These incredible award-winning pictures were taken by drones

In a feat of photographic excellence, amateur and professional drone nerds have proven a point they've been trying to make for years: drones can shoot.

Advertisement

Photographs, that is; and stunning ones at that.

Dronestagram — the first social network dedicated solely to drone snaps — announced winners of its second annual aerial photography contest earlier this month.

Dronestagram user Tahitiflyshoot took this image called “Snorkeling with sharks” over the sparkling waters near Mo'orea island in French Polynesia. The sharks just happened to arrive at just the right moment for a beautiful snap. This image won first place in the category, Nature.
tahitiflyshoot/Dronestagram

A panel of experts, including Ken Geiger, a National Geographic photographer and Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer, and Jean-Pierre Vrignaud, editor in chief of National Geographic France and Dronestagram, selected nine of the best photographs from more than 5,000 entries.

We refer to the photographers here by their Dronestagram handles, not their full names.

Advertisement

The winning images are breathtaking. Check them out:

Advertisement

Photographer Ricardo Matiello took this incredible snap high above the clouds in Maringá, Paraná, Brazil on a rare, foggy day by flying his drone as high as he could before it disappeared into the fog.

“Above the Mist” by photographer Ricardo Matiello won two awards: first place in the category, Places and first place in the category, Popular Prizes (most liked picture). Matiello took this incredible snap high above the clouds in Maringá, Paraná, Brazil on a rare, foggy day. “I chose the area of Maringa Cathedral, a symbol of the city, and because this monument was inspired by the creation of spaceships called Sputniks,” Matiello said on Dronestagram. After dropping his daughter off at school, he flew his drone as high as he could before it disappeared into the fog.
Ricardo Matiello/Dronestagram

"Above the Mist" won two awards: first place in the category, Places and first place in the category, Popular Prizes (most liked picture). Check out Ricardo Matiello's Dronestagram profile here.

Kdilliard took this image moments after the start of the annual La Jolla Pier-To-Cove Swim in San Diego at 9 a.m. on June 20, 2015. The photographer’s fiance competed in the 1 ½ mile swim during low tide in the comfortable 70-degree water.

User kdilliard took this image titled “La Jolla” moments after the start of the annual La Jolla Pier-To-Cove Swim at 9 a.m. on June 20, 2015. The photographer’s fiance competed in the 1 ½ mile swim during low tide in the comfortable 70-degree water. This image won second place in the category, Nature.
kdilliard/Dronestagram

"La Jolla" won second place in the category, Nature. Check out Kdilliard's Dronestagram profile here.

Advertisement

Dronestagram user Tahitiflyshoot captured the sparkling waters near Mo'orea island in French Polynesia at the moment a group of sharks happened to swim by.

Dronestagram user Tahitiflyshoot took this image called “Snorkeling with sharks” over the sparkling waters near Mo'orea island in French Polynesia. The sharks just happened to arrive at just the right moment for a beautiful snap. This image won first place in the category, Nature.
tahitiflyshoot/Dronestagram

"Snorkeling with sharks" won first place in the category, Nature. Check out Tahitiflyshoot's Dronestagram profile here.

Photographer Wanaiifilms snapped the tide rolling in and surrounding the Mont Saint-Michel, an island commune in Normandy, France at around 5 a.m., just after the sun peeked through the clouds after a stormy week.

Drone photographer Wanaiifilms captured the moment the tide came in and surrounded the Mont Saint-Michel, an island commune in Normandy, France. The photographer snapped this image, titled “Mont-Saint-Michel,” around 5 a.m. just as the sun peeked out after a stormy week. This photograph won second place in the category, Places.
wanaiifilms/Dronestagram

"Mont-Saint-Michel" won second place in the category, Places. Check out Wanaiifilms' Dronestagram profile here.

Advertisement

Marama Photo Video shot this magical photograph while drinking Hinano, the beer of Tahiti, in the warm, clear waters of an island in Tahiti. A rain shower complete with a rainbow can be seen behind the island.

Marama Photo Video captured this magical photograph, “Lost island, Tahaa, French Polynesia” while drinking Hinano, the beer of Tahiti, while sitting in the warm, clear waters. A rain shower complete with a rainbow can be seen behind the island. This photograph won third place in the category, Nature.
Marama Photo Video/Dronestagram

"Lost island, Tahaa, French Polynesia" won third place in the category, Nature. Check out Marama Photo Video's Dronestagram profile here.

Dronestagram user Anders@andersa.com took this snap between Sassenheim and Voorhout in The Netherlands. The image showcases the multicolored, geometric tulip fields with men at the right of the image scanning for and removing tulips that have been infected by viruses.

Dronestagram user Anders@andersa.com took this snap called “Tulip Fields” between Sassenheim and Voorhout in The Netherlands. The image showcases the multicolored, geometric tulip fields with men at the right of the image scanning for and removing tulips that have been infected by viruses. This photograph won third place in the category, Places.
anders@andersa.com/Dronestagram

"Tulip Fields" won third place in the category, Places. Check out Anders@andersa.com's Dronestagram profile here.

Advertisement

This death-defying image by Wootsor captures the moment a cliff diver risked his life for a few pesos and accolades from the crowd in Plazuela Sanchez Taboada in Mazatlan Mexico.

User Wootsor snapped this death-defying image of a cliff diver risking his life for a few pesos and accolades from the crowd in Plazuela Sanchez Taboada in Mazatlan Mexico. This image snagged third place in the category, Popular Prizes (most liked picture).
w00tsor/Dronestagram

"Glorieto Rodolfo Sanchez Taboada, Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico" snagged third place in the category, Popular Prizes (most liked picture). Check out Wootsor's Dronestagram profile here.

IceFire took this shot above the ancient city of Plovdiv in central Bulgaria, Eastern Europe. Plovdiv is believed to be one of the oldest inhabited cities in Europe. The giant question mark is outlined by the newly re-built musical fountains in King Simeon’s Park.

Ice Fire took this shot called, “Plovidv by night, Bulgaria” a snap above the ancient city of Plovdiv in central Bulgaria, Eastern Europe. Plovdiv is believed to be one of the oldest inhabited cities in Europe. The giant question mark is outlined by the newly re-built musical fountains in King Simeon’s Park. This image won second place in the category, Popular Prizes (most liked picture).
IceFire/Dronestagram

"Plovdiv by night, Bulgaria" won second place in the category, Popular Prizes (most liked picture). Check out IceFire's Dronestagram profile here.

Advertisement

User FlyoverMediaCy snapped this photograph during a carnival in Limassol, Cyprus where groups of “Waldos” gathered for a photo-op.

User FlyoverMediaCy snapped this photograph called, “Where’s Wally, Limassol Carnival Cyprus” during a carnival in Limassol, Cyprus where groups of “Waldos” gathered for a photo-op. This picture won first prize in the category, Dronies.
FlyoverMediaCy/Dronestagram

"Where's Wally, Limassol Carnival Cyprus" won first prize in the category, Dronies. Check out FlyoverMediaCy's Dronestagram profile here.

Environment Innovation Photography
Advertisement
Close icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. It indicates a way to close an interaction, or dismiss a notification.