#aerial-photography

#aerial-photography

The 2025 reFocus Photographer of the Year aerial winners embody that shift in perspective, presenting landscapes as bold, graphic compositions that feel both remote and deeply personal. Marie Juliette Aziz claimed the top honor for her series *Above the Horizon*, a Vietnam‑spanning collection that reveals the hidden geometry and rhythm of coastlines, rice fields, and winding waterways. Her work, like the rest of the winning images, shows how intention and patience can elevate aerial photography beyond technique alone.

Local activists Brad Newsham and Travis Van Brasch on January 10 organized a massive human banner at Ocean Beach in San Francisco that read, in all caps, "IT WAS MURDER - ICE OUT!" and included an American flag that rotated upside down, signifying distress and danger. The words were etched into the sand in 100-foot letters before many of the participants arrived by 11:30 am.

Jason Hawkes has been capturing the capital from the skies for over 25 years, and his method is not for the faint-hearted. Flying in a helicopter with the doors removed, Mr Hawkes climbs between 500ft and 2,400ft. Both himself and the camera are harnessed to the helicopter so nothing falls out when it turns on its side to get the perfect shot.

When you look back at 2025 from an altitude of 250 miles, you can see the scale of natural events like hurricanes and volcanic eruptions, as well as incredible detail, thanks to high-definition cameras and instruments.

The Neo resembles an FPV drone with its integrated propeller guards and a camera mounted on a single-axis gimbal. This design not only enhances safety during flights around people but also provides durability against minor bumps. The drone's battery life offers up to 17 minutes of flight time in optimal conditions. The power of this drone lies in its small size and professional-grade components. This allows you to get it into places that were before inaccessible to a drone. Such as under a train...

Guindo originally hails from southern Spain and has been based in Reykjavík since 2016, lured by the island nation's raw beauty, dramatic geology, and northern light.