The winners of the prestigious Siena Drone Photo Awards 2025 have been announced.
The awards are the leading international competition dedicated to aerial photography and forms part of the renowned Siena Awards festival of visual arts.
The winning entries from the contest’s nine categories, will be showcased in an exhibition titled ‘Above Us Only Sky’.
Here we bring you a selection of the winners.
This image was selected as the overall winner in the Drone Photo Awards. During the magic of blue hour, a lone rider stands atop a rocky outcropping in the heart of Cappadocia. Taken on the very first evening during the photographer’s winter trip, this photo showcases the beauty and mystery of Cappadocia in all its glory. Using his drone, Schmelz managed to find a unique and breathtaking perspective that had never been captured before in this often-photographed landscape. Picture: Dennis Schmelz/Siena Drone Photo AwardsSituated 200 kilometers north of the polar circle, the world’s strongest tidal current forms every 6 hours. This powerful flow is capable of swallowing boats that venture to ascend it. Identified as Saltstraumen, this current has inspired various legends, a testament to the impressive whirlpools it consistently forms. Picture captured in Bodo, Norway. Picture: Olivier Jarry-lacombe/Siena Drone Photo AwardsThe photographer was inspired by nature and how animal herds form a moving circle to protect their young and vulnerable. He decided to adapt this phenomenon for a wedding photo, with the bride and groom positioned in a yellow kayak to draw immediate focus to them. Picture: Tim Demski/Siena Drone Photo AwardsAn eagle’s shadow is seen below as it flies across Al Jahra Nature Reserve, in Kuwait. Picture: Mahdi Gholoum/Siena Drone Photo AwardsCaptured by a DJI drone near Tianjin West Railway Station in China, this work combines three images, achieving visual impact and completeness. It was taken during heavy foggy weather, which adds a sense of technology to the central building. The perspective shifts from the expansive surroundings to the architectural details. Picture: Zhen Wei Li/Siena Drone Photo AwardsA 40 000 kilogram Humpback Whale gracefully swims through the ocean, accompanied by two playful Bottlenose Dolphins, in Australia. For a fleeting moment, the dolphins join the whale’s majestic northern migration, sharing its journey through the vast blue expanse of the sea. Picture: Craig Parry/Siena Drone Photo AwardsRunners push forward as the first light of dawn breaks over the Dead Sea. The photo was captured during the Dead Sea Marathon, and this moment reflects both human endurance and the surreal beauty of the lowest place on Earth. Picture: Shimon Perlstein/Siena Drone Photo AwardsThe Cascate del Mulino hot springs in Tuscany, during a cold evening. Many people enjoy the hot water, and from above, they look like miniature figures. Topaz was astonished by the beautiful blue water and by the number of people, despite the cold temperature outside. Picture: Gilad Topaz/Siena Drone Photo AwardsThis photo shows a bird’s eye view of a frozen lake in the photographer’s hometown of Rybnik, Poland. Giba has been photographing this subject for several years. He always waits in fascination for that moment when nature creates unique forms, and is always surprised by it. Picture: Marcin Giba/Siena Drone Photo Awards
