SkyPixel announces winners of 10th annual Photo and Video Contest
SkyPixel, which describes itself as the world’s largest aerial photography and video community, has announced the winners of its 10th annual Photo and Video Contest.
Held in partnership with drone manufacturer DJI, the competition received nearly 140,000 entries across its photo and video categories in 2024.
“We are incredibly proud to celebrate 10 years of creative excellence,” says Christina Zhang, Senior Director of Corporate Strategy at DJI.
“This contest not only highlights the talent of our global community but also showcases the transformative power of aerial and handheld imaging in storytelling. We look forward to another decade of innovation and inspiration.”
Photographer Gangerqia’s image Mysterious Realm took top honors in the photo category.
The photo shows a red-crowned crane shortly after it landed on snow and ice. Its landing location and footprints are visible behind the bird.
“This aerial photo works beautifully because it almost tricks you at first glance — like you’re looking at a drawing rather than a real landscape. There’s a frozen pond shaped like an eye that immediately grabs your attention, and the neat line of footprints from the bird adds a playful sense of movement. It’s simple, clean, and has a bit of mystery to it. The minimal colors and subtle textures make the whole thing feel calming but intriguing at the same time,” says judge Luke Stackpoole.
On the photo side of the competition, the jury panel included Anne Farrar from National Geographic, Luke Stackpoole, Weimin Chu, and Daniel Kordan.
The competition was judged by (on the video side) by Academy Award-winning cinematographer Claudio Miranda (Life of Pi, Top Gun: Maverick), Director of Photography Chenyu Jin, Director of Photography Tianhong Pan, and travel filmmaker Sam Newton.
You can see the other winning stills images below.
In the video category, Bashir Abu Shakra took out the Grand Prize for his video The War — My Transformation Journey. You can watch it below.