SkyPixel 5th anniversary contest winners
SkyPixel, in partnership with DJI, Nikon, SanDisk, and Western Digital Corp, launched its 5th Anniversary Aerial Photo & Video contest on December 3rd. Entries closed on February 3rd and the results were announced earlier this week. The 56 category winners and finalists were awarded prize packages worth over $ 117,000. Since launching in 2014, the SkyPixel platform has attracted over 18 million aerial photographers and content creators from 140 countries.
‘I feel really grateful to be chosen as part of the winning crew of talented people who entered the SkyPixel contest. Taking first place in Sport was totally unexpected. I knew I had a good image but also understood I was going up against thousands of talented people in the community,’ Andy Leclerc, First Prize winner, tells DPReview.
‘The emotion and drama captured in this image (is) very powerful. Fantastic composition and post production,’ says judge Chris McLennan about the Grand Prize-winning image from Tony Wang.
Nominees are currently featured on the recommended photographers section, an area that receives over one million page views according to SkyPixel. They’ll also be considered for the role of DJI Creator. Winning photographs and videos will be showcased at DJI Flagship stores around the globe this Spring. To view all selected photos and videos, visit the SkyPixel 5th Anniversary Aerial Photo & Video Contest page.
Grand Prize: ‘Top of Java’ by Tony Wang (China)
About this photo: ‘Indonesia has the reputation of a volcanic country. Among the more than 400 volcanoes, 129 are active volcanoes. At 2 am, my team and I drove to the most unique viewing platform of Mount Bromo National Park. After shooting the Milky Way volcano, the sky gradually brightened. I decided to use the perspective of a DJI drone to overlook the sunrise of this volcanic park.
When the first rays of sunrise hit the volcano, there was nothing more beautiful than this moment. In the future, Mount Bromo in the foreground has been active for a long time, while the prospect of Mount Semeru is not always in an eruption state, and this picture of the eruption was fortunately captured by DJI.’
Gear and specs: Not available
First Prize: ‘EdgeRider’ by Andy Leclerc (US)
About this photo: ‘I captured my image “Edge Rider” with a Mavic 2 Pro. This particular photo was tricky to plan and execute, I had to get the sun position just right and have his shadow cast the perfect riding position. I used the PhotoPills app to plan for the sun’s position and the burst mode in my camera settings to be able to capture the “WOW” moment. It took 256 attempts to get it right but the results paid off,’ Leclerc reveals to DPReview.
Gear and specs: DJI Mavic 2 Pro, F5.7, 1/500s, ISO 100
First Prize: ‘The Epic Moment’ by Vincent Chen (Zambia)
About this photo: ‘I took this special selfie with Mavic 2 pro in Dolomites National Park, Italy. The setting sun hit at the peaks and clouds at sunset, it was really epic moment, I then used the pano mode to take the amazing whole scene.’
Gear and specs: DJI Mavic 2 Pro, F5, 1/500s, ISO 100
Second Prize: ‘Xiyun Buyun Pavilion’ by Yisan Xiao (China)
About this photo: ‘This is an aerial perspective of Xiyun Wetland Buyun Pavilion in the morning mist.’
Gear and specs: DJI Mavic 2 Pro, F5, 1/400s, ISO 100
Second Prize: ‘Family’ by Ben Mack (Australia)
About this photo: ‘A sight to see on Australia’s East coast. A mother whale with her newborn enjoying their migration South.’
Gear and specs: DJI Mavic 2 Pro, F3.6, 1/200s, ISO 100
Third Prize: ‘Aiken Spring’s Undead’ by Dreamland (China)
About this photo: ‘Aiken Spring is located on the vast ground at the foot of the Snow Mountain, with a wide horizon. Viewed from the air, various beautiful pictures have been formed around the eyes of the spring due to the long-term sulfur precipitation. Because there is no comprehensive detailed and reliable survey of Aiken Springs to date, this geological wonder has been cast a mystery.’
Gear and specs: DJI Mavic 2 Pro, F6, 1/240s, ISO 100
Third Prize: ‘Margaret River Surfing’ by Shaneri (Australia)
About this photo: ‘Margaret River, in Australia, is renowned for wine and the big winter swells that hit the coastline. This shot was captured last Winter.’
Gear and specs: DJI Phantom 4 Advanced, F5, 1/1000s, ISO 100
5th Anniversary Prize: ‘The Beauty of Greenland from Above’ by Albert (Netherlands)
About this photo: ‘Greenland is a truly magical place. We explored this place with our little red sail boats that made great contrast with the white and blue ice chunks everywhere. By using a drone I am able to show the immense size of of these ice bergs compared to our boats. At some point you forget that they’re pieces of ice. I used to just call them mountains.
It’s incredible to fly your drone above these giants. But Greenland’s atmosphere is incredible in general. The midnight sun colors lasting all night and casting their beautiful light on the ice and water. And not to mention the whales that I saw everyday. I enjoyed watching them play right from the coastline of Ilulissat.
You only realize how beautiful this place is when you’re actually there. There’s something magic about the whole atmosphere. It’s a place we should really cherish in the future and that will hopefully not lose its magic because of global warming.’
Gear and specs: DJI Mavic 2 Pro, F3.4, 1/100s, ISO 100
5th Anniversary Prize: ‘Populus Euphratica’ by Wang Hanbing (China)
About this photo: ‘In Western China, there is an ancient tree that condenses the heavens and the earth, crosses the ancient floods, stands proudly in the desert Gobi, and interprets the meaning of survival in a brilliant way. With the body of the cricket, it forms an eternal landscape and an eternal statue. It is Populus euphratica in the desert!
Populus euphratica, a hero tree in the desert, is not afraid of the sand and the heat with a tenacious character, a tenacious body, a stubborn destiny, a persistent spirit, and guarding his homeland, he has constructed the eternal theme of Populus euphratica and life; it With tenacious life and indomitable will, compose a song of life.’
Gear and specs: DJI Mavic 2 Pro, F6, 1/60s, ISO 100
Nominated Entry: ‘Coexistence’ by Dipanjan Pal (India)
About this photo: Captured in Iceland, ’it’s wonderful to see how nature and human can coexist together to create beauty, if we change our perspective a little.’
Gear and specs: Not available
Nominated Entry: ‘Autumn Memories’ by Yamaguchi
About this photo: ‘Located in the “Red Steel City” of Qingshan District, Wuhan, there are a number of staff quarters built by WISCO Group in the 50th century. They are all brick-concrete red roof tiles. The layout is regular and the floors are the same. “Double Happiness” has become a permanent memory of the older generation of WISCO.’
Gear and specs: Phantom 4 Pro, F5, 1/60s, ISO 100
Nominated Entry: ‘Boat Carrying Flowers’ by Tu?n Nguy?n (Vietnam)
About this photo: ‘The monk carried a flower boat in the river, flower pots are transported to the temple to decorate for Tet holidays, the shadow of the cloud shining on the river feels like a boat going in the clouds. I took this picture in Thap Muoi wetland, Vietnam.’
Gear and specs: Mavic 2 Pro, F5, 1/30s, ISO 100
People’s Choice Prize: ‘”Circle” Dream Guangzhou’ by Garrett Liu (China)
About this photo: ‘A night shot of the Guangzhou Yuan Building in China.’
Gear and specs: Mavic 2 Pro, F5, 1/8s, ISO 100
People’s Choice Prize: ‘Walls of Gold’ by Joe Orsi (US)
About this photo: ‘Here is Hohenzollern Castle during the golden hour.’
Gear and specs: Mavic 2 Pro, F4, 1/120s, ISO 100
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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