ADVERTISEMENT

A flock of thousands of pink-footed geese flying over snow-covered ground, immortalized by the Norwegian photographer Terje Kolaas, is the overall winner of the Drone Awards 2021, the main international contest of aerial photography. The image, titled Pink-Footed Geese Meeting the Winter, was shot in central Norway and portrays geese flying towards Svalbard, in the Arctic, with the landscape still covered with snow. The birds’ early arrival is likely linked to climate change. The photo was selected from tens of thousands of images submitted by photographers from 102 countries and, together with the first-place shots classified in the eight categories of the Drone Photo Awards, will be showcased in the "Above Us Only Sky" exhibition, scheduled in Siena from October 23rd to December 5th as part of the Siena Awards festival dedicated to the visual arts.

More info: droneawards.photo | Facebook | twitter.com | youtube.com

#1

Duoyishu Terraces By Ran Tian (Highly Commended In Abstract Category)

Duoyishu Terraces By Ran Tian (Highly Commended In Abstract Category)

"A spectacular aerial view of the famous Duoyishu terraces where rice is grown. The shades of colors of the different levels of the rice fields create a unique effect."

droneawards.photo Report

Add photo comments
POST
vikrant-talponkar avatar
Vic
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This doesn't look real! Looks like a water colour painting..

View more commentsArrow down menu
#2

Back To Adventure By Qasim Al Farsi (1st Place In Wildlife Category)

Back To Adventure By Qasim Al Farsi (1st Place In Wildlife Category)

"A green turtle heading back to the water after laying down eggs in her peaceful nest at Oman coastline between Ras Al Jinz and Rashad turtle reserve."

droneawards.photo Report

#3

Passaggio Sospeso By Paolo Crocetta (Highly Commended In Urban Category)

Passaggio Sospeso By Paolo Crocetta (Highly Commended In Urban Category)

"The Vaccanonesa is a small train that connects the city of Trento with the villages of Val di Non and Val di Sole in Trentino. During its ride through the apple orchards, the train makes this breathtaking passage above a gorge over 150 meters high."

droneawards.photo Report

#4

Pure Power By Phil De Glanville (Highly Commended In Nature Category)

Pure Power By Phil De Glanville (Highly Commended In Nature Category)

"Like people, each wave has a unique journey with the power to inspire. Photo captured off the southwest coast of Western Australia."

droneawards.photo Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#5

Colorful Terraces By Tuan Nguyen Tan (Highly Commended In Series Category)

Colorful Terraces By Tuan Nguyen Tan (Highly Commended In Series Category)

"Every year in May, during the pouring season in the terraced rice fields, the water pours from one field to another, merging with the color of the earth and the clouds in the sky. The light reflections that are created on the surface of the water mix together to create colorful images."

droneawards.photo Report

Add photo comments
POST
nedov-marcela avatar
Lainie
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And now I'm supposed to believe that this is a normal, natural phenomenon every May?! This is crazy. And how could be possible that color blue is just there, chilling like that's a normal, expected thing for blue color!!! There's too many beautiful things on this planet, and people are too arrogant to accept that we are nothing special. We are tiny dust.

View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#6

Camel Shadows At Sunset By Jim Picôt (Highly Commended In Nature Category)

Camel Shadows At Sunset By Jim Picôt (Highly Commended In Nature Category)

"Flying the drone over the ocean, I spotted the approaching camels, with human guests on board, and noticed the beautiful light, and shadows, and also the eloquent wave patterns on the shoreline."

droneawards.photo Report

#7

Pray For Souls By Phu Khanh Bui (Highly Commended In People Category)

Pray For Souls By Phu Khanh Bui (Highly Commended In People Category)

"In the full moon of July, as part of the Vietnamese culture, women put on the traditional costumes called "Ao Dai" to join the colored lantern and flower-garland releasing festival on the river to pray for happiness and good luck to their families. May the souls of their dead relatives and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace in heaven."

droneawards.photo Report

Add photo comments
POST
kathinka avatar
Katinka Min
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Beautiful, but imagine you are in this serene scenery wnating to pray and there's an effing drone buzzing over you taking pictures without permition

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#8

Hippopotamus Group From Above By Talib Almarri (Highly Commended In Wildlife Category)

Hippopotamus Group From Above By Talib Almarri (Highly Commended In Wildlife Category)

"Hippopotamus group from above creating an amazing pattern. All hippos are adults except one baby who is in the center."

droneawards.photo Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#9

Extragalactic By Martin Sanchez (1st Place In Nature Category)

Extragalactic By Martin Sanchez (1st Place In Nature Category)

"The intense and glorious moments during an erupting volcano with an exclusive view from the inside. Captured in Iceland."

droneawards.photo Report

#10

Gold At The End Of The Rainbow By Phil De Glanville (1st Place In Sports Category)

