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Without wings, we humble humans mostly view the world from the ground. If you’ve flown in an airplane or braved a skyscraper, you know the world looks quite different from above.
The second annual Aerial Photographer of the Year Awards give us the feeling of flight with spectacular images of Earth shot high above our humble planet. Azim Khan Ronnie earned top honors for a portfolio of work (see image below) shot using the DJI Mavic 4 Pro and DJI Mavic 3 Classic drones.
For a few months of the year, a large number of Siberian seagulls migrate to various parts of India. One of them is Yamuna Ghat in Delhi. The birds start coming in here in November and move out in mid-March. The activity continues all morning.
Credit: Azim Khan Ronnie / 2026 International Aerial Photographer of the Year Award
“From above, everyday scenes reveal patterns, geometry, textures and relationships that are often invisible from the ground,” Khan said. “Aerial photography allows me to tell stories about people, nature and the environment from a perspective that inspires curiosity and offers a deeper understanding of the world.”
Vitaly Golovatyuk took home first place for Aerial Photograph of the Year (awarded for a single image) for his photograph (see below) taken at Elk Park, outside Dongtai City in Zhejiang Province, China. “After several days exploring the area during sunrise and sunset, I photographed this bird on a tiny lake surrounded by red grass,” Golovatyuk said. “The clarity of the sky’s reflection creates a striking illusion, as if the bird is suspended weightlessly in the air.”
Birdie is sitting on the water of a tiny, crystal clear lake with reflection of the sky and surrounded by red grass, somewhere in Dongtai.
Credit: Vitaly Golovatyuk / 2026 International Aerial Photographer of the Year Award
While shooting the amazing seas off the north eastern coast of Sardinia I was suddenly caught in a rainshower at sunset and magic happened in front my disbelieving eyes!
Credit: Paolo Lazzarotti / 2026 International Aerial Photographer of the Year Award – Top 101 Photographs
The Golden Gate Bridge framed by its own iconic steel and suspension cables, overlooking the San Francisco Bay at dawn.
Credit: Marcin Zajac / 2026 International Aerial Photographer of the Year Award – Top 101 Photographs
At sunset in Cappadocia, Yilki horses surge across the dusty plateau. Raised by villagers and released to roam free, they embody resilience and tradition, moving like a river of fire beneath the fading Anatolian sky.
Credit: Kah-Wai Lin / 2026 International Aerial Photographer of the Year Award – Top 101 Photographs
Humpback whales commonly travel past where I live, during winter but rarely do I see Southern Right Whales. This mother and calf came in close to Budgewoi Beach, NSW and rested in the shallows just behind the surf break for half of the day.
Credit: Neil Vincent / 2026 International Aerial Photographer of the Year Award – Top 101 Photographs
An active volcanic crater in Iceland is erupting while engulfed by steam caused by a sudden torrential rainfall.
Credit: Jeroen Van Nieuwenhove / 2026 International Aerial Photographer of the Year Award – Top 101 Photographs
Taken from a helicopter in the Namib Desert, Namibia. It was late afternoon and sunset was beautiful, illuminating dunes with golden colour and amazing shadow lines. This single oryx was walking on the dunes with its shadow and footprints.
Credit: Zhengze Xu / 2026 International Aerial Photographer of the Year Award – Top 101 Photographs
I was riding in North East Italy and catching some stills of a wonderful white horse, when suddenly he rolled over to scratch his back, raising the dust – and I froze this epic moment forever.
Credit: Fabio Pappalettera / 2026 International Aerial Photographer of the Year Award – Top 101 Photographs ©Fabio Pappalettera
The Sirente crater is a hidden lake in Abruzzo, a pristine and mysterious place surrounded by intriguing theories. It is believed to have a meteoric origin. If this hypothesis is confirmed, this image captures the only impact crater lake in Italy!
Credit: Valeria Castiello / 2026 International Aerial Photographer of the Year Award – Top 101 Photographs
At dawn a herd of elephants sets out in search of breakfast in the Serengeti. This shot was taken while flying in a hot air balloon over the herd.
Credit: Sapna Reddy / 2026 International Aerial Photographer of the Year Award – Top 101 Photographs
Bali’s rice terraces cascade down the hillsides in vivid green steps, shaped by centuries of careful irrigation. Four ladies with a dog work the fields in a line, moving steadily through the paddies as they tend the young rice plants.
Credit: Chin Leong Teo / 2026 International Aerial Photographer of the Year Award – Top 101 Photographs
Recently my wife and I found an aviation company in the Yellowstone area willing to fly us over Grand Prismatic Spring in their Cessna 172. It was quite a challenge to photograph from the plane, but well worth the effort. A photo from my bucket list!
Credit: Wayne Montag / 2026 International Aerial Photographer of the Year Award – Top 101 Photographs
Seals rest on a frozen lagoon in Iceland, gathered around a narrow crack of open water that gives them access between the ice surface and the sea below.
Credit: Marco Di Marco / 2026 International Aerial Photographer of the Year Award – Top 101 Photographs
Wild Horse Butte in the high desert of Utah.
Credit: David Soldano / 2026 International Aerial Photographer of the Year Award – Top 101 Photographs
2026 Popular Science Home of the Future Awards
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