Photography is loved by many people – young and old. Perhaps the beauty of it is the idea that a single moment in time can be captured forever. This single moment is also always from a personal perspective. It is like being able to see the exact viewpoint of another individual and that perhaps excites fans of the art form.

In recent years, we have been able to share these moments vastly with friends and family through our social media platforms. Even though the introduction of smart phones and social media has given us the space to become amateur photographers on a large scale, photography as an art form can still be appreciated because there’s nothing quite like it.

One area of photography which has simply no comparison is aerial photography. The art of aerial photography was started all the way back in 1858 and by photographer Gaspar Felix Tournachon. Tournachon photographed a village in France and made everybody fall in love with the concept of taking images from up above. Since then, we have seen images emerging of skylines, wildlife, and city aerial shots, to name a few. We’ve now compiled a list of some of the most spectacular aerial images in recent history and trust us when we say – you’ll enjoy seeing our world from this perspective.

25 25. The Amazon River

The Amazon river is one of the largest on earth and is a well-known attraction of South America. There’s an incredible amount of wildlife in the river and forest, explorers are still discovering even more. A new coral reef was discovered just a couple of years ago and this indicates that there perhaps is still a lot to discover about the place. Considering the fact that it supplies earth with 20% of freshwater, there is no doubt that this is one not only spectacular looking forest and river, but important as well.

24 24. Plane In The Forest

Just as we all know, a forest is covered with a dense amount of trees. Our planet is home to 4 billion hectares of forests, meaning that they cover around 31% of the land surface – that’s an incredible amount of trees. We often see trees in our daily lives and may not get to appreciate the beauty of it all. Well, in this pic, we clearly see a forest from up above and our manmade plane having crashed into them.

23 23. A Lonely Polar Bear

Many people who love wildlife, appreciate the site of a polar bear. The arctic mammals are simply incredible to watch as they roam around on the ice. The animal could be trying to catch a fish, walking around with her little one or simply just eating, whatever the animal does – it catches our attention. Polar Bears are now classified as “vulnerable” as the effects of climate change are threatening their existence. It’s a little sad to consider that if things don't get better, we may not be able to see pics like this for much longer.

22 22. Circular City

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation states that “by 2050, 75% of the population will reside in cities which are a major engine for economic growth”. This highlights that there is a lot of pressure on cities to provide not just economic opportunities but living space as well for us, all while considering the environment. The MacArthur Foundation further states that “the circular city lens is one that promotes and applies systems thinking in a way that can provide economic, social and environmental benefits”. This perhaps suggests that there will probably be more of these circular cities in the years to come.

21 21. Big City Lines

As discussed on the previous item on the list, many people move to the city in search of economic opportunities. Any city in the world can be interesting to discover, considering the amount of diversity that one is likely to get because people from all walks of life flock to them. Another interesting factor to cities are the highrise buildings that one inevitably finds. With all the buildings of offices and living spaces, one is bound to get interesting lines and patterns of your favorite city from up above. This taken image proves that.

20 20. Central Park

So we’ve already mentioned how densely populated some of our favorite cities in the world can be. Well, perhaps a piece of greenery will be a great addition to all the concrete that one will find in a city. Central Park offers exactly that. It is an urban park which was established in 1857 and is located in Manhattan, New York City. Central Park is so popular in the U.S, that it had 40 million visitors in 2013, making it the most visited park in the U.S. Just one look at it from above and one can certainly appreciate the greenery in the midst of all the concrete of the city.

19 19. A Flock Of Birds

This image was labelled as “Raising Ducks” by the photographer. It is an image that has an astounding number of ducks walking or flying on either side of a man in a river. The man seems small, almost insignificant, compared to all the life that is around him. It is also interesting to note how the man is walking barefoot and seems relaxed, and almost comfortably blending in with all that is around him. This image was one of the winners at The 2017 Best Aerial Photography Contest and there's no wonder why.

18 18. Diving Into Waterfall

Waterfalls are simply a spectacular sight. Not many people can walk or drive by one and not stop for a moment and take all the beauty in. Different people appreciate them for different reasons – some appreciate their uniqueness, others appreciate the sounds the water makes as it gushes down, there’s also the incredible beauty of the water running down a cliff…whatever it may be, there is no denying how remarkable they are. Well, this man diving down on a waterfall makes us feel that we too need to find the nearest waterfall and submerge ourselves in all its beauty.

17 17. Tulip Fields

In the previous image, we discussed the incredible sight and sound of waterfalls, which makes us all appreciate them. We now bring you an underrated beauty. A beauty that simply blooms at the right time of the year and you’d better hope you’re in the area to be able to see the amazing sight and appreciate all the beauty. Holland is well known for its tulips and the amazing colors portrayed in this pic are enough to make anyone just sit up and take notice of all the beauty that Mother Nature has to offer.

