30 Images Taken by Drones That Will Change Your View of the World

Technology has allowed us to make some incredible strides in recent years. The advent of the drone has given us access to images of some of the most remote and awe-inspiring regions of the world. Before now, some of these sites have never been photographed, due to people being unable to reach those particular areas.

Drones are now something we see regularly, whether they are flying above our heads at an event, or filming key information for a documentary, there are plenty of ways that the drone has become a normal part of our life. So much so that there are even certain laws regarding drones in different countries around the world. Here is a selection of drone images you simply have to see to believe.

Big Cat Fury

Well, it seems this drone managed to come across a pride of lions lazing in the afternoon sun. The problem is the lions have noticed the drone buzzing above them.

While it makes for a great picture, let’s hope these lions cant jump up and attack the drone.

Manta Ray

We love the symmetry in this photo, and we wonder whether it was set up or not since the picture is so perfectly timed. This shows two sunbathing ladies and two friendly rays happily swimming together in Sri Lanka.

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The drone has been able to capture some truly stunning images as well as videos of mana rays gracefully moving in the water. Although it may look like it could be dangerous, Manta Rays are in fact, no threat to humans; however, they have been known to show curiosity towards humans.

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Will You?

Now, this has got to be one of the most adorable images ever caught on a drone, right? As one man took his drone over the edge of a mountain to get some images of the stunning views, he happened upon this proposal.

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Wanting to capture the footage but also keeping some distance, the drone hovered while this lucky man got down on one knee and asked for his girlfriend’s hand in marriage. We just hope that the owner of the camera was able to find this couple and share the footage with them.

Whale Watching

An amazing image that shows just how great the depths of the world’s oceans are. This snorkeler unknowingly swims mere feet away from one of the planet’s most majestic creatures. Humpback whales are known to grow up to 16 meters in length and can live for up to 50 years.

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This aerial view captures the enormous size of the incredible aquatic mammal. The snorkeler keeps well away and admires the whale from afar. What an experience that must have been.

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Polar Prince

In the furthest reaching corners of Greenland, dominated by ice, snow, and mountain-sized glaciers, polar bears roam the pristine landscape. During the winter months, the temperature can plunge to -58 °F.

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Here, a polar bear crosses between two pieces of ice glaciers. Sadly, this is also a representation of how global warming is affecting our planet.

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Shipwrecks

This shipwreck from World War II found its place in a province of Palawan called Coron in the Philippines. The island has a population of around 50,000 people.

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There are many surviving ships in this area, and the Coron has become a haven for divers. The wreck is classed as “one of the most visually pleasing in the world” as well as the best of the Philippine islands. Even if you are not a keen diver, the island is recommended.

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Plague Island

This drone managed to capture an image of a restricted facility off the coast of St Petersberg. The island is man-made, and a fort has been built on it. In the 1800s, the facility was used as a secret laboratory to examine the effects of plagues and viruses.

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No one knows exactly what happened here, but after a terrible accident a century ago, the facility was closed. After the Russian Revolution, the fort was no longer used, but access is still restricted.

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Mysterious Creature

Sometimes the images captured from drones flying overhead can be quite puzzling and even scary. Take, for instance, the images captured by a drone flying over a European dessert. As the drone flew over the area, it managed to capture images of a strange ape-like creature walking amongst the brush.

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In the images, the creature seems about 6 ft tall with a stooped back and long arms. As soon as the images were released, there was a lot of debate online about what the creature was. Whatever the final decision on the creature, it is clear that something strange was out there.

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Forest Landing

Buried deep in 10 acres of dense wood, just outside Portland, Oregon, is what appears to be an abandoned Boeing 727. Astonishingly, the plane is actually the home of Bruce Campbell, who has transformed the disused aircraft into an unconventional living space.

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Here, the plane is captured from above. You can see how completely secluded his home is, and this is something Campbell particularly loves after all his garden is a huge area consisting of woodland.

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The Whampoa

One of the most rated places in the world for aerial photography in Hong Kong, due to its density. Specifically, The Whampoa, the city can be seen with a completely new set of eyes from above.

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Stunning patterns and grids make up the city floor, and from above, it appears as if there is an abandoned ship in the middle of all the buildings. However, the ship is actually a shopping center and looks totally different from the floor.

