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Photos: SkyPixel 5th anniversary aerial imagery contest winners

23 Mar

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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DJI and SkyPixel launch contest to celebrate 5th anniversary

05 Dec

SkyPixel, which can be accessed in DJI’s consumer apps, as well as online, has attracted over 18 million aerial photographers and content creators from 140 countries to its platform since launching in 2014. To celebrate their 5th anniversary, they’ve partnered with DJI, Nikon, and Western Digital Corp to award 56 category winners and finalists prize packages worth over $ 117,000 combined. The SkyPixel 5th Anniversary Aerial Photo & Video Contest launched on Tuesday, December 3rd, and concludes on February 3rd.

This year’s contest features 9 storytelling categories spanning two disciplines, videography and photography. In honor of the competition’s 5th anniversary, an additional category, Aerial Story, which invites users to share their journeys from a drone’s perspective, has been added. Here are more details for each category:

Videography

Nature: Capture footage of natural scenery, wildlife, and landscapes
City: Showcase the beauty of urban landscapes and man-made architecture
Sport: Document moments in movement – the power and energy of humans doing sports
Travel: Stories about humanity, culture, or an unforgettable adventure (people should be included in these videos)

Entires should not exceed 5 minutes and must contain at least 30 seconds of aerial footage.

Photography

Portrait: Capture a person’s expression, actions or passion in the beauty of their surroundings
Nature: Reveal the natural beauty of the world
Architecture: Show off impressive structures from a new perspective
Sport: Capture the energy and excitement of an athlete in action
Aerial Story: Consisting of 5 images, they should document adventures from a drone’s perspective.

Photos must be captured by a drone. Although DJI is a major sponsor, entries captured by any brand of drone are eligible. Each image must be at least 3 MB with a resolution of 300 dpi (in this case, pixels per inch).

All winners will be featured as SkyPixel recommended photographers and be considered for the role of a DJI Creator. SkyPixel claims that entries from winners and finalists have received over 1 million views in past competitions. Winning entries will also be showcased at exhibits in DJI Flagship stores around the globe in Spring, 2020. Entries will be judged by a panel of award-winning experts including Jamie Hancock, Jarred Seng, Chris McLennan, and Thomas Chu. Results for this year’s winners and finalists will be announced on March 3rd. To enter, visit SkyPixel’s official contest site.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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SkyPixel Reveals Winners of its 2018 Storytelling Drone Photography Contest

27 Mar

SkyPixel Contest 2018 Winners

DJI’s SkyPixel, one of the world’s largest photography and videography communities, has announced the winners of its 2018 Aerial Storytelling Contest. Over 30,000 entries were submitted by professional videographers, photographers, and hobbyists from 141 countries.

The grand prize-winning entry in the photo category, pictured above, was taken in Northern France by Deryk Baumgartner. He used a Mavic Pro to capture the sunbathed Mont Saint Michel monastery, shrouded in a thin layer of fog, and framed with snaking ribbons of water.

“I was sitting on a rock fighting with stubborn wind and thick rain for the whole morning. The sun came up when I was just about to stand up and go home,” Baumgartner said. “This photo tells a simple story of you and me. Stick to it for a little longer in life when you are just about to fold, the silver lining would often unveil itself.”

In addition to the Grand Prize, First, Second, and Third prizes were awarded to images spanning four categories: Nature, Fun, Architecture, and Sport. A panel of six judges including Ben Nott, ACS, an award-winning cinematographer and Josh Raab, the Director of Instagram at National Geographic, selected the winners with the exception of People’s Choice Prize.

To view all the winners, nominees, and People’s Choice, for both photography and videography, visit the official SkyPixel Contest 2018 hub.

Hungry hippos

‘First Prize’ category winner, Nature: Hungry Hippos by Martin Sanchez (@zekedrone)

About the photo: “There’s no party like a hippo party” said photographer Martin Sanchez about this top-down perspective, taken in Tanzania, of a group of hippos convening in a small body of water. Sanchez used a DJI Mavic 2 Pro.

Alien footprints

‘Second Prize’ category winner, Nature: “????” by ? ??

About this photo: Snow in the Taklimakan desert, located between two mountain ranges in Northwest China, combined with ice formed a unique texture on the lake during the winter. The photographer captured this image at 400 meters AGL with a Mavic 2 Zoom and likened the patterns as “alien footprints.”

Nature Engraving

‘Third Prize’ category winner, Nature: “Nature Engraving” by ???

About this photo: Using a Phantom 4 Pro in the Utah desert, the photographer used golden hour light, the texture of the badlands, and the icy hues resulting from shadows cast against patches of snow to his advantage.

Flowers on the water

‘First Prize’ category winner, Fun: “Flowers on the Water” by Khánh Phan

About the photo: Using a Phantom 4 Pro V2.0, Phan created an aerial perspective of three women methodically cleaning gun flowers, arranged in a circle, for bundling to sell in the markets.

Salt harvest

‘Second Prize’ category winner, Fun: “Burden Salt Harvest” by Tu?n Nguy?n

About the photo: Hon Khoi is the largest salt field in Vietnam. Using a Phantom 4 Pro, this nadir perspective fixates on the shadows of workers carrying buckets of salt on one of their daily shifts that range from 3:00 to 7:00 am.

Ducks in black and white

‘Third Prize’ category winner, Fun: “???” by ? ??

About the photo: A Phantom 4 Pro was used to capture this black and white image containing dozens of white peking ducks clustering around piles of food.

Hong Kong small planet

‘First Prize’ category winner, Architecture: “Not a Small HK Island” by Panvelvet

About the photo: Panvelvet used a Phantom 4 Pro to create 43 images of Hong Kong. They were stitched together into a tiny planet sphere, and inverted for a visual effect of a city circling toward a bright orb.

Myanmar temples

‘Second Prize’ category winner, Architecture: “Bagan” by Witold Ziomek

About the photo: Bagan used a Mavic Pro to capture the sunrise reflecting off a temple in Bagan, Myanmar.

Golden hour in Macau

‘Third Prize’ category winner, Architecture: “?????” by ??

About the photo: Golden hour light brightens up the Grand Lisboa hotel in Macau, China. The photographer used a Phantom 4 Pro.

Running through sand dunes

‘First Prize’ category winner, Sport: “Running Through the Sand Dunes” by Trung Pham

About the photo: Pham used a Mavic 2 Pro to get an aerial perspective of children running through sand dunes in Phan Rang, Vietnam, early in the morning. The black and white image accentuates the vastness of the dunes in relation to the children.

Shadow skier

‘Second Prize’ category winner, sport: “Shadow Skier #5” by Christoph Oberschneider

About the photo: A Mavic 2 Pro was used to capture a lone skier gliding down a slope in Austria.

Hammer throwing

‘Third Prize’ category winner, Sport: “Throwing IT to the Moon” by Taavi Purtsak

About the photo: Purtsak used a Mavic Pro and set the shutter speed at 1/2500s to freeze the motion of Estonian hammer throw champion Kati Ojaloo mid rotation.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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This SkyPixel 2017 photo contest winner wasn’t shot from a drone… or in 2017

04 Mar

“Sun’s Up, Nets Out” by Zay Yar Lin

Drone maker DJI announced the winners of the 2017 SkyPixel aerial photography competition earlier this month, but already there’s a controversy. As it turns out, the winner of the Landscapes category wasn’t actually taken with a drone or captured in 2017.

The contest rules required entries to have been taken in 2017 using “any aerial platform,” but a recent report from PetaPixel reveals that the winning image in the Landscape category, “Sun’s Up, Nets Out” by Zay Yar Lin, was actually taken in 2014 using a Nikon D750 from an elevated bamboo stage… probably not what they meant by ‘aerial platform.’

In fact, the photograph—which has since been disqualified—was previously submitted to the NatGeo 2015 Traveler Photo Contest as well as the 2016 Sony World Photography Awards, and was a ‘top entry’ in the Amateur Photographer of the Year 2016 contest. Zay’s award bundle for the SkyPixel 2017 contest included a Nikon D850 and DJI Phantom 4 Pro Obsidian drone.

In a statement to PetaPixel, Zay Yar Lin explained that his D750 was attached to a hexacopter on said bamboo stage when this photo was shot, but that he didn’t realize the photo had to be taken in 2017. His statement reads:

I regret that I had shot with my DSLR with hexacopter on the bamboo stage to get the best angle. But to be honest, I wasn’t aware of the Photo Contest rules that all photos should have been shot in 2017. I’m a freelance and ethical photographer in the contests. Please look up my profile in any site. I really regret misunderstanding had occurred between us.

