Want a glimpse of the world’s best aerial photography? DJI and SkyPixel’s annual photo and video competition is the place to be, and this year’s winners have just been announced after the first contenders were revealed a few months ago.
The stunning winning photos and videos of the 11th edition of the competition were selected from more than 95,000 entries and 96 countries and regions. Drone pilot Filip Hrebenda won the grand prize of the competition’s $200,000 prize pool with his aerial image. The door (see below).
Competition judge Zhu Jiong described the scene as “straight out of a fairyland – layered mountains shrouded in mist”.
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I have to admit that I have never seen such a composition before, so it is a unique and fresh shot
Daniel Kordan, competition judge
Four judges congratulated the overall winner, saying: “The location and conditions seem sparse, especially with the fog and elevation, which makes the scene stand out. »
Judge Daniel Kordan goes on to say, “I have to admit that I have never seen a composition like this before, so this is a unique and fresh photo.”
The remote aerial scene was taken 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 among the best camera drones for consumers.
Details on the SkyPixel competition site suggest that Hrebenda used the 24mm variable aperture main camera, which uses a micro four thirds sensor – larger than those used in DJI drones under 250g.
Hrebenda had this to say about his winning image:
“Taken in the far north of Norway in the fall of 2025, this photograph was taken in a remote and extremely difficult to access location. At sunrise the landscape was covered in thick fog which filled the valleys and hid the spectacular terrain.
“After a demanding climb, we finally rose above the cloud layer, revealing this surreal and almost supernatural view. The natural stone arch, resembling a monumental gate carved by time, stands suspended above a deep valley, surrounded by rugged cliffs and silhouettes of distant mountains emerging from the sea of mist. The solitary figure on the rock emphasizes the scale and raw 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 position the camera precisely and reveal the full geometry of this extraordinary natural formation.”
All winning images can be seen on the SkyPixel website and also include the first favorite. Carpet fieldswhich ended up being a finalist and was captured with the older Mavic 2 Pro.
It’s truly amazing the level of photography that camera drone pilots create with relatively affordable equipment.
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