16 16. Colorful Lobster Farm

This image is another winner at The 2017 Best Aerial Photography Contest. The contest was open to drone photographers by SkyPixel. Its main focus was to appreciate not just the images that one is able to achieve from aerial photography, but the drones that enable us to achieve these images. Drone photography has certainly become bigger and more popular in recent years. While before, one needed the hiring of a helicopter or cranes to achieve some of these amazing imagery, it is exciting to see how drones have given many photographers the ability to achieve such beauty.

15 15. Solemn Cemetry

Cemeteries hold many sad feelings for people and understandably so – this is where we lay down our beloved. While some people may be comfortable with the idea that life has to end at some point, others are uncomfortable even thinking about the fact that they won’t be here forever. Human life is certainly important and is unfortunately sometimes unappreciated. This one image reminds us all that death is a reality that can’t be escaped and perhaps the fact that there are so many graves makes this image even more moving.

14 14. Grand Cayon From Outer Space

Many can appreciate the uniqueness of the Grand Canyon. Its enormous size (277 miles long, 18 miles wide and over a mile depth) makes us all just sit up and take notice of not only the incredible views that one is able to get from The Grand Canyon National Park, but also the geological aspect of it all. Adding to how amazing this site is, are images taken from outer space of this wonder. Since one can clearly see it from outer space, it makes us feel that the site is somehow more spectacular than we already thought it was.

13 13. Path To Transylvania

This image of a winding road that leads to Transylvania is certainly an intriguing one. It is similar to the previous image of the winding Amazon river but certainly has more sharp bends. Transylvania is in central Romania and it is well known for its scenery and landscape. Most of the scenery is portrayed to us on eyelevel and of course, we appreciate it, but we can certainly also appreciate the imagery that we’re able to get from an aerial perspective.

12 12. Sicily, Italy

This is another incredible image captured by a drone and this time, if you’re wondering what the black is in the image – it is from the big Etna eruption in 2002. The drone was able to capture the difference between the life from the trees and what has been burnt from the lava. The photographer, Placido Faranda, captured this image in Sicily. He further explained the significance of this image. “Those waves of lava are from Etna’s big eruption back in 2002, this eruption was so spectacular that it was recorded by Lucasfilm and integrated into the landscape of the planet Mustafar in the 2005 Star Wars film”.

11 11. Dancing Lady In Red

Red is a striking color. It demands attention. It is beautiful, sophisticated and we certainly will take notice of any woman dressed in red. Many appreciate this striking color from an eyeline perspective and it is interesting to see it pop and do just what it is famous for (grabbing attention), all the way from up above. In this aerial shot, we see a lady dancing in red, right in the center of a a grey image and without a doubt, our first instinct is to stare at the centre and be attracted to this moving lady in red.

10 10. River Flowing Mall

This image was captured in Marina Bay Sands, in Singapore. It is an intergrated resort. One look at the image and you may wonder whether or not it is photoshopped. You’d wonder this because of the river flow and boat that you clear see in the image. Well, this is not photoshopped. This is a real image of a mall in Singapore that has been intergrated with a river. Without a doubt, one will be able to get amazing views from the mall and our normal human eye level but this aerial photograph makes us appreciate the site even much more.

9 9. New York City

New York is home to people from all walks of life. Many go to New York to try to make a living, to try to make their dreams come true, or just to be captured by the feel and spirit of the lively city that certainly does not sleep. There are so many stories about the city that can make anyone look at it from a positive or negative perspective. This image of New York city certainly makes us see how grand this city really is and how there can certainly be so much to explore, even if it is all concrete.

8 8. Rice Field Land

Many nations around the world see rice as being a staple food of theirs. Packed with carbohydrates, it is filling and with just the right amount of spices, can certainly be very tasty and pleasing to the pallete. Since it’s a go-to staple food for many, one can find rice fields in many different countries. This particular image was captured in Bali, Indonesia and shows how spectacular the views of this tiny grain that grows into our beloved rice, can be.

7 7. A Moment With A Whale

People love sealife. Just a moment at a nearby public aquarium and you will not wonder why. The ocean is filled with some of the most majestic marine mammals, both big and small. One large mammal from the ocean waters that definitely demands attention is a whale. The biggest whale out there is a blue whale, which can reach up to 98ft and 190 short tons – Nope, there’s no missing this one. In this pic, we see the beautiful whale out in the open waters and a human swimming not too far from it. There’s a clear massive size difference between the two.

6 6. Simple Village Beauty

This aerial image was captured by photographer Valentin Valkov and was also a drone captured picture for the SkyPixel Photo Contest in 2017. The aerial photograph perfectly captures a small village in Italy that is part of its Dolomite region. The image is of Santa Maddalena village, which is positioned perfectly infront of the Geilsler or Olde Dolomites Group. The village itself looks absolutely serene with all the perfect greenery and mountains. It is moving to know that this beauty is right by a Dolomitic area – a perfect juxtaposition of nature.