Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No! That buzzing noise you hear overhead isn't superman either, it's a remote control drone with thousands of dollars in camera equipment strapped to the bottom. And wow do they get some cool images.
Dronestagram, the popular image and video sharing site for drone enthusiast, just released the winners of their second Drone Aerial Photography Contest in conjunction with National Geographic. This year they received over 5000 entries from around the world from amateur drone enthusiast to professional drone photographers. The images were judged by a panel of experts on their creativity and photographic excellence.
The first prize winner went to Ricardo Matiello from Brazil with his image of Catedral Nossa Senhora da Gloria using a GoPro Hero 3 Black Edition.
1st Prize Winner – Category Places: Above the mist by Ricardo Matiello - GoPro Hero 3 Black
See the rest of the winners below.
1st Prize Winner – Category Nature: Snorkeling with sharks by Tahitiflyshoot
2nd Prize Winner – Category places: Mont-Saint-Michel, by Wanaiifilms - GoPro Hero 4 Black
2nd Prize Winner – Category Nature: La Jolla by kdilliard - GoPro Hero 3 Black
3rd Prize Winner – Category places: Tulip fileds by Anders@andersa.com - Sony a7
3rd Prize Winner – Category Nature: Lost island, Tahaa, French Polynesia, by Marama Photo Video - GoPro Hero 3+ Black
1st Prize Winner – Category Dronies: Where’s Wally, Limassol Carnaval, Cyprus by FlyovermediaCy - GoPro Hero 4
1st Prize Winner – Popular Prizes (most liked picture): Above the mist by Ricardo Matiello - GoPro Hero 3 Black
2nd Prize Winner – Popular Prizes (most liked picture): Plovidv by night, Bulgaria by Ice Fire - DJI
3rd Prize Winner – Popular Prizes (most liked picture): Glorieto Rodolfo Sanchez Taboada, Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico by Wootsor - GoPro Hero 3 Silver
[Via Yahoo, Dronestagram]
While I've never yet been intrigued by the concept of drones, these justify the concept and pulled me right in.
I have to wonder, if the winning image didn't have a cross in the middle of the frame -- would it still have won?
Funny you say that, I am not sure that it has the same impact... But I don't know if it is because it's a cross or because it seems to be the focal point of the image. I mentally removed it and it has a totally different feel.
It's stunning nonetheless. I really wasn't trying to take anything away from the image. It's fantastic.