Congrats to Photo of the Year honoree, Jim Picôt of Australia with "Love Heart of Nature!" and to all the talented photographers recognized at the Drone Photo Awards. See all winning images and artist bios at the contest gallery page at our website.
With the advent of drone photography, the photography game has reached new heights (pun intended). Drone photography lends itself in a way no other type of photography can: it can reach spots only a photographer with a helicopter can dream of. And because of that, almost everyone appreciates a good photo from a bird's-eye view captured by one. Photographer Adam Vradenburg gives some useful tips on how to make drone photos really special. First and foremost, for a good photo, planning and research are essential. Strict laws and regulations in some countries are some of the reasons why. Second, make your flight time count: it's best to use limited battery times to the fullest, since recharging, especially in nature, is also very limited. Third, one should test the limits of their drone, both in terms of altitude and range. It will give you a better idea of what's possible with your drone. The fourth tip is "don't just fly high, fly low," which basically means that it's not really necessary to have the highest altitude in order to get the best photo of something. Less is more. And the fifth and final tip is to keep the skies friendly, safe, and respectful. Day by day, the airspace is getting more and more crowded, and therefore it's best to keep it as fun for as many people as possible!
Viral update: We are really enthusiastic about the article published on Bored Panda. We have received big success, many views, shares, and a lot of positive comments about the winning images. We have been published all over the world in the past, on CNN, The Guardian, Sky News, Forbes, Bild, Geo, and Business Insider, but none of them have reached so many views.
#22 People Category Highly Commended: Women Sorting Dry Red Chillies
Women collecting red chilies under the sun for more than 10 hours a day for little pay, employed in one of the many factories that specialize in drying chilies.
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78points
#23 Abstract Category Highly Commended: Swirl
An abstract shot of a pink lake chemical reaction in Western Australia.
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74points
#24 People Category Runner-Up: 2,000,001
Two million Hongkongers took to the streets on 16 June 2019, calling on the government to withdraw the controversial extradition bill. The night before the historic march that nearly one-third of the population took part in, protestor Leung Ling Kit ended his life after hanging a banner of the people's demands in the city centre.
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74points
#25 "Life Under COVID-19" Runner-Up: Heart Of Warsaw
The deserted oldest part of Warsaw which, before the pandemic, used to be filled with sun umbrellas of nearby restaurants and crowds of people.
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69points
#26 Wedding Category Highly Commended: Framed
This is one of my favorite pictures. It was a perfect match. The great couple, the VW Beetle, the frame. So, it was easy to create a great composition.
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68points
#27 Wedding Category Highly Commended: Pebble / Wave
After the ceremony, the couple headed to the beach and decided to go in for a dip. We were lucky to find the perfect waves which only touched the bottom of the dress.
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66points
#28 Sports Category Highly Commended: Waterfall
Surfers try to challenge the waves. It is difficult enough to ride them, not to mention to tame them and be able to take off, as well as break them and then caress them.
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56points
#29 Abstract Category Runner-Up: Largest Congregation
More than 600,000 devotees participated in South Asia's largest Eid-ul-Fitr congregation. The prayers began at 8:30 am with devotees coming from different parts of the region. Eid-ul-Fitr is a Muslim festival of happiness celebrated all over the world.
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53points
#30 Sports Category Runner-Up: Ball Up
The physical motions of the tennis player against the clean abstract lineage of the court created a harmonious effect to the eye.
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52points