It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that drones are changing the way we see the world, offering the everyday man the chance to capture images from a birds-eye view.

There are no shortage of amateur and professional photographers putting their flying skills to the test, and now they are being recognised for the second year running. Huffington Post reports:

More than 5,000 people — professional and amateur alike — submitted images captured by their flying photo contraptions for the second International Drone Photography Contest. Organized by Dronestagram and sponsored by the likes of National Geographic and Kodak, the competition features stunning shots overlooking Brazil, French Polynesia, Bulgaria and more.

Dronestagram just announced the winners in three categories: places, nature and “dronies,” or selfies made with drones. There was also a “most liked” category that was based on online voting. The photos reflect the changing landscape of photography and film, as drones have become far more common.

Right, let’s get stuck in and see some of our favourites. First up is the winner in ‘places’, taken in Maringá, Paraná, Brazil:

First prize in ‘nature’ from French Polynesia:

First price in ‘dronies’, “Where’s Wally?” taken in Limassol Carnaval, Cyprus:

Third prize in ‘nature’, Lost Island, Tahaa, French Polynesia:

Third prize in ‘popular’, Glorieto Rodolfo Sanchez Taboada, Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico:

Some pretty decent efforts there folks, it’s enough to make you want your own drone. If you feel inspired enough to lay down the dough be sure to check out dronephoto.co.za, you can now get a Phantom 3 Professional for as little as R15 799. Go on, the sky’s the limit.

[source:huffingtonpost]