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Is that a Crop Circle?

A crop circle can often be seen in movies or documentaries discuss visitors from outer space, but how do we explain this crop circle that appeared in a farmer’s field overnight? There is, of course, always speculation about how they really got there.

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Is that a Crop Circle?

The skeptics will say that the farmer himself went out and made these markings or at least some pranksters out there, but for some, they truly believe that we were visited from extraterrestrials that left behind a message. So, what do you believe?

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Traffic Jam

One of the most annoying things about driving is traffic jams. There isn’t one person out there who says they are happy to be stuck in one. This drone captured this image when flying high above the motorway in China during rush hour. With a huge population of 1.4 billion people, areas can get a little overcrowded.

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Although the cars are driving in lines, there isn’t really much order to the driving since there are no lines on the road blocking out the lanes. When the roads get this congested, it can hold up traffic for hours, with people often getting out of their cars.

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Duck…its a duck

While drone pilots may be able to control where they fly their drones, they certainly cannot anticipate the movement of the local wildlife.

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This picture was captured seconds before a flying duck collided with this drone. You gotta admit the look of surprise on the ducks face is kinda funny. Luckily the duck was unharmed, if not a little shocked. The drone, though, never flew again.

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Almost overnight

This drone captured some crazy before and after pictures of a hospital in China that was built almost overnight.

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The hospital was build to deal with a pandemic, and it took just 6 days to construct the large hospital. 6 days is quite an amazing feat!

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Friend or Foe?

This granite giant can be seen from the skies over Edinburgh, Scotland, and rests behind a housing estate in a big farmers’ field. Back in the 60s, a gangster named Jimmy Boyle was sent to prison for 15 years.

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Friend or Foe?

Upon his release, he became a writer and a sculpture. After a life of violence and crime, he changed his way, and this here friendly giant was a piece of his treasured work. Since then, the sculpture has kind of been abandoned and is mostly used as a hangout area for kids from the area.

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Lockdown

This is an image captured by a drone flying over the city of Wuhan. As you can see, the city streets are completely empty because the city was in complete lockdown.

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These streets are usually packed with cars and pedestrians, and it’s so strange to see it so empty and quiet.

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Don’t look down

This shocking view was taken by a drone flying along the cliff face of Tianmen Mountain in China. The mountain is over 5000 feet high and each day thousands of pilgrims climb the narrow wooden ladder nailed to the sheer rock.

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At the top of the mountain is an ancient temple and people climb all the way up to get there. It’s scary to think about what would happen if anyone lost the balance on the climb up.

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Do you see it?

This drone images captured in Africa had the whole of the internet scratching their heads. With many people set on the fact that they could see just one thing, it was only when people got a second look that the picture made sense. But can you see it?

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Do you see it?

If you look closely, you will notice that the black images are not actually an animal, but rather the shadows from a herd of Zebra, walking through the land at sunset. A natural optical illusion in all its glory.

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This is a funny-looking bird

If you ever think flying drones around animals is a good idea, think again. This man decided to see the bears in the wild up close and personal, so he grabbed his drone and flew it in the direction of the animals. As the drone buzzed around them, one of the bears found the drone quite curious and decided to inspect the drone.

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The whole thing was filmed by his friend who had flown his drone a little farther away. The drone ended up being an expensive bear chew toy.

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Seconds Before Impact

Flying a drone isn’t the easiest thing in the world, and sometimes getting the hang of it can be tricky. this drone captured the moment it was saved by its owner before crash landing in water.

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While the drone did get s little wet, the owner managed to catch it just before it sank to the bottom. That was a close save!

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Not as it should be

This pic was captured by a drone enthusiast as he flew his drone around some pastures. If you look carefully you can see something strange in this image.

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It wasn’t until the owner of the drone got home that he noticed the man sitting at the top of the wind turbine getting a little sun. We don’t know how he got up there, but he must have been a little shocked when he saw a drone fly by.

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Escapee

When a drone enthusiast in Thailand decided to fly his drone over a local beach he was shocked to see something in the water near the section of the ocean where people swam. There, casually swimming along was a massive crocodile. The weird thing is that most crocs are freshwater creatures and this croc seemed to be a long way away from where he should be.

