“Thousands of Migratory Birds Feeding” Azim Khan Ronnie, Bangladesh / The 2nd International Aerial Photographer of the Year
1st Place 2026 International Aerial Photographer of the Year
For a few months of the year, a large number of Siberian seagulls migrate to various parts of India. One of them is Yamuna Ghat in Delhi. The birds start coming in here in November and move out in mid-March. The activity continues all morning.
The International Aerial Photographer of the Year competition has announced the winners of its second edition, after receiving 1,587 entries from photographers around the world. Out of this high-caliber selection, judges narrowed it down to one Photographer of the Year (with two runners-up), one Photograph of the Year (with two runners-up), four special award winners, and a Top 101 that showcases the remarkable breadth of contemporary aerial photography.
Bangladeshi photographer Azim Khan Ronnie earned the title of Photographer of the Year for a four-image portfolio spanning Switzerland, India, and Bangladesh. His winning photographs capture a rower gliding across Lake Zurich, crowds gathering alongside birds at Delhi’s Yamuna Ghat, vivid red chili peppers drying in Bogura, and the Rakher Upobash ritual in Dhaka. Viewed from above, each scene reveals striking patterns and geometry, all from a bird’s-eye view.
Singapore’s Chin Leong Teo and Australia’s Barbara Brown rounded out the top three with portfolios that showcase the diversity of contemporary aerial photography, from sweeping natural landscapes to mesmerizing abstract compositions revealed only from above.
The competition also awarded a Photograph of the Year title for a single standout image to Vitaly Golovatyuk, whose mesmerizing photograph creates the illusion of a lone bird floating in midair. Captured at Elk Park near Dongtai City in China’s Zhejiang Province, the image shows a bird resting on a perfectly still lake encircled by brilliant red vegetation. Because the water reflects the sky with remarkable clarity, the bird appears suspended in open space. Golovatyuk spent several days scouting the location at sunrise and sunset before capturing the scene.
India’s Sanghamitra Sarkar placed second in the Photograph of the Year category, while Kah-Wai Lin of the United States earned third.
In addition to its two top honors, the competition presented four special awards celebrating distinctive aerial subjects. Chengming Liu of the United States received the Above Mountain Award, Aleksandra Wilk of Germany earned the Above Snow Award, Savadmon Avalachamveettil of Ireland won the Above Water Award, and A.J. Rich of the United States was honored with the Chairman’s Choice Award.
According to chairman Peter Eastway, aerial photography has grown far beyond sweeping landscape views, revealing patterns, textures, and compositions that can only be seen from above. This year’s Top 101 reflects that evolution, featuring everything from breathtaking natural vistas to graphic, almost abstract scenes that transform the everyday into something extraordinary.
The International Aerial Photographer of the Year has announced its incredible winners.
“Birdie in the Sky” by Vitaly Golovatyuk, Russian Federation / The 2nd International Aerial Photographer of the Year
1st Place 2026 International Aerial Photograph of the Year
Birdie is sitting on the water of a tiny, crystal clear lake with reflection of the sky and surrounded by red grass, somewhere in Dongtai.
“Wari” Sanghamitra Sarkar, India / The 2nd International Aerial Photographer of the Year
2nd Place 2026 International Aerial Photograph of the Year
A gathering of Warkaris during Maharashtra’s Wari pilgrimage forms a circular pattern around the central palkhi carrying sacred padukas. Dressed in white, devotees sit in rows, creating a powerful visual of unity, devotion and harmony.
“Bali Rice Terrace 2” by Chin Leong Teo, Singapore / The 2nd International Aerial Photographer of the Year
2nd Place 2026 International Aerial Photographer of the Year
Bali’s rice terraces cascade down the hillsides in vivid green steps, shaped by centuries of careful irrigation. Four ladies with a dog work the fields in a line, moving steadily through the paddies as they tend the young rice plants.
After receiving 1,587 entries from photographers around the world, the judges selected winners offering a range of vistas.
“Harvesting Red Chilies” by Azim Khan Ronnie, Bangladesh / The 2nd International Aerial Photographer of the Year
1st Place 2026 International Aerial Photographer of the Year
Thousands of bright red chilli peppers are harvested in the hot sun before being sorted ready to be delivered to spice companies in the Sariakandi, Bogura, Bangladesh. More than 2,000 people work in almost 100 chilli farms in Bogura.
“Fasting Festival” by Azim Khan Ronnie, Bangladesh / The 2nd International Aerial Photographer of the Year
1st Place 2026 International Aerial Photographer of the Year
Hindu devotees gather in Dhaka for Rakher Upobash, fasting and praying with incense and oil lamps to honour Baba Lokenath. Thousands seek blessings for health and protection, recalling the 18th century saint’s life of asceticism and spiritual devotion.
From breathtaking landscapes to mesmerizing abstract compositions, this year’s Top 101 demonstrates how aerial photography continues to reveal extraordinary beauty hidden within the everyday world.
“Gliding through Serenity” by Azim Khan Ronnie, Bangladesh / The 2nd International Aerial Photographer of the Year
1st Place 2026 International Aerial Photographer of the Year
An aerial view of a rowing team gliding through the pristine waters of Lake Zurich in Switzerland. The team is perfectly synchronized, with oars cutting cleanly into the turquoise, misty surface, leaving subtle ripples in their wake.
