Do you want to take a look at the best aerial photography in the world? DJI and SkyPixel’s annual photo and video contest is the place to go, and this year’s winners have just been announced after the first contenders were announced a couple of months ago.
The stunning winning photos and videos from the 11th edition of the contest were selected from more than 95,000 entrants and 96 countries and regions, with drone pilot Filip Hrebenda taking the grand prize of the contest’s $200,000 prize for his aerial image. the door (see below).
Contest judge Zhu Jiong described the scene as “straight out of a fairyland: layered mountains shrouded in mist.”
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I must admit that I have never seen a composition like this before, so it is a unique and fresh take.
Daniel Kordan, contest judge
Four judges praised the grand prize winner, saying, “The location and conditions seem strange, especially with the fog and elevation, which makes the scene stand out.”
Judge Daniel Kordan goes on to say, “I must admit I’ve never seen a composition like this before, so it’s a unique and fresh take.”
The remote aerial scene was shot in Buskerud, Norway, with the DJI Mavic 3 Pro, a professional triple-camera drone that we gave a five-star rating and has since been updated with the Mavic 4 Pro. We rank the Pro series as the best camera drones for consumers.
Details on the SkyPixel contest site suggest that Hrebenda used the main 24mm variable aperture camera, which uses a four-thirds micro sensor, which is larger than those used in DJI’s sub-250g drones.
Hrebenda had this to say about his winning image:
“Captured in the far north of Norway during the autumn of 2025, this photograph was taken in a remote and extremely difficult to reach location. At dawn, the landscape was covered in dense fog that filled the valleys and obscured the spectacular terrain.
“After a demanding climb, we finally rose above the cloud cover, revealing this surreal and almost otherworldly view. The natural stone arch, resembling a monumental gate carved by time, is suspended above a deep valley, surrounded by sheer cliffs and silhouettes of distant mountains emerging from the sea of mist. The solitary figure in the rock emphasizes the scale and stark beauty of the landscape.
“To capture this composition, it was essential to find the perfect perspective. This was made possible with the help of a DJI Mavic 3 Pro drone, which allowed me to precisely position the camera and reveal the full geometry of this extraordinary natural formation.”
All of the winning images can be viewed on the SkyPixel site and also include the first favourite. carpet fieldswhich ended up being a finalist and was captured with the old Mavic 2 Pro.
It’s truly amazing the level of photography that camera drone pilots are creating with relatively affordable equipment.
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