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Later it was discovered that the creature had escaped a nearby crocodile farm and the drone owner used his images to help police track this escapee down. It is scary to think that this massive croc was so close to swimmers at the beach. Thankfully the police managed to track it down in time.

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Clowning Around

Imagine casually flying your drone over your family’s fields only to discover that someone is trespassing. Now imagine that someone is dressed as a creepy clown.

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Well, this is exactly what happened when this drone-captured images above a cornfield in someone’s backyard. It is not clear who the clown was or what they were doing, but one thing for sure this farmer will never see the circus in the same light.

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Night and day

This is what you see when you fly a drone over the US/Mexican border. It may look strange, but one side is the United States, and the other side is a Mexican suburb.

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It is strange to think that these tow suburbs are only separated by a wall if we didnt know any better we would think they were the same city. Can you tell which side is which?

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Belvedere Hotel

Once upon a time, a hotspot for actor Sean Connery, this Belvedere Hotel sits on this winding road in the Swiss Alps.

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Belvedere Hotel

Built-in what seems to be the middle of nowhere, where the altitude is 8,000 feet, you can find this hotel which featured in the James Bond movie, Goldfinger. Known as “The Jewel in the Mountains,” the hotel first opened in 1882. The historical road is known as Furka Pass.

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Seaquarium

Beneath the surface of this extraordinary aerial image, a heart-rending story unfolds, telling a tale of two marine souls, Lolita, the orca, and Li’i, the Pacific white-sided dolphin. Captured by a drone hovering above Miami Seaquarium on May 26th, 2023, the image reveals the pair in a relentless, repetitious dance – a poignant spectacle that strikes a chord.

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The drone’s eye view allows us to perceive the stark reality of their existence. In the depths of the marine park, Lolita, the orca who has been in captivity since 1970, and Li’i, the dolphin captured in 1988, trace the same patterns day in and day out. Their synchronized movements are as beautiful as they are heartbreaking, a continuous ballet with no finale in sight.

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Pacific Northwest

Out in the Pacific Northwest, this drone captured the snow so effortlessly on the ground of this forest, with the trees looking almost photoshopped due to their bright red color.

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This photographer, in particular, mentioned how cold it was when looking to take this shot, “The temperature was about -5ºF at sea level, but -20ºF at 14,000 to 15,000 feet. It was also extremely windy”.

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High Above

High above the sprawling streets of Barcelona stands the turrets and peaks of the city’s Sagrat Cor Church. Located on the summit of Mount Tibidabo, clouds swirl around the elaborate statues of the church’s false facade.

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Also known as the Temple f the Sacred Heart of Jesus, it was designed by Spanish architect Enric Sagnier and was later completed by his son, Josep Maria Sagnier I Vidal.

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High Living

The Katskhi Pillar is located in the western region of Georgia, in a village called Katskhi, close to the town of Chiatura. The naturally-occurring rock finds a famous Georgian church on its peak which is home to a local monk. Maxime, the 59-year-old monk, receives packages of food and supplies from followers twice a week.

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A 131ft ladder is needed to be scaled in order to reach the lower ground. The pillar is a limestone monolith and has always been surrounded by legends. The original building was created in the 9th or 10th century.

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Otherworldly Awe

Mardalsfossen waterfall in Romsdal, Norway, is one of Europe’s highest waterfalls. The vertical drop measures 1,175 ft. The swirling clouds create the illusion that the waterfall is floating rather than resting on a mountain face.

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The waterfall comes from the Mardola river, which flows from a nearby valley. The water then crashes down in Lake Eikesdalsvatnet.

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The Great Dive

This spectacular image is the result of human capacity, technology, and meticulous timing. “He is over sixty, he is the world record holder for the Guinness waterfall diving.”

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“In China’s famous spout of the Yellow River and the great falls of the water tower in Heilongjiang province, he surprised the world with his leap,” shared the prize-winning photographer.

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Dubai Miracle Garden

Created in 2013, the stunning Dubai Miracle Garden boasts of wonderful displays of hundreds of different flowers. The famous flower garden can be found in Dubailand in the United Arab Emirates.

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Covering 72,000 square meters, the garden is the largest of its kind in the world. Here, one of the grandest displays is of this Airbus A4280 which was captured by Bachir Moukarzel, a financial controller.

