First-Ever International Aerial Photographer of the Year competition Announces its winners

The first-ever International Aerial Photographer of the Year competition has announced its winners, and the results are nothing short of breathtaking. With over 1,500 entries flooding in from across the globe, the judges faced the daunting task of selecting the finest aerial imagery, from drone-captured abstracts to jaw-dropping vistas shot from planes and helicopters.

The overall winner is Joanna Steidle, a professional drone pilot and artist from New York’s Hamptons, whose portfolio of striking top-down marine scenes wowed the panel. With categories celebrating black-and-white mastery, drone artistry, and abstract vision, this competition proves that the sky’s far from the limit when it comes to creative photography. Here are the winning images.

The International Aerial Photographer of the Year 2025

First Place

Joanna Steidle, United States

Second Place

Daniel Viñé Garcia, Spain

Third Place

David Swindler, United States

Photograph of the Year

First Place

Ignacio Palacios, Australia

Second Place

Talor Stone, United States

Third Place

Thomas Vijayan, Canada

Special Award Winners

Black and White

Barbara Brown, Australia

Drone

Pål Hermansen, Norway

Abstract

Colin Leonhardt, Australia

Chairman’s Choice

Fabien Guittard, France

You can see the top 101 Aerial Photographer of the Year photographs published in an eBook on the award website.

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