227. A Flock Never Seen Before
Possible Drone Used: PowerVision PowerEye
Where to Buy: Drones Direct
Cost: $4,000*
This mesmerizing, almost animated image of a flock of pink-footed Geese was the proud winner of the “Photo of the Year” award during the 2021 Drone Photo Awards and depicts nature’s unwritten dynamics. Captured by Terje Kolaas, this entry shows a huge flock of birds flying north as a rebellion against the weather conditions.
A Flock Never Seen Before Terje Kolaas/Drone Awards 2021
These geese would travel to central Norway, eventually heading towards the Arctic breeding grounds on Svalbard. Touching on the sensitive topic of global climate change, this perfectly timed drone photograph proves relevant to all who look at it.
228. Abstract Nature
Possible Drone Used: Autel Robotics Evo
Where to Buy: Amazon
Cost: $1,330*
One look at this image, and one can easily deduce that it is an abstract canvas painting, but is it really so? Ranked as the runner-up in the 2021 Drone Photo Awards “Series” category, this canvas-like image is actually a toxic water waste pond formed in Huelva, Spain, due to a copper mine.
Abstract Nature Manuel Enrique González Carmona/Drone Awards
Although these mesmerizing abstractions are merely ephemeral formations that will be washed away by new wastewater or rain, they paint a deep picture of the long-lasting consequences of industrialization for those who are able to grasp the concept of evil in beauty.
229. A Disastrous Mix
Possible Drone Used: DJI Mavic 2
Where to Buy: DJI Drones
Cost: $1,599*
This image gives us a beautiful birds eye view of a 500-year-old monastery in Russia’s Moscow until one looks at the disastrous background. One of the city’s most significant power plants foregrounds the image, with the steam flowing out of its cooling towers encapsulating the historical imagery with a particularly opaque fog.
A Disastrous Mix Sergei Poletaev/Drone Awards 2021
The frosty winter further adds to the density of the steam, making it a truly undesirable combination. This perfectly angled drone image won the 2021 Drone Photo Awards in the “Urban” category, and rightly so.
230. Human, Light, and Water, All in One
Possible Drone Used: DJI Mavic 2 Zoom
Where to Buy: DJI Drones
Cost: $1,149*
Winner of the 2021 Drone Photo Awards in the “Sports” category, this drone-captured image is truly a sight to behold with its amalgamation of the depiction of man, water, light, and sky. Captured by Phil De Glanville, it shows surfer Ollie Henry tactically escaping a jumbo wave off the South Western Australian coast.
Human, Light, and Water All In One Phil De Glanville/Drone Awards 2021
The sheer magnitude of the wave and immensity of the ocean, when compared to the tiny human, truly presents man with a humbling image. The beautiful rainbow formed by the ocean’s water spray acts like the cherry on top, completing the overall animated vibe of the picture.
231. Deadly Yet Mesmerising Iceland
Possible Drone Used: Yuneec Typhoon H Plus Hexacopter
Where to Buy: Drones Direct
Cost: $1,862*
This image seems to be extracted from a cleverly produced sci-fi movie featuring either the end of the world or the birth of something sinister. But the picture is 100% real and captured in Iceland, showcasing one of the most deadly yet mesmerizing qualities of the Earth: the eruption of a volcano.
Deadly Yet Mesmerising Iceland Martin Sanchez/Drone Awards 2021
Winner of the 2021 Drone Photo Awards in the Nature category, this image perfectly depicts the heavenly yet deadly ways we can find beauty in Mother Earth.
232. The Trail
Possible Drone Used: DJI Phantom Pro V2.0
Where to Buy: Amazon
Cost: $2,500*
If images had emotions, this picture would have the words “comfort” and “peace” written all over it. Winner of the 2021 Drone Photo Awards in the “Wildlife” category, this drone photo depicts nature in a very simple visual: a turtle casually strolling through the sand to reach water, leaving a trail behind.