Gold At The End Of The Rainbow By Phil De Glanville (1st Place In Sports Category)

"I found gold at the end of this rainbow as a surfer, Ollie Henry, escapes a monster wave off the coast of South West Western Australia."

droneawards.photo Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#11

Metaphorical Statement About City And Winter By Sergei Poletaev (1st In Urban Category)

Metaphorical Statement About City And Winter By Sergei Poletaev (1st In Urban Category)

"A 500-year-old monastery in the Moscow region and a large power plant in the background. The steam from the cooling towers is particularly dense due to severe frost."

droneawards.photo Report

#12

The Great Divide By Janessa Anderson (Runner-Up In Nature Category)

The Great Divide By Janessa Anderson (Runner-Up In Nature Category)

"Ice sheets drift apart on a glacial-fed lake providing a brief opportunity for exploration. With one path to continue moving forward, moving towards hope, this vast expanse of ice provides a look into the power and grandeur that nature possesses."

droneawards.photo Report

Add photo comments
POST
southon avatar
Bobert Robertson
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'd have a fear that the sheets would come back together and I'd be squashed

View more commentsArrow down menu
#13

Buddhists Are Praying By Khanh Phan (Highly Commended In People Category)

Buddhists Are Praying By Khanh Phan (Highly Commended In People Category)

"Thousands of Buddhists are praying on the occasion of the New Year at Hoang Phap pagoda in Hoc Mon District. They light thousands of candles and pray in the night."

droneawards.photo Report

Add photo comments
POST
southon avatar
Bobert Robertson
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm sure they appreciated the loud buzzing of the drone hovering overhead while they were trying to pray

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#14

Henningsvær By Nando Harmsen (Highly Commended In Urban Category)

Henningsvær By Nando Harmsen (Highly Commended In Urban Category)

"The football field of the fishing town called Henningsvær at Lofoten is a special one. The green artificial grass stands out from the winter landscape. Would you dare to play here?"

droneawards.photo Report

Add photo comments
POST
kayrose avatar
RoseTheMad
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I wonder if they still have warm summers - if not, I'd love to live somewhere like that. I can't deal with the heat so living in a cool place and remaining by the coast in somewhere beautiful like this is a dream!

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#15

Polar Bear Hunting By Florian Ledoux (Highly Commended In Wildlife Category)

Polar Bear Hunting By Florian Ledoux (Highly Commended In Wildlife Category)

"Polar bear hunting seal from an iceberg in Svalbard during the summer while the sea ice is gone all the way north to 83°N."

droneawards.photo Report

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
#16

Collecting Water From Driedout Riverbeds By Sujon Adhikary (Highly Commended In People Category)

Collecting Water From Driedout Riverbeds By Sujon Adhikary (Highly Commended In People Category)

"Around 263 million people globally have access to water sources that are considered safe, but need to spend at least 30 minutes walking or queuing to collect their water. And the task of providing water for households falls disproportionately to women and girls, especially in rural areas."

droneawards.photo Report

Add photo comments
POST
apvenceslau avatar
Ana.V.
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Heartbreaking... although an incredible photo

View more commentsArrow down menu
#17

One-Shot By Lampson Karmin Yip (Highly Commended In Sports Category)

One-Shot By Lampson Karmin Yip (Highly Commended In Sports Category)

"Hong Kong basketball player Hui Huen Hang Hyman practicing his shoot during Siu Hei sports ground opening event on July 4, 2020."

droneawards.photo Report

Add photo comments
POST
crisbarriuso avatar
Miss Cris
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nice colours and composition, but the blue basket thing isn't aligned with the yellow mark and it bothers me.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#18

Habitat By Henrique Murta (Highly Commended In Series Category)

Habitat By Henrique Murta (Highly Commended In Series Category)

"This series is about human architecture rising up from the wild. Nature, in its finest shape, with a human touch that ends up adding balance to the scene. Places where humans live inside dream lands. I am essentially a nature photographer, and the search for pure nature’s beauty has been one of my main life goals for more than ten years. Along this search path, I got surprised a few times by getting driven into a deep state of joy when finding balance between the natural landscape and human elements. That is usually not very common, and when it happens, it is worth taking some time to contemplate. And that is the idea of this series: I would like to invite your eyes to perceive all the elements of these complex compositions, and the way they fit to one another."

droneawards.photo Report

Add photo comments
POST
kathinka avatar
Katinka Min
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In case anybody wonders: Noone lives there. It's a museum village on the faroe islands. I've been there, it is pretty but small. If you just visit normally, during a day trip from a cruise or something, you won't get impressions quite as stunning as these pictures.