“Rhythm of the Oars” Savadmon Avalachamveettil, Ireland / The 2nd International Aerial Photographer of the Year
2026 The Above Water Award Winner
From above the Nehru Trophy Boat Race at Punnamada Lake, three snake boats glide in perfect rhythm. Oars strike in unison, turning human effort into pattern – where tradition, teamwork, and motion merge into a single, powerful flow.
“Complete Rainbow” by Paolo Lazzarotti, Italy / The 2nd International Aerial Photographer of the Year
2026 International Aerial Photographer of the Year Award – Top 101 Photographs
“While shooting the amazing seas off the north eastern coast of Sardinia I was suddenly caught in a rainshower at sunset and magic happened in front my disbelieving eyes!”
“Golden Gate Framed” by Marcin Zajac, Poland / The 2nd International Aerial Photographer of the Year
2026 International Aerial Photographer of the Year Award – Top 101 Photographs
The Golden Gate Bridge framed by its own iconic steel and suspension cables, overlooking the San Francisco Bay at dawn.
“Shadow of Arita” by Daniel Viñé Garcia, Spain / The 2nd International Aerial Photographer of the Year
2026 International Aerial Photographer of the Year Award – Top 101 Photographs
View of Cono de Arita at sunset, Puna de Atacama, Argentina. The perfectly shaped volcanic cone casts a long, geometric shadow across the vast salt flat, as warm light reveals its radial textures and the stark solitude of the high-altitude desert.
“Oryx Walking on Dune” by Zhengze Xu, China / The 2nd International Aerial Photographer of the Year
2026 International Aerial Photographer of the Year Award – Top 101 Photographs
Taken from a helicopter in the Namib Desert, Namibia. It was late afternoon and sunset was beautiful, illuminating dunes with golden color and amazing shadow lines. This single oryx was walking on the dunes with its shadow and footprints.
“Tumbling White Horse” by Fabio Pappalettera, Italy / The 2nd International Aerial Photographer of the Year
2026 International Aerial Photographer of the Year Award – Top 101 Photographs
“I was riding in North East Italy and catching some stills of a wonderful white horse, when suddenly he rolled over to scratch his back, raising the dust—and I froze this epic moment forever!”
The international competition’s winners offer bird’s-eye views of varying landscapes, cultures, and scenes, each one giving us a glimpse of our world from a rarely seen perspective.
“The Eye of Appenines” by Valeria Castiello, Italy / The 2nd International Aerial Photographer of the Year
2026 International Aerial Photographer of the Year Award – Top 101 Photographs
The Sirente crater is a hidden lake in Abruzzo, a pristine and mysterious place surrounded by intriguing theories. It is believed to have a meteoric origin. If this hypothesis is confirmed, this image captures the only impact crater lake in Italy!
“Eye” by Koki Dote, Japan / The 2nd International Aerial Photographer of the Year
2026 International Aerial Photographer of the Year Award – Top 101 Photographs
A large opening in the surface of the ice. Cracks radiating from it give the impression that something is watching from within.
“Water in Bavarian Countryside” by Aleksandra Wilk, Germany / The 2nd International Aerial Photographer of the Year
2026 The Above Snow Award Winner
Winter in the Bavarian countryside near Lake Ammer. The onion-domed roof is characteristic of southern Germany. My intention was to capture this church which stood on a street, with nothing to disturb the composition, all white in a graphic style.
“Emerald Waves at Dusk” by Chengming Liu, United States / The 2nd International Aerial Photographer of the Year
2026 The Above Mountain Award Winner
Captured above the rolling hills of San Jose, California at golden hour, this image reveals the Diablo Range at its greenest after winter rains, highlighting smooth contours and flowing patterns.
“Serration” by A.J. Rich, United States / The 2nd International Aerial Photographer of the Year
2026 The Chairman’s Award Winner
The sharp, steep and layered hills in the Badlands of Utah.
“Green City Hotel” by Chin Leong Teo, Singapore / The 2nd International Aerial Photographer of the Year
2nd Place 2026 International Aerial Photographer of the Year
The Park Royal on Pickering Road in Singapore feels like a lush vertical garden in the heart of the city, with a swimming pool surrounded by sky-gardens and cabanas, dramatically juxtaposed with the hectic city streets below.
“Dawn Net” by Chin Leong Teo, Singapore / The 2nd International Aerial Photographer of the Year
2nd Place 2026 International Aerial Photographer of the Year
A lone fisherman casts a radiant yellow net that blooms across the water like liquid sunlight. From above, the sweeping lines wrap around his small boat, turning a simple act into a moment of quiet poetry.
“Thunder of Hooves” by Kah-Wai Lin, United States / The 2nd International Aerial Photographer of the Year
3rd Place 2026 International Aerial Photograph of the Year
At sunset in Cappadocia, Yilki horses surge across the dusty plateau. Raised by villagers and released to roam free, they embody resilience and tradition, moving like a river of fire beneath the fading Anatolian sky.
“Mud Trees” by Barbara Brown, Australia / The 2nd International Aerial Photographer of the Year
3rd Place 2026 International Aerial Photographer of the Year
Flooding of Sossusvlei due to heavy rains generated tree patterns.
“Pendant” by Barbara Brown, Australia / The 2nd International Aerial Photographer of the Year
3rd Place 2026 International Aerial Photographer of the Year
Salt Works Walvis Bay, Namibia.
