Thirteen Drone Photographs from 2015: Landscapes Seen from Above

One of aerial photography's pleasures is how quickly it changes recognition. A familiar landmark becomes a shape; a road becomes a line; the distance between a swimmer and an animal suddenly becomes visible from above.

The photographs in the original 2015 collection were shared through the growing drone-photography community. They belong to that period, with individual photographers behind them, rather than to a current list of places where anyone may fly.

Start with the credited image

Alexandre Salem's view of Christ the Redeemer makes the statue's position part of the composition. Looking down changes the relationship between the figure, the viewing area and the surrounding greenery.

It is a useful companion to our Rio de Janeiro guide. The aerial photograph explains one spatial relationship; a visit at ground level provides a different experience of the city.

The wider historical collection included work credited to photographers such as Ricardo Matiello, IceFire, PostandFly and others. Inclusion in a selected gallery should not be confused with winning an award. Keep any competition title attached only to the image and photographer that actually received it.

Look for patterns that disappear at ground level

From above, a curve in a shoreline or a repeating roof pattern can become the main subject. The viewpoint removes some familiar depth cues and makes colour and shape more prominent.

Try turning your attention away from the most obvious landmark. Where does your eye move next? Is a small person providing scale, or is the image deliberately making scale difficult to judge?

Our guide to panoramic city views explains another way that the presentation of a wide scene can change apparent shapes and distances.

A photograph does not carry flight permission

An image made in 2015 cannot establish today's aviation rules, land-manager permission or restrictions around a particular site. Those questions depend on the location and operation.

For example, the US National Park Service explains its restrictions on uncrewed aircraft. A park appearing in an aerial gallery does not make recreational launching or landing there acceptable.

Wildlife photographs need particular care. A dramatic view of a nest or animal is not a reason to approach closely with a drone. The subject's welfare matters more than repeating a composition.

Practise the eye before buying equipment

You can explore aerial-style composition from an authorised observation deck, bridge walkway or hill. Look for repeated shapes and make one photograph that includes a recognisable object for scale.

Then take a second image that concentrates on the pattern. Compare how much context you removed and whether the result becomes more interesting or simply harder to understand.

The lasting value of these early drone galleries is not a promise that technology automatically produces better photographs. It is the invitation to change your position thoughtfully and see how much of a familiar place you had not noticed.

The thirteen subjects in the original selection

The gallery begins with a bird’s-nest view in Poland credited to Myszon, a whale-shark scene by PostandFly and a Mazatlán image by w00tsor. Alexandre Salem’s Christ the Redeemer photograph follows, then a Sofia view credited to IceFire and Hidden Lake in Washington by eringer. The different photographers bring their own choices of subject and viewpoint to this collection of drone images.

The later images identify Xiwei Reservoir in Shandong, China, credited to AmbroseLune; Maringá in Brazil by Ricardo Matiello; Saint-Front Cathedral in Périgueux by erallion; and Mont-Saint-Michel by wanaiifilms. The final three are Tegallalang in Bali by idronenesia, Prohodna Cave in Bulgaria by IceFire, and Tahaa by Marama Photo Video. The captions identify separate photographs from around the world, rather than successive stops on one flight or journey.

Read the collection in smaller groups

Compare the water scenes first. An animal, shoreline or boat can provide a scale reference that makes a large surface readable. Then compare the architectural subjects: a cathedral, statue and city pattern reveal different relationships between a landmark and its surroundings.

The cave and the city views make an interesting final pairing. Architecture often gives an aerial photograph familiar clues to size: windows, roofs and streets. A cave can remove those references, leaving its shape harder to judge until you find a recognisable detail. Move between the two kinds of image and notice how quickly your sense of distance changes. Then revisit a favourite frame and identify what makes it work: a line, a contrast in colour, the placement of a person or the balance of open space. That is a photographic decision you can study without needing to repeat the flight.