DJI Sky City 9th Anniversary Image Contest Winners Announced, Revealing New Trends in Aerial Photography

　　[Gearbest Technology News]On March 19, 2024, the Sky City 9th Anniversary Image Contest organized by SkyPixel, a professional aerial photography and image social platform owned by DJI, came to an end today. American photographer Luke Bredar’s work “Haines Alaska Through the Eyes of Luke Bredar” won the Best Video Award of the Year; Chinese photographer Dao Lai’s work “Yug” won the Best Picture Award of the Year.

Massive submissions of excellent works

　　The Sky City 9th Anniversary Image Contest lasted for three months and collected more than 130,000 submissions from 148 countries and regions, a 100% increase in number compared with the previous edition. The photographers used images to express their thoughts and ideas, showing rich creativity and dexterous conception, and jointly exploring new trends in images.

　　The winning works of this competition are jointly selected by well-known imaging professionals at home and abroad. The judges of the video category include Zhao Xiaoshi, winner of the Golden Rooster Award for Best Cinematography, Michael Fitzmaurice, the aerial photography director of “Jumanji: Jungle Fight”, Xi Bing, a well-known Chinese film and advertising photographer, and Brandon Li, a well-known image creator. The judges of the photo group include Huang Wen, who has served as a judge for three “Dutch Competition”, Li Nan, photo director of Southern Weekend and well-known critic and curator, Anne Farrar, assistant editor-in-chief of the Photography Department of National Geographic magazine, and landscape photographer Daniel Kordan.

Excerpted from the best video of the year “Haines Alaska Through the Eyes of Luke Bredar” Luke Bredar

　　Photographer Luke Bredar's video work shows us his mastery of aerial photography technology. He used the majestic Alaskan snow-capped mountains as the background to capture the extreme moments of skiers flying down from the top of the mountain and flying freely in the air. These exciting action shots made the sense of challenge and excitement overflow the screen. Judge Xi Bing believes: “The specially selected angle of sunlight makes the lines of the snow-capped mountains clear and three-dimensional. The ridges have sharp edges and corners, and the slope curves are steep, which reflects the superb skills of the skiers. Freely gallop, shuttle, jump, aerial photography and The traversing machine is the only choice to express this kind of sports beauty, from the choice of subject matter to the correct use of photographic equipment, it highlights the integration and conquering relationship between man and nature. “Luke Bredar, the winner, said: “This mountain is quiet and spectacular. It’s extremely dangerous, as if you’re from another planet. Only by conquering yourself and having the courage to face hardships and loneliness can you conquer this mountain. I hope to express this magnificent and indomitable passion through this film.”

Best picture of the year “Mongolian yurt” Daolai

　　The best picture of the year, “Yurt”, records the life scenes of herdsmen in Inner Mongolia. One morning after snow, the herdsmen were preparing for the upcoming grassland ice and snow Naadam event. Mongolian yurts, herdsmen, horse teams, and camels gave the scene a lively atmosphere. Judge Huang Wen commented: “The beautiful song of the nomads on the vast snowfield, the poetic and harmonious moment between the vast nature and the small but dignified human beings. Although the white snow occupies most of the picture, the photo has a sense of layering It is still very rich. The background of the photo shows the color of rice paper, and the overall tone is like the Qing Dynasty palace paintings in the Forbidden City collection. “The snow scene makes the picture present the artistic conception of ink, and the traditional brushwork of Chinese painting such as white space, outline, and dyeing are all used,” said the winner. It can be presented. Real and natural scenes can be beautiful, the key is to discover, record and show them.”

This competition provides participants with a prize pool of 1.2 million yuan. The winners of this year's best video and picture will receive an Inspire 3 suit and a Hasselblad X2D 100C worth over 100,000 yuan respectively, and can become a contracted photographer of Sky City. Winners of 79 awards including the top ten videos and pictures of the year, popularity award, monthly competition masterpiece, and top twenty club will also receive awards including DJI Mavic 3 Pro, DJI Air 3, DJI Avata, Osmo Pocket 3, Osmo Action 4 and Osmo respectively. Popular products such as Mobile 6.

Witness the trend of innovation and exploration

　　With the theme of “Exploring New Trends”, photographers from all over the world used visual images to show their unique thinking about the future of photography art, and presented new aerial photography trends in their continuous exploration and creation.

Top 10 Pictures of the Year “Fatigue Sleep” Muhammad Amdad Hossain

　　First of all, the increase in humanistic documentary content reflects photographers’ deep concern for social phenomena and human life. They used aerial shots to record urban changes, humanistic stories, and tender moments in daily life. These works, with their authenticity and appeal, arouse the resonance and thinking of viewers. “Fatigue Sleep”, one of the top ten images of the year, records for us the lives of Bangladeshi boat workers. Riverside residents who have lost their homes and property due to climate change and natural disasters have been forced to migrate to Dhaka. For these people, who have no specific place to live in the city, the boat is not only a means of making a living, but also a bond of family, a deep connection to the river, and a strong commitment to their profession. For similar humanistic content, the use of medium and telephoto technology allows photographers to create with greater ease. It can capture real moments and details in life more keenly without affecting the subject.

Picture of the Year Nominated “Urban Spider-Man” Chen Qihui

　　On the other hand, photographers have also broken through the typical large panoramic aerial photography perspective in the past and explored richer framing by trying different combinations of heights and angles. The ultimate pursuit of height gradually turned into a careful understanding of composition. Photographers began to use low camera positions and multiple angles to present their works in a more ingenious way of composition. As a result, more works with daily themes are brought to the audience, allowing us to discover the touching and wonderful things in the ordinary. The nominated picture of the year “Urban Spiderman” records the work scene of cleaning the facade of a sports stadium. The huge back panel highlights the proportional relationship with the cleaners, and the right position of the characters makes the picture harmonious and vivid. Judge Li Nan commented: “The simple and balanced picture allows us to take a new look at these people who support the basic normal operation of the city and are often ignored.”

The winning work of the monthly competition “Scroll of Sea Currents” Richard Wandering in the World

　　In addition, the painting and freehand style are also deeply displayed in this year's works. Photographers use the perspective of drones to capture the lines and colors of the earth, and create picturesque aerial works of art through unique compositions and light and shadow processing. These works not only demonstrate the progress of aerial photography technology, but also reflect the photographer's deep understanding and unique expression of natural beauty. The winning work of the monthly competition “Sea Current Scroll” uses curves to give a soft and smooth picture, and uses contrasting colors to present an ink painting style, showing the natural and tranquil beauty of freehand brushwork.

Innovation is far from stopping

　　The unique and precious moments recorded by these lenses are not only the interweaving of light and shadow, but also show us the power of technology and people to achieve each other. DJI’s innovations in mid-telephoto technology have enriched image details and scene expressions, providing possibilities for exploration in photographic creation. Photographers' ability to control imaging equipment and interpret image language has become more and more proficient in recent years. They use new technologies in medium and telephoto lenses to capture scene details and create new visual effects and artistic expressions. Technology and creation complement each other, constantly broadening the artistic boundaries of aerial photography, giving us unlimited imagination, and leading us to a more stunning visual world.

　　The Sky City 9th Anniversary Image Contest has come to an end, but the innovation of images is far from stopping here. It happens between you and me, in every moment. We still look forward to meeting wonderful works in the SkyPixel community.

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