Winning Aerial Images of the SkyPixel 2016 Photo Contest

Skypixel 2016 photo contest winner dji drone photography

“Fishermen close the net,” Ge Zheng. Grand Prize, 2016 SkyPixel Photo of the Year.

The SkyPixel 2016 Photo Contest—a creative photo competition dedicated to showcasing aerial photography—was on the lookout for the next great aerial photographer. And with 27,000 entries from photographers based in 131 cities, they've unveiled the winners of this year's contest.

The grand prize, which includes two DJI drones and an Epson wide format printer, goes to Ge Zheng for his photo Fishermen close the net. The stunning image plays off shadows cast by billowing fishing nets, as well as their elongated reflections in the water. Creating a striped pattern along the calm waters, the interplay of color and light made for a winning capture.

The top photographs in the Beauty and Drones in Use categories, both professional and amateur, show the wide stylistic variety that these talented drone photographers possess. Each is able to infuse their own artistic eye into the winning photographs, proving that aerial photography requires the same talent and technical skill as any other type of photography.

Scroll down to see more winning images from the SkyPixel 2016 Photo Contest and get your gear ready for next year's competition.

The winners of the SkyPixel 2016 Photo Contest show their skill at aerial and drone photography.

Skypixel 2016 photo contest winner dji drone photography

“Exploration,” Hanbing Wang. 1st place Beauty (Professional).

Skypixel 2016 photo contest winner dji drone photography

“A Happy Morning,” Roman Neimann. 1st place Drones in Use (Professional).

Skypixel 2016 photo contest winner dji aerial photography

“Overbridge,” Chenghan. 1st place Beauty (Amateur).

Skypixel 2016 photo contest winner dji drone photography

“Despectus,” Fifa. 1st place Drones in Use (Amateur).

Skypixel 2016 photo contest winner dji drone photography

“Spillway Selfie,” dixonltd_user. 2nd place Beauty (Professional).

Skypixel 2016 photo contest winner dji aerial photography

“Meet the Phantom,” HackerSundy. 2nd place Drones in Use (Professional).

Skypixel 2016 photo contest winner dji drone photography

“Green Waves,” Mauro Pagliai. 2nd place Beauty (Amateur).

Skypixel 2016 photo contest winner dji drone photography

“Inspire in Use,” Lili cui. 2nd place Drones in Use (Amateur).

Skypixel 2016 photo contest winner dji aerial photography

“The Earth,” Heng Li. 3rd place Beauty (Professional).

Skypixel 2016 photo contest winner dji drone photography

“Drone in Use,” Norman Nollau. 3rd place Drones in Use (Professional).

Skypixel 2016 photo contest winner dji drone photography

“Ice River,” Canloker. 3rd place Beauty (Amateur).

Skypixel 2016 photo contest winner dji drone photography

“The Phantom of the Earth,” Lingdamowang_user. 3rd place Drones in Use (Amateur).

SkyPixel: Website | Facebook

All images via SkyPixel.

Jessica Stewart

Jessica Stewart is a Contributing Writer and Digital Media Specialist for My Modern Met, as well as a curator and art historian. Since 2020, she is also one of the co-hosts of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. She earned her MA in Renaissance Studies from University College London and now lives in Rome, Italy. She cultivated expertise in street art which led to the purchase of her photographic archive by the Treccani Italian Encyclopedia in 2014. When she’s not spending time with her three dogs, she also manages the studio of a successful street artist. In 2013, she authored the book 'Street Art Stories Roma' and most recently contributed to 'Crossroads: A Glimpse Into the Life of Alice Pasquini'. You can follow her adventures online at @romephotoblog.
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