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Giant Bunny


This drone image captured something quite surprising. As a drone enthusiast flew his drone over the side of a mountain near his house, he noticed a giant pink bunny resting on the mountainside.

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It turns out the bunny was a massive art installation that had been created by a Viennese art group. Not only was the bunny created to shock hikers, but its plush body also gave them something comfy to rest on.

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Lively Lillies

A woman is photographed harvesting water lilies in a pond in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. The photo, submitted by a Vietnamese author known as helios1412, won second prize in the People category of 2017’s International Drone Photography Contest.

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The area is a popular site for plants and animals due to its fertile land. The abundance of agriculture in the Delta area has given the spot the nickname, “Vietnam’s rice bowl.”

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Optical Illusions

What appears to be a dry and cracked desert floor is, in fact, a lake. ‘Cracked Mud Boating’ by drone photographer Milo Allerton, captures a family enjoying a boat ride in Burke Lake in Virginia.

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Burke Lake is a freshwater area in Fairfax Station, and the reservoir covers 218 acres. It sits in the middle of Burke Park and is owned by the local authority.

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Brain Challenge

This insane interchange looks like a maze as well as something else, can you spot it? Designed in the shape of a brain, this interchange seems as though it is one of the most complicated on earth.

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There is another interchange in Indy, very similar called the spaghetti bowl.

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Mexican Madness

Mexico City is the sprawling and densely populated capital of Mexico. With a spectacular population of 21 million people, Mexico City is the most populated city in the Western Hemisphere. Here, an image shows thousands of homes located on the city’s vast hills.

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The city is known for the Cathedral Metropolitana, a 13th-century Aztec temple named Templo Mayor as well as the Palacio Nacional, which is the home to Diego Rivera’s famous murals.

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Camel Crossing

This image by Abdullah Al Nassar is a breathtaking aerial view of the rich red sand dunes of Saudi Arabia. White camels make their winding way across the dunes in search of water.

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The dunes are in an area in northeastern Riyadh. Also known as the Hidden Valley due to its surrounding tall mountains, it is a popular weekend destination for locals and expatriates.

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Duck Dynasty

Raising ducks is a common practice in Asian countries. Many farmers depend on their livelihood. The ducks are used for meat and feathers. Here, a Vietnamese duck farmer makes his way across his property.

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The farmer makes his daily rounds, striding through the water to feed the ducks. Each time, the ducks will move away from him in groups, creating different shapes upon the surface of the water.

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Chasing Waterfalls

Famed for its turquoise water, Cascada de Tamul is the result of two rivers merging—the Gallinas River and the Santa Maria River—which create a 300-m wide waterfall. The best way to view the waterfall is from the river in a traditional wooden panga (canoe), which you can paddle upstream.

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105 meters high, shortly after the waterfall, there is a stunning cave that is worth a peek in to. A popular travelers adventures, Salazar said, “suddenly you are in a river, bluer than anything you’ve seen. Freshwaters, nice canoes to row, and an amazing waterfall.”

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Remote Fort

This drone managed to capture footage of the Stack Rock Fort, which is located off the coast of Wales. The fort was built in 1850 and once housed many cannons and guns that were used to defend the English coastline.

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While the fort is no longer in use, unfortunately, it has a grade 2 listing, which means no one has stepped foot on the island in many years. This means the images captured by this drone are some of the most recent pics of this remote piece of history.

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Magical Spirals

This earthwork sculpture, created by a famous American artist called Robert Smithson, is named Spiral Jetty, and it was constructed in April 1970. Rarely do we get the opportunity to turn our perspective upside down, but thanks to prominent aerial photographers, this spectacular image shows off the texture and outstanding natural beauty of the scene.

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The creation was documented in a 32-minute film, and the sculpture can only be seen when the water levels drop below 4,195 feet.

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Dizzying Heights

This image was the first prize winner of the 2016 International Drone Footage photography awards. The image, shot from a dizzying height, shows a climber scaling the side of a mountain face in Moab, Utah. The competition saw around 6000 submitted, with the hope the scoop the number one spot of at least one of the three categories.

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The photographer, Max Seigal, said, “Two years ago, I started flying drones, and I quickly realized their potential to capture stunning, never-before-seen views. I’ve been hooked ever since!”

