SkyPixel Unveils The Best Aerial Photos Of 2017

SkyPixel, DJI’s aerial community platform, has announced the winning entries from its 2017 Photo Story Contest.

The contest ran from October to December 2017 and there were more than 44,000 submissions from aerial photographers in 141 countries. The categories were Landscape, Portrait and Story.

The Grand Prize has been awarded to Florian Ledoux, a French photographer who captured the following scene in Nunavut, Canada, with his Phantom 4 Pro. He calls it “Above The Polar Bear”. Which makes sense…

This dramatic winter scene was probably made all the more dramatic by the fact that the polar bear was desperately trying to escape the whirring drone above. But you’ve got to admit it’s a great photograph.

“I have witnessed incredible moments and scenes of the wild but I can guarantee you that this, by far, is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen,” said the photographer. “I hope that future generations will still be able to witness the beauty and grandeur of the Arctic wildlife the same way we do today.”

“There are images that might impress you with their technical mastery, and then there are images that make you feel something,” said Jarrad Seng, a SkyPixel judge, photographer, filmmaker and creative director based in Australia.

“This photograph floored me. It’s especially poignant given the climate crisis our world is facing right now.” As the Grand Prize winner, Ledoux has won prizes amounting to $15,095, including a DJI Inspire 2 and a number of products from SkyPixel sponsors.

The best of the rest

Beyond the Grand Prize, there were awards for First, Second and Third in each of the three categories, for both enthusiasts and professionals. Here are a few of our favorites.

Third place in the Landscape Professional category went to this shot of a famous Italian setting:

Second place in the Professional Portrait category went to this bold shot from a record-breaking diver in China:

First prize in the Professional Story category went to this abstract drone image, again from China.

To view the top winning entries you can click here.

“The SkyPixel Photo Contest of 2017 is now the world’s largest aerial photography contest, breaking the record it created in 2016,” said Danny Zheng, Vice President of Marketing at DJI.

“SkyPixel was initially established to provide a platform for aerial photographers to share their creativity and unique perspectives of the world. Today, it has evolved to a global platform where we are able to document remarkable moments from once inaccessible areas of the world for future generations to witness and appreciate.”