The Amazing Aerial Photos From the Drone Photo Awards 2023

Jun 21, 2023

The Siena Awards has revealed the winners of its Drone Photo Awards 2023. Israeli photographer Or Adar won this year’s edition of the prestigious drone photography contest.

The overall winning photo, “Must Resist,” featured above, shows thousands of protestors behind three massive billboards.

Alongside Adar’s image, other winning entries from nine categories will be showcased in the exhibition “Above Us Only Sky,” taking place for the first time at the San Galgano Abbey from July 8 through November 19.

The Drone Photo Awards 2023 comprises nine categories: Urban, Wildlife, Sport, People, Nature, Abstract, Wedding, Storytelling, and Video. Below are the winning images for each of these categories.

Urban

Polish photographer Sebastian Piórek claimed the top spot in the Urban category with a brilliant image of a vibrant, sunlit playground. The photo was taken in Chorzów in southern Poland, a region known for its mines and urban architecture.

“The photo beautifully juxtaposes the colorful ambiance and harmony of the playground against the backdrop of the city,” writes The Siena Awards.

Wildlife

Indian photographer Danu Paran’s image, “Sleeping Giant,” was captured in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve in India. The photo shows a peaceful elephant taking a nap surrounded by foliage.

“The elephant’s gray and wrinkled skin perfectly merges with the natural landscape, creating a harmonious composition that showcases the beauty of wildlife,” explains The Siena Awards.

Sport

David Machet, a French photographer, captured the winning photo in the French Alps. The nerve-racking photo shows tightrope walker Nathan Paulin successfully traversing a 200-meter-long “highline” a mere 2.5 centimeters wide and nearly 2,500 meters high.

People

British photographer Simon Heather’s image, “Beach Bliss,” showcases beachgoers in Portugal enjoying a relaxing and blissful day on the coast.

Nature

Photographer Thomas Vijayan from India captured this aerial photo in Svalbard in Norway.

“I’ve been here a couple of times before, but this year it was surprisingly sad to see that the ice had already melted in June, and we were able to reach the ice cap with our ship,” Vijayan laments, considering the impact of climate change on a beautiful region of the world.

Abstract

Spanish photographer Ignacio Medem’s powerful photo of the Colorado River Basin shows how drought and water resource mismanagement has affected a vital river in the American West.

“The result is a series of drawings left behind by the receding water, metaphorically resembling the exhausted and fragile lungs of our planet on the verge of collapse,” explains The Siena Awards.

Wedding

Photographer Krzysztof Krawczyk captured this romantic photo in his native Poland, showing newlyweds on a boat on a serene lake.

“They are enveloped by voluminous clouds and surrounded by thousands of dry leaves, resembling stars and creating gentle waves,” describes The Siena Awards.

Storytelling

American photographer George Steinmetz delivered the winning photo series of the farmland where considerable food is generated. Additional images from the series are available on the Drone Photography Awards website.