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.
46. Lovers On The Field
Possible Drone Used: DJI Mavic Pro 2
Where to Buy: DJI Drones
Cost: $1,449*
Krzysztof Krawcyzk was the photographer behind “Lovers in a Field,” which featured a newlywed couple, lying in the middle of the field, still wearing their tuxedo and white dress. The photographer said that he was “looking for some abstraction.” He and his subjects had a “boat, drone, and a lot of time.”
Lovers On The Field ©Krzysztof Krawczyk/commons.wikimedia.org
Krawcyzk said that the weather conditions included strong winds, and that was able to create the “deer eye/eye of the tiger” effect that is seen in the photo. One of the best wind resistant drones, which you’d need to successfully create a photo like this, is the DJI Mavic Pro 2, which has a wind resistance of 24MPH.
47. Lotus Temple
Possible Drone Used: DJI Phantom 4 Pro V2
Where to Buy: DJI Drones
Cost: $1,599*
Described by one publication as one of the best aerial photographs ever taken, the Lotus Temple Photograph is stunning and nearly ethereal. The photographer’s subject is the Lotus Temple, which is a Baha’i House of Worship located in Delhi, India. Many photographers have traveled far to take a picture of the temple, which is designed in the shape of a lotus blossom.
Lotus Temple @r/Dimension20 / Reddit.com
Though pictures abound, very few aerial drone photos, especially with the unique lighting of this one, exist. The Lotus Temple Photograph might have been taken by a drone like the DJI Phantom 4 Pro V2, which can reach the high altitudes necessary for this landscape shot.
48. Tree Lion
Possible Drone Used: DJI Mavic Pro 2
Where to Buy: DJI Drones
Cost: $1,449*
Shot on a high-definition embedded drone by researchers in Uganda, this impressive shot documents the rare instance of a local lion finding rest (or possibly protection) high up in a tree. It took photographer Alexander Braczkowski months to get the lions used to the drones before they would reveal their true natural states to the lens.
Tree Lion @Guardian / Twitter.com
This odd behavior – indicative so far only to these African lions – suggests to researchers that these legendary felines have been forced to forage further and further from their normal hunting methods in search of food. Still, this shot is impressive as it reveals the beautiful big cat in all its glory.
49. Rainbow Mountains
Possible Drone Used: Ryze Tech Tello Quadcopter
Where to Buy: Best Buy
Cost: $99*
Photographs of the “Rainbow Mountains” in China swept social media in 2016, and people were in awe at the beautiful, otherworldly colors that rippled through Zhangye. M. Scheja took this aerial photo of part of the mountain range. The possible drone used for this photo could have been the Ryze Tech Tello Quadcopter, which is suited for outdoor photography such as this.
Rainbow Mountains ©M. Scheja / Shutterstock
So, what makes these mountains so colorful? The Rainbow Mountains colors are all-natural. The mountains themselves are made of cretaceous siltstones and sandstones. The iron and trace mineral deposits in the stones, deposited before the Mountains even formed, cause the brilliant colors seen in this photo.
50. Crocodiles
Possible Drone Used: PowerVision PowerEgg X Wizard
Where to Buy: Amazon
Cost: $1,132*
With five-star ratings across the board, the PowerVision PowerEgg X Wizard has gained a lot of fans in the droning world. While some photographers are rightly hesitant to purchase it because of its smaller sensor, it’s still a very capable little machine – especially in good light.
@abstractaerialart/Instagram
This drone has 4K/6pfs UHD, and it also has AI face recognition (though that probably wouldn’t have helped it with the crocodiles). The drone can fly in 20-knot wind resistance, though crocodiles don’t usually live in windy areas. The PowerEgg is one of the most well-liked small drones on the market.
This drone can be purchased on Amazon for around $1,130 dollars. It’s not exactly cheap, but it’s not the most expensive one on the market, either. Use it right and you could be snapping photos of alligators in no time – just make sure they don’t snap back at you first.