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Palm Island

Well, this looks like a strange-looking island, but in actual fact, this is a drone image of one of Dubai’s most beautiful man-made wonders. This is Palm Islands are a group of artificial islands just off the coast of Dubai.

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Here each branch of the palm tree is home to plenty of houses and villas and it makes up a pretty awesome suburb. At the apex of the island, at the bottom of the image, is the majestic Atlantis hotel and resort which features one of the coolest waterparks in the world. It looks like a great place to live!

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Marigolds

This aesthetically pleasing image shows women in Asia picking marigolds in the fields. The symmetry and bright colors give this piece a calming yet happy feel. These types of fields have become a popular destination for backpackers.

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Wanting to get the perfect photo, often people will arrive with the hope they can bribe the workers into allowing them to have a picture as they walk through the fields.

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Fish Island

This tiny island has been shaped by tides and oceans for years and the result is this weird shape. It almost looks like a little fish.

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From the drone image, you can also see the remains of a fort that was built on the island centuries ago. This would have been a perfect island for pirates to hide their hidden treasure. After all, a fish-shaped island must be pretty unique!

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Nets Away

This amazing image may look quite confusing, but this is what it looks like when fishermen release their nets into the ocean. This fisherman was fishing off the coast of Vietnam, and while it looks like the net is floating above the boat, it’s actually floating in the water.

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Doesn’t that look so cool! Unfortunately for the fisherman, it doesn’t look like there is much fish trapped in the net.

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Lifesaving Moment

While many people use their drones to explore and play around, drones can also be used by police and rescue crews to help locate missing people. This is exactly what happened in Britain when a man out hiking on the marshes with friends got separated from the group.

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The group of friends immediately contacted police who used a drone to quickly search the marshland. Luckily they were able to find the man who had become stuck in quicksand and using the drones images; they led paramedics to the scene.

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Stairway To Heaven

You will find this exhausting-looking staircase, in the Algarve, Portugal. The walkway leads to one of “the most beautiful beaches” in the Faro district. Portugal’s southernmost region is known for its Atlantic beaches and sandy coves. Since the 1960s, when the area was transformed, this is now a popular holiday destination and is full of resorts, hotels, restaurants, and bars.

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While it looks amazing when photographed from up above, from the beach, it looks as if the stairway slithers up the rocks and into the sky. With a heavenly climate and small picturesque fishing villages, it is a great place to visit. just keep in mind though…you will have to take the stairs.

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Walking Wolf Man

When a man playing with his drone one night in his backyard heard screams coming from nearby, he decided the safest thing would be to use his drone to check it out. Flying his drone close to the ground, the man captured images of a wolf walking upright on its hind legs and chasing a woman.

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The noise of the drone seemed to have scared the creature off, which immediately dropped to all fours and ran away. The images he ended up capturing did little to explain what had happened and instead only led to more questions.

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Bigfoot

For a drone enthusiast in Idaho, his images ended up being the result of an elaborate plan by his friends. It all started when a man bought himself a top of the line drone and started taking it out for flights over the countryside. He was so impressed with the drone footage that he told his friends all about it. Interested, they asked their friend where and when he liked to fly his drone.

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The next time he took the drone out, he captured images of what appeared to be bigfoot walking across the landscape. The man immediately sent his footage to experts and went back the next day to see more. It was then that he discovered that it was his best friends dressed up in bigfoot costumes and pulling an epic prank.

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Out For A Swim

If you have ever wondered what a beach full of swimmers looks like from above, then look no further. Roberto Corinaldesi managed to get this drone picture of a popular swimming beach.

Roberto CorinaldesiYou can see each person splashing in the water and the long shapes of their bodies as they cut through the waves. The wave about to crash onto them makes for a spectacular image, and showcases the mightiness of the ocean.

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Adrift Together

In another beautiful wedding shot, this couple decided to make it appear as if they are adrift in a field together. You don’t need water to create a beautiful canoe image, which photographer Krysztof Krawczyk proved.

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Krzysztof Krawczyk

As the wind swept through this field, the couple arranged themselves in the canoe, and Krysztof went to work before finally capturing the perfect image of togetherness, while being completely alone. This image looks like it belongs in both a bridal and a nature magazine.

