Birdie in the Sky, Overall Winner ,Aerial Photograph of the Year Award
Vitaly Golovatyuk, Russian Federation – International Aerial Photographer of the Year 2026
The International Aerial Photographer of the Year competition has revealed the winners of its 2026 photography competition celebrating the creativity and unique elevated perspective offered by photography from high above.
Have you ever been mesmerized looking out of an airplane window at the distant landscape (or seascape) below? “That’s how photographers get so attracted by this viewpoint,” the organizers explain.”Whether photographing mountains, cities, seascape or deserts, there is something very special about an aerial perspective that is simply enchanting.”
Now in its second year, the International Aerial Photographer of the Year invited professional and amateur photographers worldwide to share the wonders of aerial photography revealing striking, often never-before-seen landscapes and seascapes taken from drones, planes, helicopters and even balloons.
“In fact, you don’t have to be sitting in a plane or a helicopter. We are just as happy with photographs taken from the top of tall buildings or mountains — anything that presents an aerial outlook,” said the organizers who also run the International Landscape Photographer of the Year awards.
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This year, the contest judged 1,587 entries from around the world. The competition has no category divisions and enforces a strict rule: AI-generated images are not permitted.
Winner International Aerial Photographer of the Year (folio)
Azim Khan Ronnie (Bangladesh/France) won the 2026 award for a portfolio including at least four images. Judges praised his cohesive storytelling across varied scenes: a serene rower on Lake Zurich (Switzerland), the dynamic human–bird interactions at Yamuna Ghat (Delhi, India), the bold geometry of red chilies drying in Bogura (Bangladesh) and the spiritual Rakher Upobash ritual in Dhaka (Bangladesh).
Winner — Aerial Photograph of the Year (single image)
Vitaly Golovatyuk (Russia), a photographer and cinematographer, won Aerial Photograph of the Year for an image (above) shot at Elk Park near Dongtai City, Zhejiang Province, China. The photograph features a lone bird resting on a perfectly still lake surrounded by vivid red vegetation, the water reflecting the sky and creating an illusion of suspended space.
The top 101 aerial images from the 2026 competition are published in the annual awards book available online and as a hardcover print edition.
Overall Winners Aerial Photographer Of The Year
Thousands of Migratory Birds Feeding, Overall Winner, International Aerial Photographer of the Year
Azim Khan Ronnie, Bangladesh – International Aerial Photographer of the Year 2026
For a few months of the year, a large number of Siberian seagulls migrate to various regions of India. Yamuna Ghat in Delhi is among them. The birds start arriving in November and move out in mid-March. The activity continues all morning.
Harvesting Red Chilies, Overall Winner, International Aerial Photographer of the Year
Azim Khan Ronnie, Bangladesh – International Aerial Photographer of the Year 2026
Thousands of bright red chili peppers are harvested in the hot sun before being sorted for delivery to spice companies in the Sariakandi, Bogura, Bangladesh. More than 2,000 people work on some 100 chili farms in Bogura.
Dawn Net, Second place winner, International Aerial Photographer of the Year 2026
Chin Leong Teo, Singapore – International Aerial Photographer of the Year 2026
A lone fisherman casts a radiant yellow net that blooms across the water like liquid sunlight.
From above, the sweeping lines wrap around his small boat, turning a simple act into a moment of quiet poetry.
Bali Rice Terrace, Second place, International Aerial Photographer of the Year 2026
Chin Leong Teo, Singapore – International Aerial Photographer of the Year 2026
Bali’s rice terraces cascade down the hillsides in vivid green steps, shaped by centuries of careful irrigation, offering a stunning contrast to a busy highway.
Mud Trees, Third Place, International Aerial Photographer of the Year 2026
Barbara Brown, Australia – International Aerial Photographer of the Year 2026
Flooding due to heavy rains of the Sossusvlei Desert in Namibia generated magical tree patterns.
Aerial Photograph Of The Year
Thunder of Hooves, Third place, International Aerial Photograph
Kah-Wai Lin, U.S. – International Aerial Photographer of the Year 2026
At sunset in Cappadocia, central Turkey, Yilki horses thunder across the dusty plateau. Raised by villagers and released to roam free, they embody resilience and tradition, moving like a river of fire beneath the fading Anatolian sky.
