Best Aerial Photographs From Drones
Best Aerial photography is an art form that can take years to master. There are so many variables to think about when dealing with altitude, camera settings and the motion of the shots.
Some Aerial photographers have seen the potential of a simple GoPro and drone and taken the capabilities to impressive new levels. Dronestagram is a site dedicated to these images, and they have compiled a series of their best aerial photos. The following photos are just some of those shots.
Town of Maringá
“A drone’s perspective of the Brazilian town of Maringá” by Ricardo Mattiello. It was taken by a custom-built drone and a GoPro Hero Three Black. The shot captures the moment that the drum breaks the thin veil of cloud. That hangs over the city and sees the bright sky above.
The skyline peeks above the mist, and a bold spire dominates the foreground. This shot comes first in Dronestagrams’ Places competition.
DJI Phantom and GoPro Hero 4
Another interesting Brazilian subject is “Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil”. This often snapped icon is rarely seen this way. The audience almost has to do a double take to realize what they are looking for.
This unique view makes Alexandre Salem’s approach a drone photography (with his DJI Phantom and GoPro Hero 4). That is even more interesting and highlights the potential of these small UAVs.
The Al Marmoum Camel Race
Dronestagram user “Shoyab” used a DJI F550 hexacopter and Canon camera to capture their shot “The Al Marmoum Camel Race, a famous annual event in Dubai”.
The smart use of aerial perspective and light forces the viewer to see the race in a new way. The camera is positioned directly over the colorful camels, forcing us to see the shadows as the entities. That is running over the sand rather than the animals.
Frozen lake In Turgoyak
This approach to aerial photography, with the viewer looking straight down, was also employed with “The hole drilled in the frozen lake by a fisherman in Turgoyak, Miss” Russia by Maksim Tarasov.
Here in the flat circle of drilling ice creates an abstract pattern of blues and grays that are foreign and engaging. It also highlights the potential of these aircraft in remote areas.
French Polynesia
The DJI Phantom is clearly the way to go to get the best aerial photos because another finalist in the Dronestagram competition, Marama, used this model with a GoPro Hero 3 Black to capture the stunning “A tropical island in French Polynesia”.
The island is dwarfed by the perspective to show its size and seclusion, and only the smallest of figures can see on the shore of the white sands. The sun is just starting to set, and the photo asks more questions about the day that has passed than it can answer.
France’s Mont-Saint-Michel Island
Another Dronestagram Photo of note, the final entry in this list, and takes a similar approach to the landscape. That is “France’s Mont-Saint-Michel island commune off the coast, taken at high tide” by Wanaiifilms.
It too dwarfs the island against the landscape with little sign of civilization. The unusual color palette of the low light. This patience, skill level, technology in this and the other entries combine to show the potential of aerial drone photography.