25. Love Heart of Nature
Possible Drone Used: Parrot HydroFoil MiniDrone
Where to Buy: Amazon
Cost: $88*
This stunning image won the Drone Awards “Photo of the Year.” Photographed by Jim Picot, this intriguing, heart-shaped photo features a shark swimming inside a school of salmon. As the shark is chasing the baitfish, the shape turns into an uncanny heart shape.
Love Heart of Nature ©Jim Picôt / droneawards.photo
The exact drone used for this image is unclear, but the Parrot Hydrofoil MiniDrone is always a solid option when you’re taking photographs near water. The MIniDrone can glide through water at speeds of up to 6.2 miles per hour. The drone has a 3.8/5-star rating on Amazon. The Parrot Hydrofoil MiniDrone is good for “air and sea adventures,” according to the manufacturer.
26. Alien Structure on Earth
Possible Drone Used: DJI Inspire 2
Where to Buy: DJI Drones
Cost: $3,000*
The people walking through Kuala Lumpur every day probably don’t realize that the Petronas Twin Towers, when seen from the angle of a drone like the DJI Inspire 2 (which is a good drone for taking pictures at this height), look almost like an alien structure come to earth.
Alien Structure on Earth ©Tomasz Kowalski / droneawards.photo
The lighting on the Towers gives off Independence Day vibes. The Petronas Twin Towers are 1,230 feet tall, and they are alight at night, lighting up the vibrant Malaysian city. From 1998 to 2004, the Petronas Twin Towers were actually the tallest buildings in the world (until the Taipei 101 surpassed them).
27. Docked Boats
Possible Drone Used: DJI Phantom 4 Pro
Where to Buy: DJI.com
Cost: $2,029*
Stunning art can take years to create, but drones can make everlasting masterpieces out of just one photograph. This incredible image of a dock surrounded by colorful well-placed boats was taken by Instagram user Abstract Aerial Art.
Docked Boats @ abstractaerialart / Instagram.com
They used a DJI Phantom 4 Pro to take this eye catching photo that makes the dock look remarkably flower-like. The lake around the boats looks completely black, making the boats stand out even more against the dark background. This drone certainly isn’t cheap so you can’t pick it up on sites like AliExpress.
This drone has a one-inch sensor, and it shoots 20MP stills and 4K 60fps video. Its maximum flight time is thirty minutes. It differs from its predecessor because it is 60% quieter, meaning that the DJI Phantom 4 Pro that took this photo wasn’t disturbing any lake-goers when it took its photo.
28. Cross The Field
Possible Drone Used: DJI Inspire 2
Where to Buy: DJI Drones
Cost: $3,000*
In the People Category of the Drone Awards, this photo, called “Cross the Field,” won the “Highly Commended” award. It featured a mother, her daughter, and the pair’s herd of cows walking across a pasture after a hard day of work. The grass is so wavy and green that it almost looks like a sea itself.
Cross The Field ©nubbsgalore / tumblr.com
The drone used is unclear, but one of the best wind-resistant drones out there (a necessity, judging from the wind blowing the grass in this photo) is the DJI Inspire 2. The Inspire 2 has an impressive camera, good flight time, and offers “the best” wind resistance, according to a FunOffline.com review.
29. Lobster Village
Possible Drone Used: SwellPro Spry
Where to Buy: Swellpro.com
Cost: $899*
The 2018 Drone Awards saw some of the world’s most beautiful aerial photos that year, all courtesy of dedicated photographers. One such 2018 award-winner was a photo of a lobster village, taken by Trung Phan Huy. The abstract was commended. The lobster farm was located in the Hon Yen coastal area, in the Phu Yen Province.
Lobster Village ©Trung Pham / imgur.com
Trung’s drone of choice was not listed, but a waterproof drone that could still be able to capture the artist, almost graphical nature of this village is the SwellPro Spry. The Spry has a 4.5/5-star rating on Google, and it connects to an app on your phone for full functionality.
30. Fishing Village
Possible Drone Used: Ruko B7 4K
Where to Buy: Amazon
Cost: $150*
Stuart Chape took this aerial photograph of a fishing village. It is yet another look inside the world of fishermen and women, a bird’s-eye view that we likely wouldn’t have gotten without the help of a drone. Chape’s photograph was a 2018 award-winner. His drone snapped the shot in the Solomon Islands.
Fishing Village ©Wikipedia.org
The Solomon Islands are a group of hundreds of South Pacific Islands. The snapshot of the coast is just one of millions of villages like it, and yet the snapshot is uniquely beautiful. A drone that could withstand wind and salty air, like you’d find off the Solomon Islands’ cost, is the Ruko B7 4K, a tough drone that is still suitable for beginners.
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.