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. SkyPixel has become a leading community for aerial photographers looking to show off their work and connect with like minded enthusiasts.
The 2017 SkyPixel Photo Contest is the most prominent aerial photography contest worldwide, it received over 44,000 submissions from participants in 141 countries. 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.
“I have witnessed incredible moments and scenes of the wild but I can guarantee you that this, by far, is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen,” he said, “I hope that future generations will still be able to witness the beauty and grandeur of the Arctic wildlife the same way we do today.”
In addition to the Grand Prize, each main category also consists of a First, Second and Third Prize from both the professional and enthusiast groups. The winning entries captured a diverse range of perspectives, from profiling a girl dancing in a 190-year old building in Shanghai, to capturing a striking image depicting environmental impact in the world today.