20 coolest drone photos of 2016
Maggie Hiufu Wong, CNN • Updated 5th January 2017
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(CNN) — If we needed proof that camera + altitude = magic, these incredible photos shot using drones should do the trick.
The above gallery of images shows the best drone photos of 2016 as chosen by Dronestagram, the largest online community for drone photographers, or "dronists."
Dronestagram's team says it handpicked shots that highlight the beauty of drone photography in multiple aspects -- including agriculture, sports, tourism, adventure, wildlife, landscape, cultural heritage and people.
Landscapes still popular
The epitome of beautiful drone photography.
fcattuto
"Landscape pictures are the most popular type of drone photos, undoubtedly," says Guillaume Jarret, Dronestagram's managing director.
Get a drone view of Bali's stunning rice fields in this 60-second vacation.
The most popular shot of last year? A gorgeous photo of the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi in Italy's Umbria region, rising above the mist.
It also scooped top prize in the 2016 International Drone Photography Contest, co-organized by Dronestagram and National Geographic.
The most viral picture ever on Dronestagram, however, is still the amazing eagle of Bali from 2015 -- gathering 137,000 views on the site, and counting.
"But we've also received more and more pictures of people. It looks like people are having fun using their drones to get aerial memories with friends and family."
Aerial wedding photos
A very different kind of wedding photography.
Helene Havard
Life-changing events are also better when seen from the air, it seems.
"Drone wedding photography has become something very trendy, especially in California and Israel," says Jarret.
Among the top 20 is a wedding photo featuring a couple lying amid palm trees.
In April 2016, Dronestagram launched a special market place MariageParDrone (or wedding by drone) to connect brides and grooms with drone operators.
In general, the quality of drone photography is getting higher.
"I talk about quality but not quantity," Jarret says.
"You don't take a picture with your drone the way you'd do with your smartphone.
"It limits the number of pictures shared but increases the quality of our image bank."
