Drone technology made aerial shots accessible to more than a narrow niche – and nothing quite represents how far the technology has come over the past decade than the 10th annual DJI SkyPixel Annual Photo & Video Contest. Unveiled on March 27, the list of winning videos and photos showcases visual artists with an eye for composition and cinematic camera movements.
Out of the nearly 140,000 entries, the panel of judges has selected two Grand Prize video winners – one in aerial and one in handheld – and one grand prize photography winner, along a list of top ten in both photo and video as well as People’s Choice awards.
The winning aerial photograph, Mysterious Realm by Ganerqia, at first glance, looks like a drawing of an eye. In reality, the eye is a frozen pond surrounded by the wing prints made from the landing of a red-crowned crane, the bird’s footprints creating a leading line away from the pond.
“This aerial photo works beautifully because it almost tricks you at first glance—like you're looking at a drawing rather than a real landscape,” said Luke Stackpoole, a contest judge and travel and adventure photographer. “There's a frozen pond shaped like an eye that immediately grabs your attention, and the neat line of footprints from the bird adds a playful sense of movement. It’s simple, clean, and has a bit of mystery to it. The minimal colors and subtle textures make the whole thing feel calming but intriguing at the same time.”
The grand prize for aerial video went to Bashir Abu Shakra for War - My Transformation Journey, a short film that represents a journey from loneliness to solitude using dramatic empty landscapes. As SYML’s The War croons out, “Here stands a man, at the bottom of a hole he’s made,” the drone flies through vast, empty landscapes with skilled cinematic camera movements. As the video continues, a second person appears with the lonely figure, and the text "loneliness" transforms into the word “solitude.”
“The War is an admirable film. Landscape photography is never a simple record, and every shot taken by this cinematographer is refined, precise, and captivating. The angles, the light all show his persistence and perseverance. It is a film where technique and the creator's inner vision are highly aligned. I really liked the ending,” said Chenyu Jin, a contest judge and the Director of Photography for films like Blossoms Shanghai and Like a Rolling Stone.
The Grand Prize for the handheld category went to Henry Yue for the short film, Japan Travel Cinematic (which can be viewed at SkyPixel). While the video won for the category reserved for handheld and gimbal cameras, the video uses cinematic camera movements to travel through many of Japan’s most iconic locations.
“Japan Travel is a work rich in visual elements,” Judge Jin said, “combining both motion and stillness without causing any sense of chaos. Henry expertly controlled the pace of the film, with clean tones and precise, appropriate exposure control that perfectly integrates all elements. It is a highly refined and cohesive piece.”
The top ten winners in each category, as well as the People’s Choice award winners, are also available to view on the SkyPixel website.
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