See the winners of the 'Dronestagram' photography contest

See the winners of the 'Dronestagram' photography contest

Now in it's fourth year, Dronestagram has just announced the winners of its drone photography contest - and the results are pretty spectacular.

In partnership with National Geographic, the social network - dedicated exclusively to aerial photography - has selected the best of 8,000 submissions in the categories of nature, urban and people.

And, for the first time, Dronestagram has also added a special category, 'creativity,' for those entries that were just a bit more outside the box.

Taking top honours in the nature category was Jerome Courtial's Provence - Summer Trim, depicting a lavender harvest

The competition was judged by a panel of experts, including the Deputy Director of Photography at National Geographic.

Taking top honours in the nature category was an entry entitled 'Provence - Summer Trim by Jerome Courtial, depicting the lavender harvest in France. 

'I went to Valensole hoping to get an original picture rather than the classic view with the sunset in the background,' Courtial explains.

'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 thought I would have a nice picture in the day, but I had no idea this one in particular would be so well received.' 

Infinite Road to Transylvania by Calin Stan showcases the majestic view on offer in the forests of Romania

Florian Ledoux's Ice Formation, which was photographed in Greenland in winter 2017, took third place

Coming in second in the nature category is Infinite Road to Transylvania by Calin Stan, while Florian Ledoux's Ice Formation, photographed in East Greenland, took third.

'As the legend says, this is the view that Count Dracula himself saw on his nocturnal flight,' Stan says of the mesmerising winding road.

From the submissions in the urban category, it was Bachir Moukarzel's Concrete Jungle photograph that most wowed the judges.

'The picture was shot at sunset in Dubai,' he says, adding that he was 'trying to capture an area which was literally a desert 10 years back'.

From the urban submissions, judges selected Concrete Jungle by Bachir Moukarzel, showing Dubai from above

In second place is Alexey Goncharov with Dawn on Mercury Tower, which was photographed in Moscow, Russia

Luis Saguar Domingo captured an impressively symmetrical shot of Madrid in his submission entitled Peace

In second place is Alexey Goncharov with Dawn on Mercury Tower, which was photographed in Moscow, Russia.

'I was sitting on a bench at the square near Moscow International Business Centre in search of a beautiful reflection in the mirrored windows,' he explains. 

'While [the drone was] in flight, I saw industrial climbers. I liked the way their work looked from that perspective - they seemed to wash the city itself, not just the building's windows.'

And the third prize winner, Luis Saguar Domingo, captured an impressively symmetrical shot of Madrid in his submission entitled Peace.

While driving on the New Jersey coast, Martin Sanchez photographed his winning submission on an empty tennis court

Martin Sanchez's End of the Line came out on top in the people category, shot on the New Jersey coast.

While driving, the photographer spotted an empty tennis court - and pulled off the road for some impromptu drone photography.

'[I] had this idea of shooting this particular performance a while back, but never found the time or place,' he says. 'This was perfect.'

In the people category, user helios1412 photographed this colourful entry (and second place winner) in Vietnam

Javier Bustamante took third in the people category with his image La Vijanera, showing a winter bear-hunting carnival 

In second place is Vietnam-based user helios1412, who captured a beautiful pond scene with his Waterlily entry.

And finally, it was Javier Bustamante who took third in the people category with his image La Vijanera, which is a winter carnival that takes place in a town in Cantabria, Spain.

'[On] the first Sunday of each year, a group of hunters tour the village representing the capture of the bear,' Bustamante says.

'This photo is [at] the end of the party in which the bear is captured.'  

In this year's newly-added 'creativity' category, Ugo le Marin by Romain Gaillard won, having drawn the scene with his sons

Cape Town-based videographer Luke Bell won second place in the 'creativity' category with his Two Moo entry 

Thibault Beguet's third place submission Next Level was photographed on the beach in Normany with his girlfriend

قالب وردپرس

Tweet

Subscribe to receive free email updates: