It is often difficult to discern the forest for the trees. We can only see what is right in front of us, and the big picture beyond that is hazy. Drones have given us the ability to see the forest even while standing among the trees in today’s world. It might be a breathtaking vision of nature or man-made beauty, or it can be the harsh reality of natural or man-made calamities. Photographers have always been around for over a century taking pictures with cameras that only got more sophisticated with the years. Drones, however, have opened up a whole new world of possibilities for photographers, and if recent images are any indicator, we’re in for some truly fantastic things.
What They Found While Remodeling
At first sight, you might be wondering why this drone photo is so important. It’s merely a back picture of a structure that might be in any overpopulated city on the planet. However, a closer inspection reveals a rock statue of a Buddha that was only uncovered when renovations on the building above it began. But he is missing his head. Is it possible that the structure ate it?
This incredible discovery was made in a residential section of Chongqing, China, and it might have gone unnoticed if the structure had not needed upgrades. Let’s hope they don’t lose it!
There’s Art in Sustenance
What do you make of this? Gold flecks? Sand? Would you have known they were rice mounds? It’s Brahmanbaria, Bangladesh’s Chittagong province, along the Meghna river. When it rains, the rice is normally spread out in lines to dry in the sun, but when it rains, the farmers race to arrange them into mounds covered with enormous straw-like hats known as Topas, which protect the rice from getting wet.
It’s critical that it doesn’t become destroyed because it accounts for 70% of their nutrition. The symmetry of this aerial image of traditional rice drying can only be appreciated from above.
Find and Seek the Music Maze
Can you spot the treble clef as well as the two French horns? This man-made work of art, known as the Music Maze, is also stunning from above. This maze, seen with a drone near Balsham, Cambridge, UK, is a private garden with over 1,500 trees and almost a quarter-mile of grass walkways planted in 1993.
Standing within the maze won’t provide you with the aerial perspective necessary to appreciate the magnificence of this structure, which must be lots of fun to explore. One of the French horns has a circular pond, while the other has an alpine garden.
Open Air Garden in the Middle the City
When concrete dominates the landscape for miles upon miles, it might be difficult to discover green spots in huge towns. One individual in Nanchang City’s Xihu District, Jiangxi Province, Southeast China, chose to turn the top of his building into a massive roof garden. He is not only creating a nice green environment to enjoy on the rooftop, but he is also fighting air pollution, which is a major issue in China.
Despite all of the good that this one man did for his building, having a rooftop garden is against the rules, and he was ordered to remove it.
The Soy Sauce Tanks
At first glance, this image appears to be umbrellas all lined up, possibly even cup coverings, however upon closer investigation, you can see that there are individuals standing with those cups. So, what exactly is it? It turns out that these are massive porcelain pots filled with soy sauce. You may even take a soak in them, similar to a soy jacuzzi. We had no idea how soy sauce was prepared!
This soy sauce plantation is located in Rugao City, Jiangsu Province, East China. We’ll never think of soy sauce the same way again, thanks to a drone flying overhead.
Park to Smell the Flowers
Rarely do you see such a pleasant view while driving down a freeway, despite the world’s millions of miles of highways. This beautiful drone photo was taken from the Pingle Yudong Overpass in Nanning, China. This vista will make you smile whether you are traveling the speed limit or caught in bumper-to-bumper traffic. This overpass, like the pink ribbon stashes strewn across the road, outperforms the others.
The city’s foresight to plant Bougainvillea branches with pink and purple lace mixed in has made traffic moments a time to smell the flowers. It’s a great step forward to address visual pollution.
The Ever Growing Diamond Mine
The Koffiefontein diamond mine in South Africa’s Free State Province was opened in the late 1800s and has been in operation ever since. It was once a little mine that grew deeper and wider through time, but it is now a massive man-made crater. While the size of this diamond mine is impressive from the ground, only a drone can truly appreciate it!
It is utterly disorienting whether you are standing on the edge, gazing down, or looking up from above. So, if you ever get the opportunity to visit South Africa, don’t miss out on this strange man-made wonder!
Cauliflower Art at the Vegetable Market
‘Eat your veggies,’ is something our parents would say to us way too often, yet even if you ate one a day, this supply of cauliflower would last for years. With this top-down perspective, these cauliflowers appear to be more like an art project than a vegetable market where they are eventually sent all over the world. What do you think it took them to lay everything out?
A drone camera captured this unique image of a mile-long vegetable market in Shibganj, Bangladesh, in the Upazila district. Imagine all the delicious cauliflower dishes vegans and vegetarians could make with these!
City of Ice That Is Out of This World
In any Star Wars film, this ice city could be from a dark planet on the other side of the galaxy. But no, it’s a real location in Heilongjiang, Heilongjiang Province, Northeast China. Bingxue Large World, commonly known as Harbin Ice and Snow World, occupies more than 8 million square feet and is expanding every year. This is the world’s most popular winter attraction, and it’s easy to see why.
It’s a dreamy fantasy world built entirely of ice, and as you can see from this photo taken by a drone, it’s bitterly cold. If you’re visiting, wear warm clothing.
New Moon of the Red Planet
Isn’t this a scene from the movie Total Recall, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and shot on Mars? No, it’s from here on Earth. This is a supermoon captured over the Minaret Mountain Range in Sierra Nevada, California, taken by a drone. A supermoon is a newly formed moon that is closest to Earth on its elliptical orbit, and thus appears the largest to us.
The best part about drones being able to capture photos like this is that most of us will never be able to experience such views of Earth’s beauties in person. Drones provide us with this wonderful opportunity.
A Mushroom Town in China
Many holiday destinations have themes that entice visitors to visit and stay. The Yixing Mushroom Outdoor Luxury Hotel, in Xingyi, Guizhou Province, China, opened in 2018 and offers a variety of activities and attractions to keep visitors entertained. Stay in this mushroom paradise, which is close to the Sunshine Bonsai Garden and the Guizhou Minzu Hunsu Museum. The imaginary land created inside the hotel is enthralling.
Pretend you are a hobbit and you’ll feel like one, too, when you stand amid these massive mushrooms. This gigantic artistic piece can only be seen from an overhead perspective taken by a drone.
A Photo Only a Drone Could Get
Before drones, aerial images were only feasible with smaller planes or helicopters, thus while drones make aerial shots more accessible, some photos would be difficult to obtain without one. Consider this image of a duck farmer going along the sea, surrounded by beautifully poised ducks on the beach. You would believe they are flying based on their appearance, but they’re rather still.
The ducks are unconcerned about the farmer and the silent drone, so they stay put; nevertheless, if this photo had been taken from a plane or helicopter, the ducks would almost certainly have gotten scared and flown away.
An Ocean of Tulips
The famous tulip fields of Amsterdam’s Keukenhof Gardens were captured in this magnificent aerial image. Amsterdam is also famed for its tulips, in addition to its wooden shoes. The tulip fields are a must-see for anyone visiting The Netherlands; they’re open for tours from March to May and feature over 800 different varieties of tulips. Every year in the autumn, Keukenhof Gardens plants over 7 million bulbs for spring blooming.
In the spring, there is a tulip festival and a tulip parade, making it a popular destination for visitors who want to see this breathtaking view in person. It’s stunning!
The Gateway to Hell
The Erta Ale Volcano in Ethiopia stands on three divergent tectonic plates in the Danakil Depression, creating a lava lake that is one of only six active lava lakes on the planet. This lava lake is referred to as the “Gateway to Hell,” however Erta Ale means “smoking mountain” in the local language. We might not have known it existed if not for drones. Wasn’t there supposed to be a portal to hell somewhere?
The crater’s center has cooled down, leaving a thick black crust, but the edges are blazing with spouting lava, forming a scary ring of infernal flames.
The DNA Strands Bridge
Do you have a fear of heights? Would you dare to cross this bridge even if you weren’t? This bendy Ruyi Bridge in China, which looks like DNA produced by a mad scientist for fun, is 328 feet long and has a glass bottom. Even without the ups and downs, the translucent bottom is enough to deter people from crossing it. To cross this bridge with confidence and hang on to the railings, you must be a brave soul.
With its double-decker walkways, it is a true engineering marvel, but it looks like something out of a science fiction film.
Salvation Mountain is a Happy Place
For the residents of Slab City, in California’s Sonoran Desert, Salvation Mountain is a happy spot. It is a work of folk art that should be preserved and protected, as it was created by one of the residents, Leonard Knight. Slab City is an off-grid alternative lifestyle community for squatters and snowbirds that exists outside of the confines of traditional society. Visitors come from all over the world to pay a visit.
Knight has turned someone’s rubbish into inspiring art with countless murals and Christian sayings made out of bricks, tires, and other discarded objects. This image captures his vision.
One Tree at a Time Saving the Planet
This aerial view, which resembles a big game of Whack-a-Mole, is jam-packed with awesomeness. It’s a tree-planting campaign in Zhangye, China’s Gansu province, to turn bare land into a forest. 10,000 volunteers and employees are attempting to plant over 4.1 million trees by 2021. Talk about assisting in the preservation of the environment! This isn’t the most beautiful drone photo, but it’s all about love for our planet.
Isn’t it incredible that tens of thousands of people are banding together to transform barren land into forests? This is fantastic news for China’s and everyone’s efforts to combat pollution.
A Drain Like No Other
This amazing photo of the Morning Glory Spillway, or Glory Hole as it’s known in Napa Valley, California, looks like a gateway to another realm. It’s 72 feet wide and directs excess water from Lake Berryessa to the Monticello Dam on Putah Creek. Swimming in the vicinity of the Glory Hole is prohibited, and with good cause. Nobody wants to be swept into this massive sewer since no one knows where it will lead.
The spillway looks like a giant cement drain in the lake most of the time, so getting a photo like this was a stroke of luck.
A Rainbow of Fabric
Isn’t it lovely to see so much color? Each rectangle is formed by hand-dying patterns onto white linen, which are then sewn into traditional women’s gowns. This aerial view was captured by a drone in Narayanganj, Bangladesh, where the process is still done by hand. No two outfits are alike, and as you can see in the photo, the colors are rich and brilliant, spanning the rainbow.
Someone is lying out each cloth to be dried in this photo; just look closely in the middle of the image. This traditional way of making garments has been kept alive for centuries.
Social Distancing Made Simple
In 2020, thanks to the Novel Coronavirus, social distancing has become the new norm in today’s world. These enormous white circles painted on the ground in Sint-Pietersplein plaza in Ghent, Belgium, make it easier for people to gather in groups. From this vantage point, it appears as if a large-scale game is being played. They politely suggest that you stay in your circle to avoid dense crowds.
People on the ground are unlikely to detect this massive attempt at social alienation. However, it is evident from above that the city wants everyone to be able to enjoy the outdoors safely.
Like a Cameo Pinned to the Earth
Aerial photos like this one taken by a drone are the only way to truly appreciate this elegant work of art. The Taiping Lake Forest Park in Mile City, Yunnan Province in Southwest China, has an earthwork or earthscape that is over 365,000 square feet in size. This gigantic environmental art project is made of earth, stones, trees, plants, wood, and even water, providing a stunning image.
Stan Herd, an earthwork artist, created “Young woman of China” in 2014. It’s so large that it’s likely visible from space. A cameo brooch attached to the Earth is unlike any other.
Impossible to Access Waterfall
Waterfalls are always beautiful to see, with thousands of gallons of water cascading into the abyss. Drone photographers never tire of capturing images like this. The Haifoss Waterfall in Iceland is a fantastic location for drone photography. The vista is from a location where no human being could ever get to: hovering over the falls. Without drones, this image would never have existed, and we would have all missed out on its splendor.
The power poles in the backdrop may be seen if you look attentively, demonstrating how huge this fall is. For those terrified of heights, it’s almost dizzying.
The Picturesque Rorbu Homes of Norway
These homes, which date from 1100, were built to help fishermen from Northern Norway who traveled to the Lofoten Islands for the cod fishing season. They’re largely vacation rentals nowadays, but they highlight the significant role fishing played and continues to play for the Norwegian people. The Rorbu, whose name means “rowing” and “bu” means “small house,” allows fishermen to dock their boats and walk right into the house.
The Eliassen Rorbuer, the most famous Rorbuer, is depicted here at Hamny, on the Reinefjorden river— Drones have captured the dramatic effect of this Norwegian landmark against the majestic snowy mountains.
The Poppy Memorial for the Fallen
In November 2014, an art piece in London’s Tower of London was opened to the public to pay tribute to the British warriors who gave their lives for their nation, with exactly 888,246 ceramic red poppies representing the dead soldiers during World War I. It was inspired by a poem written anonymously by a Derbyshire soldier called “Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red.” It’s a striking sight when seen from the air.
It serves as a reminder, lest we forget the sacrifices made and the bloodshed shed in the name of defending one’s country. It’s a thoughtful memorial.
Dancing Starlings in Flight
We have all seen swarms of flying birds or insects take to the skies, seemingly executing a majestic dance to which only they are privy. Swarming is a phenomenon in which a large number of flying organisms form a clump and move through the air in synchrony. Birds of a feather flock together, and that is exactly what happens when the beauty and grace of a ballet performance are combined.
Normally, photos like this are shot from the ground, but drones have given us a much better view of this miracle in flight in recent years. What a beautiful sight!
Is This Proof of UFOs?
Crop circles have existed for decades, and while many people believe they are caused by UFOs landing in big fields, this has been proven false numerous times. They are, in fact, man-made designs created by pranksters to perplex passers-by and field owners. Other designs exist that provide for superb drone photography and are made by spiral flattening wheat or maize crops, generally in symmetrical patterns.
Although they are mostly found in the United Kingdom, such as this one in Coventry, England, they have spread all over the world, adding to the enigma of alien and UFO sightings to this day.
Australia’s Cable Beach Should Be Camel Beach
Broome, Western Australia, offers a beautiful white sand beach known as Cable Beach, named after the telecommunications cable that connects Australia to the Indonesian island of Java. During the sunset and sunrise hours of the day, it’s difficult to tell where the beach ends and the ocean begins because the beach is so flat. It appears to be an optical illusion when drones take to the sky to shoot the view.
This caravan of camels crosses the shore, making it difficult to discern whether they are traveling on water or sand. They should petition a name change for the island!
The Dam Sprung a Leak
In 2018, a breach in China’s Yellow River Diversion Project caused floods in Shanxi Province in North China. Drones were deployed into the air to completely determine the cause and remedy the situation as promptly as feasible. The drones’ capacity to fly overhead without putting people in danger of falling into the dam was a blessing, as was learning a lot about what was going on.
Drones are very useful in dangerous situations like these because they keep workers safe while also speeding up the process of repairing the leaky dam that caused the severe flooding. The faster, the better.
The Hidden Lakes of Iceland
As irony would have it, Iceland is predominantly green, but Greenland is largely ice, thus someone got it backwards. But it’s Iceland’s geological activity that’s most impressive: volcanoes, geysers, hot springs, geothermal energy, and, most of all, two tectonic plates migrating apart on land. The Eurasian and North American tectonic plates separated, which resulted in the formation of Iceland. Isn’t it amazing?
The hidden lakes of Iceland are inaccessible on foot, but a drone caught these colorful pockets of water, which were created by the high mineral content of each lake. A work of art made by the planet itself.
The Church Among the Clouds
On the peak of Mount Tibidabo in Barcelona, Spain, rises the Expiatory Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The construction of this Roman Catholic Church and minor Basilica began in 1902 and was completed in two parts over a period of 59 years. It all began in 1886, when reports of a Protestant Temple being erected there sparked anxieties of this happening, prompting the construction of this Barcelona treasure.
It’s become a favorite spot for drone photography in recent years. It looks as if Jesus Christ, standing arms wide open, were speaking to his disciples from among the sky.