressive is around food (so, in this photo). The drone used was potentially the SwellPro Spry, a good drone for taking near-water shots in humid climates.
43. Heart Of Warsaw
Possible Drone Used: Autel Evo II
Where to Buy: Best Buy
Cost: $1,499.99*
Before the pandemic, Warsaw, Poland was a bright, vibrant city. During the summer, it would be filled with the sun umbrellas of nearby restaurants, along with crowds of people. Rafal Ganowski’s drone photo, “The Heart of Warsaw” chronicled the massive change that the pandemic wrought to Warsaw.
Heart Of Warsaw @Rafal Ganowski / droneawards.photo
The once-lively city was now abandoned, as people shuttered away in their homes waiting for the virus to dissipate. The drone used could have possibly been the Autel Evo II, which has a 48 MP camera, omnidirectional sensors, and a 3.3-inch OLED screen located in the remote (so, no phone necessary to fly the drone).
44. Homecoming
Possible Drone Used: MJX Bugs 3 Pro
Where to Buy: Walmart
Cost: $267.99*
Another award-winner from Mehmet Aslan was “Homecoming,” which raked in the accolades in the “Wildlife” categories of various competitions. “Homecoming” featured a water buffalo herd passing by a foggy lake on its way to shelter, where the herd would rest for the night.
Homecoming ©Mehmet Aslan / droneawards.photo
There is a beautiful rainbow in the photograph, giving it a painting-like quality that is mesmerizing. The photograph was taken in Turkey. Water buffalos in Turkey once numbered a million in the 1970s, but, by 2010, that number dropped to just 85,000 because of wetland destruction. One of the best drones for nature photography like this is the MJX Bugs 3 Pro.
45. Black Flag Protest
Possible Drone Used: Parrot Anafi
Where to Buy: Best Buy
Cost: $699.99*
Though 2020 has ravaged countries, people still haven’t lost their will to protest about issues that matter to them. One photograph, titled “Black Flag,” proved that. Taken in Rabin Square on April 19, 2020, the photograph showed thousands of Israeli protesters maintaining social distancing in their own chalk-lined squares.
Black Flag @tomerappelbaum / Twitter.com
Tomer Appelbaum’s photograph showed that activism doesn’t die out even in the face of adversity. This photograph was taken at night, possibly with a drone such as the Parrot Anafi, which is a compact, resistant drone that has been listed as one of the best drones for nighttime photography.