View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#19

Poisoned River By Gheorghe Popa (1st In Abstract Category)

Poisoned River By Gheorghe Popa (1st In Abstract Category)

"This is a detailed photograph of one of the small rivers filled with poison. 'Poisoned Beauty' is a personal project that tells the story of the natural disaster in the Apuseni Mountains, but in a beautifully abstract way. This abstract colorful pattern is created by nature combined with the chemical waste resulted from the copper and gold mining process."

droneawards.photo Report

#20

Pink-Footed Geese Meeting The Winter By Terje Kolaas (Photo Of The Year)

Pink-Footed Geese Meeting The Winter By Terje Kolaas (Photo Of The Year)

"Thousands of pink-footed geese roost in central Norway in spring, on their way to the breeding grounds on Svalbard in the Arctics. Probably because of climate change, they arrive earlier every year and often the ground and the fields where they feed are covered by snow when they arrive. The geese tend to use the same paths, so when waiting for them in the air with a drone, photos like this one are possible."

droneawards.photo Report

#21

Natural Bride By Krzysztof Krawczyk (Highly Commended In Wedding Category)

Natural Bride By Krzysztof Krawczyk (Highly Commended In Wedding Category)

"The power of nature! Used fallen tree. Lake, tree, and an extremely brave bride. Abstraction combined with the beauty of nature and fantastic autumn climate."

droneawards.photo Report

#22

The Mighty Ruacana By Jan Roode (Highly Commended In Nature Category)

The Mighty Ruacana By Jan Roode (Highly Commended In Nature Category)

"The Kunene River travels through Angola and surges over a mighty precipice on the Namibian border at the Ruacana waterfalls. Here a young baobab tree clings to a rocky outcrop as the waters of the Ruacana rage around it."

droneawards.photo Report

ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#23

Space Invaders By Gilad Topaz (Highly Commended In Urban Category)

Space Invaders By Gilad Topaz (Highly Commended In Urban Category)

"White parasols at the beach of the Dead Sea. I was flying my drone at the beach when I noticed a field of parasols in a beautiful shape."

droneawards.photo Report

#24

Beach Season By Alexandr Vlassyuk (Runner-Up In People Category)

Beach Season By Alexandr Vlassyuk (Runner-Up In People Category)

"I took this picture in February 2021, on ice hummocks at the Kapchagai reservoir in the Almaty region. The air temperature on that day was -10 degrees Celcius; for our region and season it could be called warm, and so, without waiting for summer, we decided to open the beach season!"

droneawards.photo Report

#25

Chessboard By Cezar Gabriel Popescu (Highly Commended In Abstract Category)

Chessboard By Cezar Gabriel Popescu (Highly Commended In Abstract Category)

"Aerial view of a private beach in Mamaia. Seeing the aligned umbrellas, I was sure that the view from above would be interesting, once the shadows will be in the right spot. In order to take this shot I had to wait for the sun to be high enough in the sky."

droneawards.photo Report

#26

Ice Anatomy By Gheorghe Popa (Highly Commended In Series Category)

Ice Anatomy By Gheorghe Popa (Highly Commended In Series Category)

"Ice Anatomy is an aerial series of photos of Cuejdel Lake just before it froze completely. The fresh snow and the ice cracks created these shapes that resemble neurons or just cells. My project Ice Anatomy follows the transformations of the ice on the lake over several winters."

droneawards.photo Report

#27

Dali's Dream By Ignacio Medem (Highly Commended In Abstract Category)

Dali's Dream By Ignacio Medem (Highly Commended In Abstract Category)

"An extraction in an arid terrain together with a cold white balance gives us back a figurative 8-finger hand, which would have been Dali's Dream."

droneawards.photo Report

#28

Verso L'infinito Insieme A Te By Matteo Originale (1st Place In Wedding Category)

Verso L'infinito Insieme A Te By Matteo Originale (1st Place In Wedding Category)

"Marina di Pisa, a late summer evening at sunset... I spotted those clouds on the horizon and I decided to place the couple towards their infinity full of love."

droneawards.photo Report

#29

Caleidoscopio By Paolo Crocetta (Runner-Up In Abstract Category)

Caleidoscopio By Paolo Crocetta (Runner-Up In Abstract Category)

"This shot was inspired by the colorful patterns of the Navajo people. The bright colors of the containers and the diagonals created by the play of light and shadow give life to an interesting pattern."

droneawards.photo Report

Add photo comments
POST
zsolthegedus83 avatar
Zsolt Hegedűs
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I suspect this has been mirrored and multiplied a couple of times to make it a 4x4 grid

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#30

Fast Food By Igor Altuna (Runner-Up In Wildlife Category)

Fast Food By Igor Altuna (Runner-Up In Wildlife Category)

"This photo was taken in Zambia. Two male lion brothers killed a buffalo, and after eating for a day they left the remains to the others."

droneawards.photo Report

Add photo comments
POST
myrtillerat avatar
Myrtille rat
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hyenas and vultures underloved cleaners of the lands and essential in the food chain

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

Note: this post originally had 42 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.