SkyPixel tenth Annual Picture And Video Contest Enters Final Week

The clock is ticking for drone lovers and visible storytellers worldwide because the DJI SkyPixel tenth Annual Picture and Video Contest approaches its ultimate submission deadline of February 10, 2025. In response to the official press launch from DJI SkyPixel, this yr’s occasion affords extra classes, a recent deal with artistic storytelling, and prizes valued at greater than $170,000.

A Showcase of Inventive Excellence

Submissions have been pouring in since November 7, 2024, aligning with the competition’s theme, “Discover With out Limits.” The competition’s judges have famous a surge in creative storytelling, with dramatic landscapes, cultural scenes, and even sports-focused movies illustrating how drone imaging and handheld videography are evolving. Winners might be revealed on March 27, 2025.

Contestants are usually not simply capturing pictures from above; they’re infusing them with emotional depth and narrative thrives. One notable entry, “Tree of Life,” by photographer Wang Hanbing, incorporates a solitary poplar tree in opposition to cloudy skies. Choose Luke Stackpoole praised the work’s symbolic portrayal of resilience, mentioning how the tree’s vibrant coloration contrasts with the starkness of the cracked earth.

Hanbing’s second piece, “Dialogue,” makes use of the identical tree to create a totally completely different visible impact. The snow-covered setting and minimal shadow traces invite interpretation. Stackpoole referred to as it a “mix of artwork and pictures,” highlighting its “mysterious and open-ended” composition.

One other attention-grabbing piece is “Icy Circle” by Julia Pylak, photographed in an Icelandic ice cave. The picture envelops viewers in a tunnel of ice. Choose Chu Weimin, a 2023 World Press Picture Award winner, underscored the best way Pylak’s composition makes viewers really feel as in the event that they’ve entered one other realm. He pointed to the fascinating textures, contrasting coloration of the topic’s jacket, and the sheer scale of Iceland‘s glacial landscapes.

In “Scenes of a Fishing Village,” contributor “Xing She Cong Cong” demonstrates a extra experimental method, stacking thirty steady pictures to simulate lengthy publicity, capturing the tranquil second when the rising tide submerges fishing nets close to Nantangao Village in Fujian. Choose Daniel Kolder praised the ensuing dreamlike environment, an impact achieved by the graceful rendering of water.

A number of video submissions have additionally commanded consideration. Photographer Kevin Miao’s “Mysterious Altay” overlays delicate coloration grading with tranquil pacing, conveying the morning mist at Kanas River in Xinjiang. For these mixing aerial and floor views, “The Metropolis on the Ruins of Angkor Wat” by “KM-DC” affords a wealthy tapestry of Siem Reap life. Promoting Images Director Pan Tianhong appreciated how the colour tones and animated transitions introduced out a “vibrant small-town surroundings and profound human historical past.” In the meantime, “Flight Mode” by filmmaker David Karg used DJI Ronin ground-based pictures for 80% of the footage, capturing fast-paced mountain biking in forest trails. Choose Jin Chenyu referred to as the ultimate product “extremely tough and well-executed.”

From Capturing to Creating: A Decade of Aerial Progress

SkyPixel, launched by DJI in 2015, has spent ten years showcasing how drone pictures has shifted from easy vantage-point pictures to full-fledged artistic expressions. Early aerial shooters have been keen to use the brand new high-angle perspective, as soon as restricted to towering climbs or helicopter charters. Over time, artists experimented with composition, gentle, and method, extending past scenic postcards to provide suave, story-driven visuals.

Right this moment, “artistic aerial pictures” integrates coloration idea, textures, and narrative ideas much more deeply than earlier than. Photographers and cinematographers deliberately craft layered imagery, referencing all the pieces from conventional portray to hyper-modern modifying types. This evolution has additionally made the storytelling strategy extra cinematic, as many members pair their drone footage with ground-based sequences that fill within the narrative gaps.

Handheld Video Class Highlights Increasing Horizons

For this tenth anniversary, DJI expanded the competition past strictly aerial footage. Whereas aerial classes stay pivotal—drone pictures should represent at the very least 50% of any piece within the Aerial Video class—new ground-based content material is now acknowledged beneath the Handheld Video class. Entrants within the Handheld Video competitors should characteristic at the very least 30 seconds of DJI-produced footage, however they’re free to include as a lot artistic floor perspective as they need, offering a wholly new dimension to the occasion.

Judges, together with cinematographer Jin Chenyu, see this addition as a pure evolution. Technological refinements in stabilizers, such because the DJI Ronin lineup, have enabled floor pictures to match the manufacturing high quality of aerial footage. This broadens the scope for artistic storytelling and encourages drone pilots and digicam operators to suppose holistically about their visible narratives.

Contest Particulars and Submissions

Organized by SkyPixel, DJI’s aerial pictures and imaging social platform, the competition affords 83 awards, reflecting the broad vary of technical and creative expertise anticipated every year. The highest honors—Annual Finest Picture, Annual Finest Aerial Video, and Annual Finest Handheld Video—carry substantial prize packages. The best-performing photographer can earn a Hasselblad X2D 100C package valued at over $14,000, whereas the winner for Aerial Video will declare a DJI Encourage 3 package value greater than $20,000. Handheld Video’s prime creator will obtain a DJI Ronin 4D-8K package, valued above $15,000.

Submissions stay open till February 10, 2025 (23:59 UTC+8). Even those that don’t land the highest spots can profit from smaller prizes—starting from DJI credit score to new gear just like the Mavic 3 Professional and Osmo Pocket 3. All entrants additionally obtain DJI credit redeemable at retailer.dji.com. Full tips and entry directions could be discovered on the SkyPixel tenth Anniversary Picture and Video Contest official website.

DroneXL’s Take

The SkyPixel tenth Annual Picture and Video Contest exemplifies how Drone Know-how and inventive storytelling have developed in tandem. Submissions point out that members are pushing the boundaries of perspective and visible method. Together with a specialised Handheld Video class underscores a future the place aerial footage and floor pictures coexist fluidly in professional-grade productions.

For drone professionals, competitions like SkyPixel foster expertise progress and spark new traits in cinematography. They not solely encourage pilots to innovate with framing and post-processing but additionally encourage synergy between aerial platforms and handheld options. As contest organizers wrap up entries this week, the imaginative submissions seen to date supply a preview of the following decade of drone-based imaging.

Winners and finalists might be introduced on March 27, offering a better take a look at how the drone world is shaping up to date visible tradition. Whether or not you’re a seasoned aerial cinematographer or a newcomer discovering new methods to precise your creativity, this annual occasion confirms that drones are greater than flying cameras—they’re catalysts for innovation, artistry, and storytelling on a worldwide scale.