The best drone photos of this year’s Dronestagram photo contest

The best drone photos out there just keep getting better and better.

Drone photography site Dronestagr.am announced the winners of its third annual International Drone Photography Contest.

Thousands of entries were submitted from everywhere in the world by both amateur and professional photographers.

The competition was judged on creativity and photographic quality by a panel of experts including National Geographic Deputy Director Patrick Witty as well as Emanuela Ascoli, Photo editor of National Geographic France and Dronestagram.

It’s crazy to see how much more intense the competition has gotten over the past few years. I love the shot “Moab Rock Climbing” by Maxseigal; I’m a rock climber myself and no how hard it is to master rock climbing photography, so it’s even more of a feat to do it with a drone.

Here are all the winners, and their winning drone photos:

Best Drone Travel Photography

1st Prize Winner – Category Travel: Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, Umbria, Italy by fcattuto

2nd Prize Winner – Category Travel: Cable Beach by Todd Kennedy

3rd Prize Winner – Category Travel: Summer camp of Gran Canaria by Karolis Janulis

Best Drone Sports Photography

1st Prize Winner – Category Sports Adventure: Moab Rock Climbing by Maxseigal

2nd Prize Winner – Category Sports Adventure: Complejo Acuático Norte de Santander by losmanesdeldrone

3rd Prize Winner – Category Sports Adventure: Chugach Mountain Range, Alaska by High Angle Shot

Best Drone Nature Photography

1st Prize Winner – Category Nature Wildlife: Kalbyris forest Denmark by Mbernholdt

A patch of pines in the middle of the forest

2nd Prize Winner – Category Nature Wildlife: Swarm of sheep by Szabolcs Ignacz

3rd Prize Winner – Category Nature Wildlife: Piton de la fournaise, Volcano by Jonathan Payet