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Buffalo Going Home

Shooting wildlife is one of the toughest jobs in the world for a photographer. You have to wait for the wildlife to venture into shooting range, and unlike humans, they will not pose for you. Photographer Mehmet Aslan decided to capture a herd of buffalo going home for the day.

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Mehmet Aslan

Just as the buffalo herd began to move, a rainbow crossed the horizon which created the perfect image. Only a drone would have been able to capture the arc of the rainbow like this.

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First Serve

Tennis is one of the oldest sporting events in the world. Each serve, set, and match creates an atmosphere ripe with anticipation. It can be anybody’s game. Photographer Brad Walls managed to capture this drone image of a tennis player serving during a game.

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Brad Walls

He is centered perfectly, with the line of the court running through the image. This creates a perfectly symmetrical image, which is pleasing to the eye and the onlookers.

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Just Married

Creating original wedding pictures takes a lot of work. Most newly married couples opt for the classic poses. The close-up of them holding hands, the sun shining between them as they gaze lovingly at each other, and the group shot. This couple decided they wanted a drone shot to be their most memorable photo, and photographer Tobias Froehner made it happen.

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Tobias Froehner

This happily married couple, is perfectly framed in the cobble stone parking lot, with their vintage Volkswagen Beetle parked next to them. The photo is perfectly centered, and the fall leaves behind them add to the beauty of the shot.

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Women At Work

Around the world, women perform various tasks in the agriculture industry. The women pictured here are surrounded by flowing piles of red chilies waiting to be sorted. The chilies are placed out in the sun to dry, and once they are dry, the women can sort them in the factory.

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Md Tanveer Hassan Rohan

The chilies are then packaged and shipped around the world. This is hard work, and the shifts are often ten hours long. Md Tanveer Hassan Rohan took this picture to showcase the beauty of the chilies, and to shed light on the hard work that the women must do to provide for their families.

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A Field Of Carpets

This stunning photograph is a field of carpets in the Middle East. When a portion of carpets have been completed by local artisans, they are laid out in this field to be exposed to the sun’s rays. The sun has the ability to make colors more vibrant, and to fade others.

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Mehmet Aslan

That is what makes each carpet unique. Mehmet Aslan captured this drone image, to show off an industry that is not normally photographed.

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A Mermaid Wedding

This image almost doesn’t look real. A bride and groom decided to go for a quick dip in the water, and make it appear as if the bride is a mermaid coming to get married. The black and white imagery creates some further contrast in the image, which makes it very striking.

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Dominic Lemoine

Photographer Dominic Lemoine is clearly a master of his art, and couples must be clamoring to have him shoot their weddings after a photo like this.

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Iceland’s Active Volcanoes

Iceland is known for its dramatic landscapes which feature volcanoes, glaciers, and hot springs. There is an area known as crater row, where four volcanoes and their lava can be seen around it.

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The area is accessible via car, and photographer James Rushforth captured this breathtaking image. It almost looks like it belongs in the Lord of the Rings films, as it is eerily close to what Mordor looks like. This is a site that all visitors to Iceland must behold.

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Crossing The Land

The people who live on the Eurasian steppes are well-acquainted with freezing winters, and frozen lakes. These frozen lakes, and rivers create the winter roadways for these nomadic people. Using sledges pulled by horses, they move from settlement to settlement.

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Alessandra Meniconzi

When the lakes thaw this is no longer possible, and natural migratory routes are used. Photographer Alessandra Meniconzi took this image, with her drone while on a visit to Mongolia. You can see all of the fissures in the ice, which makes it look electrified.

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The Friendly Whale

Each year a gray whale comes out and visits with some tourists in a small whale watching area. Photographer Joseph Cheires heard about the whale, and knew he needed to capture an image of it.

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Joseph Cheires

He was in luck, and the whale came over to gently push the boat and let the tourists know it was there. This is a picture of the friendship between humans and these giants of the ocean.

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The Tree Shadow

When you take a drone image of a tree, you tend to just see the top. However, if you take the image when the sun is setting, and the tree is cast into shadow, you can capture the outline of the tree itself.

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Caleb Kenna

Photographer Caleb Kenna managed to do just that, with this beautiful maple tree in the spring.

