Until very recently, aerial photography was prohibitively expensive – helicopter pilots don't come cheap. But rapid developments in drone technology mean just about anyone can get a bird's-eye view of the world around them.
Dronestagram, a site that has been described as "Instagram for drones", allows hobbyists to share their aerial photos. To coincide with the UN Climate Summit in Paris, Dronestagram launched a competition to find the best aerial photographs that illustrate "the effects of pollution on planet Earth and the solutions to tackle the problem".
The judges awarded first prize to an aerial photo of becalmed wind turbines looming out of shallow fog near the German-Dutch border.
First prize winner: Fog in Germany by SkyPro
Second place went to Alexandre Salem, who photographed a Brazilian village engulfed in mud after an iron ore dam burst in the country's biggest environmental accident. Salem said the drone allowed him to see the big picture: "Drone photography is all about reaching innovative angles. It's amazing when you capture something that you know couldn't possibly be done with any previous technology."
Second prize: Church of Paracatu by Alexandre Salem
Third place went to an aerial photograph taken in October 2015, when parts of south-east Asia were blanketed in thick smoke from fires burning out of control in Borneo peatlands. Health effects were reported in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore as the pollution event dragged on for three months.
Third prize: Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia by Yuyusera
The 10 winning photographs are being displayed at the Renault-Nissan pavilion at the Paris climate summit from 4 to 11 December.
Fourth prize: Wind Power near Berlin by King-Fisher
Fifth prize: Energy Active Office Building, Genk, Belgium by Drone-Partner
Sixth prize: Holbury, New Forest, UK by Mark Baker
Seventh prize: Tiny island in the Lithuania's Lake Galvė by Karolis Janulis
Eighth prize: High Tide in La Jolla, California by Kdilliard
Ninth prize: Dhaka, Bangladesh by Zayedh
Tenth prize: Paracatu Cemiterio by Alexandre Salem
Source: International Business Times
