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