The Trail Kassim El Persi/Pop Photo
The image was captured on the Omani coastline nestled between the Rashad turtle reserve and Ras Al Jinz. The green turtle peacefully returning to the water after laying its eggs in her nearby nest is enough to give a dopamine boost to whoever looks at it.
233. The City In The Sky
Possible Drone Used: Swellpro Spry
Where to Buy: Wellbots
Cost: $899*
Most of us used to wonder what the world above the clouds looked like. Was there a city up there too? This image answers many of our childhood questions, showing us that there is, indeed, a city up above the clouds.
The City In The Sky Hugo Healy/Skypixel
This entry to the 2021 Drone Photo Awards was commended in the “Urban” category and depicts a rare image of the downtown Dubai skyline from the sky. Not all aerial pictures are this perfect; this one was the result of warm mornings and cold nights, creating the perfect blend of weather conditions to capture Dubai’s iconic skyscrapers peeking from above the clouds.
234. A Fight From Above
Possible Drone Used: Parrot HydroFoil MiniDrone
Where to Buy: Amazon
Cost: $88*
This image was ranked as a “commended entry” in the 2021 Drone Photo Awards in the “Sport” category and perfectly depicts the intricate culture of an Eastern bazaar. A makeshift wrestling arena is the center of attention in the market closed for a holiday, where a tournament is underway under the watchful gaze and hollering mouths of hundreds of onlookers.
A Fight From Above Amitava Chandra/Drone Awards 2021
This timeless image was captured from an old high-rise structure attic using a drone and is undoubtedly a simple yet fascinating show of culture intermingled with sports.
235. Color From Above
Possible Drone Used: DJI Inspire 2
Where to Buy: DJI Drones
Cost: $3,000*
Creativity knows no bounds, especially in the amalgamation of nature’s creations with those of man’s. This innovative and nifty image depicts such creativity, giving us a bird’s eye view of a colorful field that seems to be painted by different-colored cars.
Color From Above F. Dilek Yurdakul/Drone Awards 2021
The red car standing in front of the red plants gives the impression that man’s creation left these trailing colors behind, which are actually nature’s offspring. A participant of the Drone Awards, this image is undoubtedly one of its kind, whether it’s the visuals or the underlying concepts.
236. Straight From A Disney Movie
Possible Drone Used: DJI Inspire 2
Where to Buy: Wex Photo Video
Cost: $4,000*
This image seems almost animated, taken straight from a Disney movie where the pretty little princess has been taken hostage with no way out. But the castle in this image is not animated; it is the famous French monastery Mont Saint Michel shrouded in a gloomy morning fog.
Straight From a Disney Movie Deryk Baumgartner/Skypixel
This breathtaking picture won the grand prize in the Skypixel Contest held in 2018, and rightfully so. The historically epic construction, mingled with the dramatic effects of the clouds and fog, truly makes this shot a sight to behold.
237. Four Moo Moos
Possible Drone Used: PowerVision PowerEgg X Explorer
Where to Buy: Amazon
Cost: $1,000*
This iconic picture was captured by chance when Cape Town-based photographer and videographer Luke Bell spotted two cows peacefully gulping water from a stream. Bell spotted the cows on a cold September morning in the early dawn hours while strolling along a farm.
Four Moo Moos @LukeMaximoBell/Dronestagram
The long shadows of the cows in the picture almost seem like a separate entity, which is precisely what Bell thought before whipping out his camera and capturing the concept at an angle perfect enough to capture the scene’s true beauty.
238. Tower Cleaning Spidermen
Possible Drone Used: Traxxas Aton Quadcopter Drone
Where to Buy: Traxxas.com
Cost: $399*
This image of tower cleaners clinging to the surface of the Mercury Tower at dawn is quite simple but exceptionally pleasing. The visuals of these cleaning Spidermen were captured by Alexey Goncharov, who is not even a photographer to begin with. A physicist by profession, Goncharov says that he likes taking pictures with his drone before going in for work, which is exactly what he did this morning.