Zay didn’t mention the attached hexacopter when he spoke with Amateur Photographer about this image in 2016.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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DJI reveals the winners of the 2017 SkyPixel aerial photography contest

03 Feb

“Above the polar bear” by Florian Ledoux — SkyPixel Photo Contest 2017 Grand Prize winner

Chinese drone-maker DJI and aerial photography website SkyPixel have announced the winners of the 2017 SkyPixel aerial photography contest, which was launched back in October. Winners span three categories—Landscape, Portrait, and Story—split between a “professional group” and “enthusiast group.”

The Grand Prize this year went to “Above the polar bear” captured with a DJI Phantom 4 Pro drone by Arctic and wildlife photographer Florian Ledoux.

As the Grand Prize winner, Ledoux will receive an impressive collection of gear valued at more than $ 15,000 USD, including a DJI Inspire 2 with a Zenmuse X7 and lens, iPhone X 256GB, Nikon D850 DSLR camera body, and more. The contest also awards thousands of dollars’ worth of gear to other contest winners.

A total of 18 other winning images were announced, three per group in both the professional and enthusiast categories. SkyPixel also revealed nine nominated images and 10 “Popular Prize” images. Overall, more than 40,000 people from 141 countries entered images in the contest.

You can check out all of the winners for yourself in the gallery and list below:

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Landscape – Professional Group

1st Prize: Sun’s Up, Nets Out by Zay Yar Lin
2nd Prize: Comet into Darkness by Drone Hikers
3rd Prize: Santa Maddalena village in front of the Geisler or Odle Yolo… by Valentin Valkov

Landscape – Enthusiast Group

1st Prize: Lobsters Farm by Trung
2nd Prize: GEOMETRY OF LIQUID GOLD by Javier del Cerro
3rd Prize: Raising Ducks by caokynhan

Portrait – Professional Group

1st Prize: Balmoral Ball by Petra Leary
2nd Prize: ???? by ??
3rd Prize: The Rebirth by andrea

Portrait – Enthusiast Group

1st Prize: Dancer by cocoanext
2nd Prize: Free Wheeling by nigelkwan
3rd Prize: ??? by ????

Story – Professional Group

1st Prize: ????”——??????? by ????????
2nd Prize: ??????? by ??
3rd Prize: ??? by lalienware

Story – Enthusiast Group

1st Prize: 1??????? by ???
2nd Prize: ???????? by ???
3rd Prize: The Long Ride by Jesper Guldbrand

Nominated Entries:

Landscape: The Path of Camels across the Sands by Abdullah Alnassar
Landscape: ELEMENTS by olivier…
Landscape: ??????? by LENG_VISION
Portrait: FANCY FINISH by Martin Sanchez @ zekedrone
Portrait: Lost in by Marc Lamey
Portrait: Untitled by Bobo
Portrait: ?? by ????
Story: Elemental by Max Foster
Story: ??????? by ???

Popular Prize – Top Ten

?????????? by ?????
????? by 7555486
???????? ????“??” by ???
????? Pointing to the light tower by henter liu
???? by Anter
?? by ?????
????????????–??? by ????????
Plane in the Forest by mark calayag
white wonderland by Eberhard Ehmke
Barcelona by David

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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SkyPixel and DJI now accepting entries to 2017 Aerial Video Contest

03 Jun

DJI and SkyPixel have opened up their latest competition for entries. The 2017 SkyPixel Video Contest accepts video clips from 30 seconds up to 5 minutes in length. Videos can be created by any aerial platform, so if you don’t own a DJI drone, fear not – you’re still in the running. Prize packages include DJI drones, Nikon DSLRs and some slick-looking (?) Oakley sunglasses.

Entries must be submitted to one of three categories: City, Nature and Sports. The deadline for submissions in August 2nd, 2017. Find out more at the contest website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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SkyPixel, DJI and Tourism Australia team up to launch aerial photography contest

04 Mar

Image: SkyPixel / Piotr Parzybok

Aerial photography community SkyPixel is launching an aerial photography contest in cooperation with DJI and Tourism Australia to showcase the natural beauty of the Land Down Under. The Australia From Above contest’s aim is to inspire aerial photographers from around the world to experience and share new photographic perspectives of Australia. The contest is open from March 3 to May 2 to both professionals and enthusiasts.