Wari, Second place, International Aerial Photographer of the Year
Sanghamitra Sarkar, India – International Aerial Photographer of the Year 2026
A gathering of Warkaris, a Hindu religious group, during Maharashtra’s Wari pilgrimage in India forms a circular pattern around the central palkhi, or chair, carrying sacred padukas, traditional Indian footwear.
Dressed in white, devotees sit in rows, creating a powerful visual of unity of devotion and harmony.
Aerial Photographer Above Mountains, Snow, Water
Serration, Winner, The Chairman’s Choice Award 2026
A.J. Rich, U.S – International Aerial Photographer of the Year 2026
The sharp, steep and layered hills in the Badlands of Utah look like a dreamy environmental creation by the late Christo.
Emerald Waves at Dusk; Special Award Above Mountains
Chengming Liu, U.S – International Aerial Photographer of the Year 2026
These ‘Emerald Waves at Dusk’ were captured above the rolling hills of San Jose, California, at golden hour. The image reveals the Diablo Range at its greenest after winter rains, highlighting smooth contours and flowing patterns.
Winter in Bavarian Countryside, Winner ,Special Award Above Snow
Aleksandra Wilk, Germany – International Aerial Photographer of the Year 2026
Winter in the Bavarian countryside near Lake Ammer frames the onion-domed roof of a church that is characteristic of southern Germany. “My intention was to capture this church, which stood on a street, with nothing to disturb the composition, all white in a graphic style,” said Aleksandra Wilk.
Rhythm of the Oars, Winner, Special Award Above Water
Savadmon Avalachamveettil, Ireland – International Aerial Photographer of the Year 2026
From above the Nehru Trophy Boat Race at Punnamada Lake, India, three snake boats – each with 100 to 120 rowers – glide in perfect rhythm. Oars strike in unison, turning human effort into pattern – where tradition, teamwork, and motion merge into a single, powerful flow.
Top 101 Aerial Photographer
Golden Gate Framed, Top 101 Finalists
Marcin Zajac, Poland – International Aerial Photographer of the Year 2026
The Golden Gate Bridge is framed by its own iconic steel and suspension cables as it spans San Francisco Bay at dawn.
Natures Calligraphy, Top 101 Photographs
Venkiteswaran Ramasubhramoni, UAE – International Aerial Photographer of the Year 2026
From above, Lake Magadi in Kenya is otherworldly, its vivid colors forming a natural canvas as flamingos glide across the surface. Their flight stirs soft waves that ripple into patterns, creating a kind of living, biological calligraphy.
Embrace of the Sky, Top 101 photographs
Abhijeet Sawant , India -,International Aerial Photographer of the Year 2026
In this aerial panorama of Iceland, a gentle rainbow arcs across the sky, casting soft hues over dark slopes and deep-blue waters. A lone road winds toward distant shores in perfect, breathless harmony.
Holding On, Top 101 photographs
Rhiannon Lawler, , UK – International Aerial Photographer of the Year 2026
A polar bear balances on the edge of an iceberg in East Greenland, using the height to scan the sea ice and test the wind. The scene reflects a landscape that never stays still, where ice fractures, drifts and reforms around it.
Oryx Walking on Dune, Top 101 Photographs
Zhengze Xu, China – International Aerial Photographer of the Year 2026
Trailed by its shadow and footprints, an Oryx antelope ambles on the dunes in Namibia’s Namib Desert. Shot from a helicopter, it was late afternoon and the sunset beautifully illuminated the dunes with golden color and amazing shadow lines.
Tumbling White Horse. Top 101 photographs
Fabio Pappalettera, Italy – International Aerial Photographer of the Year 2026
The photographer was riding in northeast Italy and catching some stills of a wonderful white horse, when it suddenly rolled over to scratch its back, raising the dust—and the epic moment was frozen forever.
Magadi Dream, Top 101 photographs
Cédric Tamanim, Switzerland – International Aerial Photographer of the Year 2026
Like a squadron of planes, hundreds of birds are poised over Kenya’s Lake Magadi in this helicopter photo.
Aerial photography transforms familiar places into abstract patterns, dramatic vistas and fresh stories. The 2026 winners showcase technical skill, strong composition and the unique visual narratives made possible by elevated viewpoints.
All the winning images of the International Aerial Photographer Of The Year can be seen here.
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