Award-Winning Photos from the 2025 Siena Drone Awards That Showcase Breathtaking Perspectives

Photo of the year: “The Lone Horseman” by Dennis Schmelz

The 2025 Siena Drone Photo Awards have revealed 40 stunning aerial photographs that push the boundaries of visual storytelling from above.

As part of the prestigious Siena Awards, this event highlights Siena’s ambition to become a global hub for photography. The top honor, Photo of the Year, went to Dennis Schmelz for his captivating image “The Lone Horseman,” taken in Cappadocia during the ethereal blue hour. His drone-captured shot of a solitary rider on a rocky ledge exemplifies the artistic innovation celebrated by the awards. The winning gallery spans diverse categories—from Urban and Wildlife to Abstract and Wedding—offering a breathtaking global tour through drone imagery. These remarkable photos will be showcased at the Siena Awards Festival, inviting the public to experience the emotion and excellence of aerial photography.

More: Siena Drone Awards, Instagram

Urban – 1st classified: “Swallowed” by Mohammad Ataei Mohammadi

Urban – Runner up: “The seaweed road of Fujian” by Sarah Wouters

Urban – Highly Commended: “Street-photography” by Barbara Eitel

Urban – Commended: “Ocean Pool” by Neil Bennett

Wildlife – 1st classified: “Another World” by Joanna Steidle

Wildlife – Runner up: “Where Silence Casts a Shadow” by Mahdi Gholoum

Wildlife – Commended: “The Chase” by Craig Parry

Sport – 1st classified: “Running on Salt” by Shimon Perlstein

Sport – Runner up: “The Dune” by Jb Liautard

Sport – Highly commended: “Chile Park Life” by Matias Basualdo Schramm

People – 1st classified: “Aarti Under the Stars” by Thibault Gerbaldi

People – Runner up: “ISOBEL” by Benny Kasper

People – Highly commended: “Watermelon sleepers” by Sm Mostafijur Rahman

People – Highly commended: “Miniature Paradise” by Gilad Topaz

People – Highly commended: “Ice Fishing” by Esengül Alıcı Biber

People – Commended: “Tumble” by İbrahim ŞİmŞek

People – Commended: “Fishing the Quiet Waters” by Prakash Tilokani

Nature – 1st classified: “The Long Shadow” by Christopher Harrison

Nature – Runner up: “Scale” by Thorarinn Jonsson

Nature – Highly commended: “Monument of a Forgotten Era” by Carlo Alberto Conti

Nature – Highly commended: “Edge of Stillness” by Helga Urbán

Nature – Commended: “Anti crepuscular rays” by Ignacio Palacios

Nature – Commended: “Torso of a Tree” by Tania Malkin

Abstract – 1st classified: “The eye” by Pawel Zygmunt

Abstract – Runner up: “Tide Money Tree” by Xu Zhang

Abstract – Highly commended: “Third eye” by Marcin Giba

Abstract – Commended: “I see You..” by Marek Biegalski

Abstract – Commended: “Yellow River” by Madelon Dielen

Abstract – Commended: “Winter Pier” by Cameron Wilcox

Wedding – 1st classified: “Eloping above the Clouds” by Oliver And Steph Prince

Wedding – Runner up: “Into the abyss” by Tim Demski

Wedding – Highly commended: “Mariage à carreaux” by Fred Payet

Wedding – Highly commended: “The herd” by Tim Demski

Wedding – Commended: “Bound by Love and Nature” by Chinmoy Das

Wedding – Commended: “Beyond the Waves The Unbreakable Bond” by Aldo Bernardis

Series – 1st classified: “The Great Colour Study: Vietnam” by Dipanjan Pal

Series – Runner up: “Lords of the Vanishing Wild” by Lakshitha Karunarathna

Series – Highly commended: “The overflowing earth” by Sebastian Piórek

Series – Highly commended: “Birds perch in the woods” by Xia Chen