“Drone photography is gaining huge popularity in Australia, with the country home to a rising number of very talented aerial photographers,” said Lisa Ronson, Chief Marketing Officer, Tourism Australia. “Advances in technology are enabling us to tell Australia’s story in ways previously not possible, and the levels of engagement we get when we share some of these amazing drone clips on our social channels is just extraordinary. It’s really exciting to be part of a competition which provides such a great platform for this new generation of content creators to capture the rich colours, patterns and textures of Australia’s diverse landscape and share this with the rest of the world.”

The winner of the contest’s Grand Prize will receive a DJI Inspire 2 Premium Combo drone package and go on a three-day journey to Lord Howe island for two as well as a three-day trip to Kangaroo island for two. Additional prizes include a DJI Phantom 4 Pro drone, a Mavic Pro drone and one of 10 Osmo Mobile handheld smartphone stabilized gimbals. Winning images will also be showcased on the SkyPixel website and on DJI’s social media platforms. More information on the competition can be found on the Skypixel competition page. If you’d like to participate but lack inspiration, you should have a look at the winning images from SkyPixel’s 2016 competition to get the creative juices flowing.

SkyPixel Launches ‘Australia from Above’ Aerial Photography Contest

DJI and Tourism Australia Partner for Country’s First Large-scale Aerial Photo Contest

SYDNEY, March 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — SkyPixel, the world’s most popular aerial photography community run in cooperation with DJI, on Friday launches its first national aerial photography contest to showcase the stunning natural beauty of Australia as seen from drones and other aerial equipment.

The Australia From Above contest, sponsored by DJI and Tourism Australia, aims to inspire aerial photographers from around the world to share, enjoy and experience new creative perspectives of Australia. The contest is open from March 3 to May 2 and welcomes professionals and enthusiasts alike to share their visions of the country. Please find a link to the competition here: https://www.skypixel.com/events/australia

“Australia is a stunning, diverse country, from the inspiring expanse of its pristine white beaches to the raw power of its rich, red outback,” said Danny Zheng, DJI Vice President of Marketing. “Capturing these landscapes from above empowers photographers to see Australia’s extraordinary beauty in an entirely new way, and we can’t wait to see the amazing images from inspired aerial creators.”

The Australia from Above Grand Prize consists of a DJI Inspire 2 Premium Combo drone package, a three-day journey to Lord Howe island for two and a three-day journey to Kangaroo island for two. Runners-up have a chance to win a DJI Phantom 4 Pro drone, a Mavic Pro drone and one of 10 Osmo Mobile handheld smartphone stabilized gimbals. Winning entries will also be showcased on the SkyPixel website as well as to DJI’s millions of fans and followers across its social media platforms. Australia From Above is generously supported by media partners Australian Photography, Drone Magazine and Capture as well as other product sponsors.

To learn more about the contest and submit entries, please visit www.skypixel.com/events/australia.

The judging panel includes a select jury of renowned photographers and influencers.

Kirk Hille, Australian photographer and winner of SkyPixel’s 2015 global photography contest
Mike O’Connor, Editor of Australian Photography
Lisa Ronson, Chief Marketing Officer, Tourism Australia
Tom Rex Jessett, professional photographer travelling the world and capturing its beauty

“I’m looking forward to seeing what fellow SkyPixel community members will share over the coming months,” said Hille, who won the grand prize in SkyPixel’s first annual worldwide contest with an image of a lone swimmer off the coast of Lucky Bay in western Australia. “As an Australian, I treasure the beauty of my home country and I was happy to learn it’s the country of choice for SkyPixel’s first national contest.”

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Incredible images from DJI’s SkyPixel 2016 aerial photography competition

05 Feb

Incredible images from SkyPixel 2016 competition

SkyPixel, DJI’s online aerial photo sharing platform, has shared the winners of its 2016 photo competition and published a gallery of 2000 standouts from more than 27,000 entries. You can see some of our favorites here and check out even more top entries at the SkyPixel website.

Fishermen close the net. Grand Prize Winner. Photo by ??