Captured from a Bird’s-Eye View! | Drone Photo Awards 2023 Winners Announced | Release #37

The Drone Photo Awards is an international photography competition dedicated to aerial photography and moving images. As part of the prestigious Siena International Photo Awards project—one of the most established and respected photography prizes—it seeks to distinguish itself from traditional photography by pioneering a new genre that leverages technology.

There are few restrictions on the type of mobility: fixed-wing drones, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, balloons, airships, rockets, and parachutes are all eligible, as long as the submission is an aerial photograph or video. Now in its sixth year in 2023, the competition received approximately 14,000 submissions from amateur and professional photographers across 104 countries, spanning nine categories including urban, nature, and sports.

Here, we present a selection of the winning works. Experience the world as seen through the eyes of a bird—revealing changes unnoticed from the ground and celebrating beauty from above.

A playground filled with joy, hidden deep in southern Poland, radiates its beauty under the first sunlight from above. Known for its mining and urban architectural features, this region’s colorful playgrounds appear like pearls on the earth’s surface when viewed from the sky.

In January 2021, amidst harsh winter conditions, renowned highliner Nathan Paulin successfully crossed a 200-meter-long, 2.5-centimeter-wide highline at Pointe d'Areu, 2,460 meters above sea level in the Aravis Mountains. This remarkable feat was made possible by the dedicated efforts of the entire team.

An elephant lies down, its massive body occupying most of the frame. Its wrinkled gray skin blends seamlessly with the surrounding foliage, giving the impression that it is merging into the landscape.

Aerial photography demonstrates the potential to ‘see things from a different perspective,’ says Emanuela Ascoli, Head of the Photography Department at National Geographic France and one of this year’s jurors. ‘It allows us to perceive the entirety of a landscape or scene.’

Sometimes, a view from above can shed new light on the world we inhabit.