rones have become ever more ubiquitous in recent years, enabling travel photographers to capture perspectives on a place that would otherwise (), an annual competition that celebrates the best in international aerial photography. The contest’s 2022 edition is no exception. Announced ahead of the associated Siena Awards Festival in October, the winning images were judged across nine different categories from thousands of entries submitted by photographers in 116 countries. Ranging from Frenchman Armand Sarlangue’s top-ranked “Big Bang” — an overhead view of an erupting fissure at Fagradals-fjall volcano in Iceland — to “Solidarity” by Mehdi Mohebipour, which prevailed in the Nature category for its depiction of a seemingly endless sea of colorful flamingos on Iran’s Caspian coast, the selected images are a testament to both the technical expertise and sheer diversity of today’s drone photographers. Says competition founder Luca Venturi, an accomplished photographer in his own right, “Over the last five years of the competition, we’ve seen drone photography evolve and become even more inspirational. It’s now a crucial part of our plans to make Siena the world capital of photography.”
