We could stare at these images all day.
Drone cameras allow us to capture stunning aerial images that would have been previously impossible to take without a truly massive budget (like, helicopter money).
Thanks to the winners of the 2020 Drone Photo Awards we can see a different perspective on the world. This year the grand prize was taken from Australian photographer Jim Picôt, for his image Love Heart of Nature. The amazing photograph shows a shark swimming among a school of salmon.
More info: droneawards.photo | Facebook | Instagram | twitter.com
Nature Category Winner: Gray Whale Plays Pushing Tourists
At the end of the gray whale season, I was told about a gray whale that, for the last 3 years, used to play with the boats, pushing them gently. So we went back the year after and, incredibly, the gray whale appeared and this shot is the result.
The photographer managed to capture the magical moment when the salmon came together in what looks like a heart, making for a dynamic and charming image. His is just one of the spectacular winning images across nine categories, including Wildlife, People, Urban, and Sport.
Below you can see all winning images and artist bios at the contest gallery page on our website.
People Category Highly Commended: Cross The Field
A girl, her mother, and their herd of cows walking across the pasture return home after a day of labor.
“Life Under COVID-19” Winner: Black Flag
Thousands of Israelis maintain social distancing due to Covid-19 restrictions while protesting against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Rabin Square on 19 April 2020.
Nature Category Runner-Up: Flamingos At Lake Logipi
The early morning sun lights a scene of flamingos gathered at the edge of Lake Logipi, next to an interesting fan-like geological formation.
Urban Category Winner: Alien Structure On Earth
Sometimes we need to change the perspective to feel the strength of the structure more strongly than we’ve ever thought. The Petronas Towers, also known as the Petronas Twin Towers, are twin skyscrapers in Kuala Lumpur.
Wildlife Category Winner: Where Herons Live
Many think that herons make nests in reeds or in a swamp. In fact, they nest in the tops of huge trees and with a drone, it is sometimes possible to see them.
Photo Of The Year: Love Heart Of Nature
In winter, a shark is inside a salmon school when, chasing the baitfish, the shape becomes a heart shape.
“Life Under COVID-19” Highly Commended: The Lockdown
The busiest highway in Dubai shot with no cars present during the lockdown for the disinfection of the municipality. A moment to remember.
Urban Category Highly Commended: Sunrise On The Top
At 4:30 in the morning, mysteriously shrouded in clouds, this is what the second-tallest building in Shanghai looks like.
Wedding Category Winner: Tropical Bride
“I used the flowers and the leaves leftover from the decoration of a wedding to make something creative.”
Nature Category Highly Commended: Lonely Road
Driving along Ring Route 1, in a magical and enchanted landscape, I was ready to embrace whatever may lie ahead.
People Category Winner: Frozen Land
With temperatures of minus 30°C, winters in the Eurasian steppe can be brutal. But life doesn’t stop, and local people move from one village to another with a sledge, crossing icy rivers and lakes.
Nature Category Highly Commended: Crater Row
A spectacular crater row in Iceland’s vast interior. The intense red on the rims is caused by the scoria being colored by the oxidation of the iron minerals in the lava, in contrast with the surrounding basalt. A white four-wheel-drive vehicle can be seen driving along the road beneath the craters.
Wildlife Category Highly Commended: Homecoming
A buffalo herd is passing a lake before moving to its shelter where the herd will retreat to rest.
Abstract Category Highly Commended: Spring Zebra
The area of this small village in the Częstochowa region is characterized by large rapeseed crops that create beautiful patterns that extend to the horizon.
Wedding Category Runner-Up: Lovers On The Field
We were looking for some abstraction. We had a boat, a drone and… a lot of time. A strong wind created a beautiful storm in the field. Perfect weather conditions showed me “the eye of the tiger” or “deer eye” through the couple in the kayak. A wonderful combination: beautiful lovers, fantastic nature, strong wind, and this perspective.
Sports Category Winner: On The Sea
An aerial view of swimmers, where the sea becomes the place to take refuge, between the blue carpet and the white foam of the waves.
Wildlife Category Runner-Up: Munk’s Mobula Rays Schooling
Though from a boat, it was hard to appreciate just how enormous this shoal was, the drone revealed a mass of thousands of Munk’s Mobula rays (also called Munk’s pygmy devil rays) all swimming in the same circular direction.
People Category Highly Commended: Carpet Field
Hundreds of handwoven carpets are placed in the fields in order to draw out different colors with the burning effect of the sun’s rays. A pair of workers lies down on the carpets after finishing their work to relieve the tiredness of the day.
Nature Category Highly Commended: The Island
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.
“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.
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.
