National Geographic has just announced the winning photos of its popular Travel Photographer of the Year 2018 photo contest. The grand prize went to Japanese photographer Reiko Takahashi, who shot the amazing photo, titled ‘Mermaid’, of a humpback whale calf’s tail. However, as you might expect there were many drone photos among the entries, one of which took the 2nd place in the category ‘Cities’. The photo is called ‘Geometry of the Sun‘ and was taken by Enrico Pescantini in Mexico.
GEOMETRY OF THE SUN
According to PetaPixel, this is what Enrico Pescantini had to say about his winning photo:
“Teotihuacan means ‘the place where the gods were created,’ and that’s the exact feeling visitors have when they walk along the Avenue of the Dead at this Mexican archaeological site. This pyramid was dedicated to the god of Sun, and I found it mesmerizing how the rising sun in the picture conquered just half the image, while the other half is in the shadows. I have always loved archaeology and ancient civilizations, so I couldn’t wait to visit Mexico and explore the remains of the pre-Columbian civilization. I planned my visit to Teotihuacan at sunrise, to get a combination of golden sunlight, play of shadows, and few crowds around. I flew my drone to see if the image I had in my mind was really out there: luckily for me, this frame was just waiting for my camera!”
Of course, when you search for the word ‘drone‘ many more photos surface among the entries. Here is a selection of some of our favorites.
An aerial shot of a farmer drying peppercorns in the blazing sun in phu quoc, vietnam.
aerial shot of boats during low tide
A deceptive photo, in that it was 26º F, sustained frigid northern winds at 20-25 mph. There’s snow capping the distant mountains. A lone photographer trudged his way up the ridge of the dune at sunrise, and I captured the moment with my drone. We both shot ’til we couldn’t feel our fingers anymore, but the end result was completely worth it.
The northern part of the largest lakein japan is rimmed by sakura(Japanese cherry blossoms). only you can witness the beauty from the sky.
IN THE ENDLESS JOURNEY OF LIGHT CHASING, I FOUND BACALAR LAGOON. NATURE’S ABILITY TO INDUCE TRANQUILITY SHOULD BE CONSIDERED THE ULTIMATE RESOURCE FOR HUMANS TO ACHIEVE PEACE OF MIND, AND THIS PLACE IS ALL ABOUT PEACE AND TRANQUILITY. THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN AT SUNSET LAST DECEMBER WHILE TAKING A BREAK FROM BUSY MEXICO CITY.
Hard at work // coffee farm in guatemala. AT THE FOOT of volcan de agua, coffee lays on huge patios dryING naturally in the sun. the coffee is raked and turned by hand for dayS, even weeks until it is dry enough to be weighed, bagged up and shipped WORLDWIDE. THIS AERIAL VIEW shows NOT ONLY the scale of these huge farMS, but the strength of the sun on the figure raking the coffee. IT’S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER the many handS involved in making OUR COFFEE & THAT NATURE, AS ALWAYS IS AT THE HEART
Incredible, rugged, with the ability to stand the test of time. Sights like this make me feel so temporary. OUtlasted by these giants. Go explore! Don’t wait until your passport expires!
Aerial view of the Icelandic landscape in winter. This image was taken by a drone.
By the lake side, the road and the shore make a geometrical pattern in an orderly manner.
many people there are living and working in this little habour. boats and ships line up and form this interesting composition. taking this by drone is the best for it.
AERIAL IMAGE CAPTURED AT HA LONG BA,ONE OF THE MOST SPECTACULAR PLACE IN VIETNAM. I WAS FASCINATED BY THE FLOATING VILLAGES WHERE I SAW ACTIVITIES AND LIFE.
Iceland galcier lagoon, where icebergs break awy and drift around until being sucked out to sea. On this early morning the shadows were long and help give another level of dynamic interest.
That moment, when I launched my new drone by hand from that shaky boat, watching it soar into the sky and tilting the camera lens to point down back to the earth, that specific moment, was the moment that literally changed my outlook on the world.
A sand dune where the snow was blown down. The phantom lake that appears there.
What better way to swim your way to the summer than lying on the boat ramp of a frozen lake and taking a drone selfie(Dronie). Having lived most of my life in the Sunshine State, me and my friends drove long distances in winter to see snow. So finally when I moved to South Ohio, I always wanted to see the great lake Erie completely frozen in winter. Thus began the trip up North during Winter 2018. This one though is not on Lake Erie, but a rather small lake nearby.
Aerial view of a kayaker enjoying the Autumn Colors in a lake in New Hampshire. My drone helps me to see the world with a unique perspective.
Aerial view of Glacial river meeting the ocean. I used a drone to capture this image.
Which one is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below.
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CREDIT: Photo and Caption by Enrico Pescantini/ National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest.
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Haye Kesteloo is the Editor in Chief and Main Writer at DroneDJ, where he covers all drone related news and writes product reviews. He also contributes to the other sites in the 9to5Mac group such as; 9to5Mac, 9to5Google, 9to5Toys and Electrek. Haye can be reached at haye@dronedj.com or @hayekesteloo
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