"...after the
drone came out from the clouds the view was spectacular and got me completely astonished
and, without breathing, I had the time to take some shots before the sun went down and
the cloud got higher hiding everything."Francesco Cattuto. Courtesy of Dronestagram
The first place winner for the travel category was taken by Italian photographer Francesco Cattuto in Assisi, Italy. While on a sunset walk with his girlfriend on a foggy day last year, Francesco decided to launch his drone. As it climbed above the weather, The Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi became visible poking through the fog. In the resulting image, the Basilica appears to be floating through the sky.
Francesco took the photo using his DJI Phantom 3 Professional Quadcopter. He says he would like to use his quadcopter to photograph over Rome, Florence, or Venice, but local drone regulations do not yet permit him to do so. Francesco has taken his drone to the Maldives and hopes to travel to Australia, Africa, and South America.
These Are Some of the Best Drone Photos in the World
"...after the
drone came out from the clouds the view was spectacular and got me completely astonished
and, without breathing, I had the time to take some shots before the sun went down and
the cloud got higher hiding everything."Francesco Cattuto. Courtesy of Dronestagram2nd Place—Travel "This image was captured while honeymooning at Cable Beach, Western Australia. We rented a 4WD
and drove 8,000 klms around outback Australia. I like the 100% vertical downward point of view that is so well captured by camera equipped quadcopters."Todd Kennedy. Courtesy of Dronestagram3rd Place—Travel "I was on a road trip in Gran Canaria Island in Spain where I captured some
aerial shots of one of the most amazing beaches in the world - Playa de Amadores."Karolis Janulis. Courtesy of Dronestagram1st Place—Nature "I had been spending hours on Google maps, in satellite mode, trying to locate interesting
patterns and places. I all ready had a pretty good idea about what I should expect when I
arrived at the location. To my luck it had snowed all day so that the pine wood really stood
out."Michael B. Rasmussen. Courtesy of Dronestagram2nd Place—Nature "We wanted to present the traditional Romania in
its full beauty. We were travelling by car and suddenly along the road from the distance I've
spotted the sheep herd. 99% of the time I'm travelling with my drone."Szabolcs Ignacz. Courtesy of Dronestagram3rd Place—Nature "This picture was very difficult to catch because off ascending hot-air and 50Km/h wind.
There was also sulfur next to the volcano so I need to have a mask while piloting."Jonathan Payet. Courtesy of Dronestagram1st Place—Sports "We hiked for miles looking for the perfect line, and then
spotting this amazing crack that was about 400 feet off the ground. Using the drone, I was able to
capture images that would have never been possible before!"Max Seigal. Courtesy of Dronestagram2nd Place—Sports "I work as a photojournalist in the local newspaper, La Opinión, and I was assigned the task
of taking a picture of the swimming competitions , which were held in the city , but instead
of taking the same photo as always, it occurred to me to fly my drone to try to achieve
something different, the result, an overhead photo of athletes warming up to begin the
competitions."Juan Pablo Bayona. Courtesy of Dronestagram3rd Place—Sports "picture was taken in the Chugach Mountain Range outside of Cordova Alaska. Its subject is my
friend and guide Jason Bilek Opening up some turns on a giant mountain face we called Buzzy's. Its
about 45-50 degrees and a very fun run. My fingers always get cold
while I fly up there but the results are ALWAYS worth it."Tj Balon. Courtesy of Dronestagram