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Tracking Fields

Sometimes the best drone images are captured over a period of time. This pastoral drone photo of rapeseed fields in Częstochowa, Poland shows off the never ending yellow and green fields.

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Lukasz Rajs

The clouds moving across the sky were caught in this time lapse footage, which is how this abstract photo by Lukasz Rajs was created. This photo looks like it could be a painting by Vincent Van Gogh, all that is missing is a little house in the distance.

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Driving Through Iceland

Iceland has one road which is particularly well-known for its natural beauty. It’s called Ring Route 1 and it spans a large portion of the island. Photographer Hong Jen Chiang was road tripping through the country, when he came upon this spot.

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Hong Jen Chiang

He got his drone out and captured the symmetry of both the road and the landscape. It truly looks like you have entered into some kind of fantastical land, and it makes us want to add Iceland to our bucket list.

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An Architectural Marvel

Kuala Lumpur is home to the Petronas Towers which are attached by a narrow bridge. At night the towers are lit up, and visible from across the city.

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Tomasz Kowalski

Photographer Tomasz Kowalski knew that the towers are twins of each other, and decided to get a drone image of them at night. The resulting image is one that is quite haunting, and it appears as if an alien race has built this monument. It’s incredibly futuristic.

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Heading Home

Sometimes the simplest of actions can create the most beautiful of pictures. Photographer Khanh Panh was out in the fields of his home country, when he saw a family and their herd of cows walking home.

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Khanh Phan

The wind was whipping the long green grass around them, and he knew it was time to get his drone out. The resulting image looks like a modern pastoral painting on what it means to be a farmer in today’s industrial world.

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Flamingo Season

Lake Logipi in Kenya is a visually stunning piece of land, but what makes it even more unique are the pink flamingos that flock there each season. They can be seen around the shore in a giant pink wave.

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Martin Harvey

Photographer Martin Harvey was able to capture this image while on vacation in the area. It’s a great picture to raise awareness about the wildlife in the area, and how they should be protected.

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Catching Some Waves

Surfing is a sport centered around the ocean, and the power of the waves. Each day, the tides, the winds, and the seasons create waves that beckon surfers to them. The best surfing occurs in the morning, and the early evening, which is when photographer Davide Lopresti heads out with his drone.

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Davide Lopresti

He managed to capture this footage of a lone surfer paddling out through the breakwater. It looks like he is paddling up a waterfall, which creates a very eerie image. Nobody can master the ocean, and this drone image shows the vastness of the ocean, and how humans are but specks in it.

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Imagine All The People

The festival of Eid-ul-Fitr is a Muslim tradition that is held across Southeast Asia. This particular festival had a congregation of 600,000 people who had come together to pray and celebrate happiness.

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Azim Khan Ronnie

The rainbow of colors, and the fact that this is to celebrate happiness, makes this one of the most positive drone photographs. Photographer Azim Khan Ronnie managed to capture this image, and show the world what happiness looks like in Asia.

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A Chemical Reaction

There are a lot of factories in Western Australia. One of these factories mixed chemicals into a lake which caused the water to turn pink and yellow. You can see the reaction happening as the chemicals hit the water.

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Boyan Ortse

Photographer Boyan Ortse captured the drone footage of the reaction, and turned it into this highly stylized chemical swirl image. The image itself is stunning, and we can’t help but wonder what the reaction is composed of.

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The Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands are part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and are full of unique culture and events. Photographer Pawel Zygmunt decided to head out to one of the 18 islands, and launch his drone into the sky.

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Pawel Zygmunt

From there he was able to capture an aerial view of about 5 of them, which showcases the rocky beauty of this place. We’re sure visitors will flock to these islands after seeing this drone shot.

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A Gathering Of Rays

Munk’s Mobula rays are a member of the stingray family, and most often found in the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean. They have the ability to jump out of the water, and tend to congregate in shoals like this one.

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Mark Carwardine

The drone image captured by Mark Carwardine only captures a small portion of the thousands of Munk’s rays lazily swimming around in circles. They all swim in the same direction, and don’t tend to venture far from the group.

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Washed Ashore

Sometimes it can be hard to arrange a model in such a way that the drone image captures them at their best angles. This model was arranged as if she had just been washed ashore, and all of the flowers and ferns had moved around her to create a flowering tree.