Tower Cleaning Spidermen Alexey Goncharov/Dronestagram
According to Goncharov, the sight held his attention because of how the workers “seemed to wash the city itself,” not the building’s windows alone.
239. The Castle of Our Dreams
Possible Drone Used: DJI Mavic 2 Zoom
Where to Buy: Amazon
Cost: $1,267*
It is not every day we get to see a real-time image of a castle that we have been dreaming about since our childhood, prompted by the animated cinematic experiences of our time. This image is not that of a castle but rather comes with an even richer history.
The Castle of Our Dreams r/AbandonedPorn/Reddit
It offers a glimpse of an abandoned college in the beautiful countryside in the Republic of Abkhazia, where ethnic cleansing expelled people from their home in the 1990s. The abandoned building now stands as an epitome of ruin, plunder, and injustice, seemingly shrouded in eternal gloom.
240. A Wallpaper From Iceland
Possible Drone Used: DJI Mavic Pro
Where to Buy: DJI Drones
Cost: $899*
This image seems the perfect choice for a natural wallpaper capable of inducing both wonder and a soothing sensation. But it almost seems animated, which may be because it is not one image but rather 12 distinct images put together to give a panoramic depiction of this beautiful sight.
A Wallpaper From Iceland olivier/Skypixel
A single drone image cannot do justice to the brilliant landscapes of Iceland, shrouded with cloud-capped mountains and gushing, vein-like rivers. That is precisely why this image, made by stitching 12 together, offers a better real-time experience of the scenery.
241. Saint Petersburg and Its Churches
Possible Drone Used: Potensic T25 GPS Drone
Where to Buy: Amazon
Cost: $200-$250*
This exceptional drone image is truly one-of-a-kind when it comes to capturing the beauty of history. It captures the glory of the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. Located in Saint Petersburg, Russia, this splendid structure started construction in 1893, adopting Archimandrite Ignaty and Alfred A. Parland’s romantic yet nationalism-infused architectural style.
Saint Petersburg And Its Churches ©Amos Chapple/stock.adobe.com
Certain perfectly captured images can surely take you back to the past, and this historic shot is one of those images.
242. Foregrounded History
Possible Drone Used: DJI Mavic Pro
Where to Buy: DJI Drones
Cost: $899*
Age-old history-infused structures, exceptional natural scenery, and hot air balloons floating in the background; this image has everything needed to make the perfect cover for a movie or animated film. This brilliant picture, however, is not animated: it is Witold Ziomek’s masterpiece captured in Bagan, Myanmar.
Foregrounded History Witold Ziomek/Skypixel
The image visualizes the country’s ancient history, complementing it with colorful hot air balloons adorning the sky in the background. History lovers are bound to love this brilliant drone shot!
249. A Whiff of Childhood
Possible Drone Used: Parrot ANAFI
Where to Buy: Amazon
Cost: $700*
It is not just scents that take you back to your childhood: pictures can do that too. This drone image is enough to make everyone time travel back to the innocent days of their childhood spent drawing little pointed huts in the sand, thinking that was how the world looked to grownups.
A Wiff Of Childhood RGA/National Geographic
It brilliantly captures the essence of childhood in a simple shot, giving us an aerial view of a child’s simple drawings in the sand. This drone image gives off a scent of childhood, and everyone can pick up on it.
250. Grim Reaper or Fisherman?
Possible Drone Used: DJI Spark
Where to Buy: Amazon
Cost: $499*
One look at this drone image may make you wonder whether you’re looking at the grim reaper caught on camera or a human. Thankfully, this drone shot features a fisherman from China plying his trade.
Grim Reaper or Fisherman ©Imaginechina-Tuchong/Depositphotos
He almost seems to glide over the water, marking his territory through the years of his life he gave over to the sea to learn the tricks of capturing its creatures. The image is so different it may be astonishing, and even scary, to look at when all it does is depict an average day in the life of a fisherman.