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Mohamed Azmeel

The image itself is captivating, and photographer Mohamed Azmeel clearly knew what he was doing. We’re sure this image will end up hanging on the wall at a tropical resort.

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Regeneration

The ‘dust bowl’ of America has been written about by many authors over the years, most notable being John Steinbeck in The Grapes of Wrath. Slowly but surely, the dust bowl area around Lake Owens is beginning to see a rebirth.

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Paul Hoelen

Life is starting to return to this region, with migratory birds now passing over and landing in the area. An industrial mining site is actually in charge of some of the regeneration. Photographer Paul Hoelen was the one to capture these swirling colors.

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Shanghai In The Morning

Shanghai looks like a city from the future. The second tallest building in the city, the Shanghai World Financial Center was captured early in the morning. At 4:30 AM, you can just see the sun begin to rise, and the cloud cover begins to disperse.

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droneawards.photo

Luca Venturi was the photographer who captured this image, and it looks like it belongs in a science fiction film like Bladerunner. The future looks interesting, if this is what it’s going to be like.

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A Hong Kong Aerial

Hong Kong is a city full of skyscrapers, differing architectural styles, and a large population. Over the last year, the people of Hong Kong have taken to the streets to speak-up for their rights. This drone shot of the streets of Hong Kong, full of people in June of 2020 is impressive. The entire downtown core is full of people; about a third of the city’s population.

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Tugo Cheng

Photographer Tugo Cheng immortalized this moment by using his drone to capture photos of the day. Now, the world can see how important communities coming together are and why these photos are important.

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Heron’s Nesting

Most people assume that herons nest on land or near a body of water, but this image proves they do not. Herons opt to nest at the top of coniferous trees where they are well protected from predators and the elements.

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Dmitrii Viliunov

Only a drone can find where herons nest, and photographer Dimitrii Viliunov managed to find these two families of herons.

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Collecting Salt

A lot of us don’t think about where our salt comes from. Photographer Igor Altuna captured this image of a salt collector working on a saltern in Vietnam along the coast.

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Igor Altuna

The work is hard, and only small baskets of salt can be collected. They then have to physically be carried to a collection station. This image showcases how labor intensive the work is.

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The Duck Herder

Herding ducks is not one of the many jobs we often think about. In Vietnam, this man was seen herding his flock out of the water. He returns them to his farm in the evening, after they have spent the day feeding.

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Thien Nguyen

Photographer Thien Nguyen was the one who was in the right place at the right time for this drone shot.

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The Heart Of The Sea

Sharks often prowl around the ocean looking for schools of fish to sate their hunger with. This shark found a massive school of salmon floating around, and decided to try and catch a meal.

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Jim Picôt

As he prowled around the school, the salmon morphed together to form a heart, with the shark in the center. The resulting image from photographer Jim Picôt is a powerful one, that makes the viewer feel a sense of hope.

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Get Away!

We’ve all been there on the beach when we are trying to relax and sunbathe and then happen to hear some annoying buzzing close by. When we open our eyes, it’s there, a drone flying over our heads and invading our privacy without any permission! This is exactly what happened to this poor girl.

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When sunbathing on a nice, quiet rooftop, she couldn’t believe it when a drone appeared to be stalking her. Getting angry, she jumped up and chased the drone away with a broom. We don’t know about you, but this gives us the heeby jeebies! Get outta here!

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Soaring High

In a magnificent display of synchronicity, this eagle was captured a thousand feet above the ground by a hovering drone. Birds of prey and drones have a contentious relationship. The large and curious birds are known to pluck the machinery out of the sky, mistaking them for another bird.

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In fact, in the Netherlands, the Dutch police ‘employed’ eagles to take down drones that were flying in unlicensed areas. Although this may sound like one of the strangest things you have ever heard, it is very much true. However, after putting the plan into practice, the Eagles soon lost their jobs!

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Fall Scene

This spectacular image shows an aerial image of one of Romania’s remote winding highways. The stretch of road meanders through the surrounding forest dressed in the red, gold, and burnt orange leaves of autumn.

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Images such as these give us a glimpse into how a man-made road can cut through nature, while still leaving it to beautifully bloom.