DJI’s annual picture and video contest is again for an additional 12 months, however this SkyPixel 2025 contest has a particular form of milestone. That is the tenth 12 months of the huge on-line aerial artwork contest, which is placed on by SkyPixel, the net drone neighborhood affiliated with drone maker DJI.
The competition continually evolves to embrace the developments in drone know-how, and this 12 months isn’t any completely different. The truth is, this 12 months expands past drones. In a nod to DJI’s handheld “Osmo” line of cameras, this 12 months’s contest consists of the first-ever “Handheld” class.
After all, the competition nonetheless largely facilities round drones. And for people who enter, there’s a complete prize package deal price greater than $170,000 up for grabs.
Easy methods to enter the SkyPixel 2025 Picture and Video contest
The entry window is open now, and it closes on Feb. 10, 2025. Now in previous years, entrants needed to add their images to the SkyPixel web site. However for the primary time, contestants can even submit their entries by way of all DJI social media channels.
In a departure from the numerous classes of previous 12 months, SkyPixel bought extra streamlined because it entered double digits. This 12 months’s contest has been simplified to only three separate classes: Aerial Images, Aerial Videography and Handheld Videography. Listed here are some particular particulars on every class:
Aerial Images
DJI recommends a shot “overlooking the world, framing moments of eternity. Whether or not awe-inspiring nature or grand structure, energetic sporting moments or portraits brimming with emotion – all present the attraction of the artwork of images.”
Entries should be shot on aerial images gear and entered as a single work with a single picture of at least 3MB and a decision of at least 300dpi.
Aerial Videography
DJI recommends movies the place you “soar by means of the skies and seize the magnificent great thing about the earth. From pure wonders to city jungles inside cities, from impassioned sporting occasions to tranquil or colourful getaways – push the bounds and let your creativity shine.”
With this class, DJI requires you utilize precise DJI merchandise to shoot. Extra particularly, entries should be now not than 5 minutes in size. At the least 30 seconds of footage will need to have been shot on DJI drones. In keeping with DJI, DJI FPV, DJI Neo, in addition to the Encourage, Mavic, Air, Mini, Avata and Phantom collection are all eligible.
Handheld Videography
With these entries, DJI desires you to “maintain the digicam and document probably the most intimate moments of life. Whether or not it’s the heartbeat of the town, the serenity of nature, the velocity and keenness of the sports activities area, the thrill and expertise of journey, you might be free to interpret the spirit of the footage and inform your distinctive story.”
As is the case with the Aerial Videography class, DJI requires you utilize precise DJI merchandise to shoot. And once more, entries should be now not than 5 minutes in size. At the least 30 seconds of footage will need to have been shot on any of the next DJI merchandise: Ronin Stabilizer, Ronin Cinema Cameras, Osmo Motion, Osmo Pocket or Osmo Cellular collection.
Maximize your odds of successful the SkyPixel 2025 Picture and Video contest
Successful the SkyPixel 2025 Picture and Video contest isn’t any straightforward feat. For starters, brace your self for excessive competitors. Over the course of its previous 9 years, DJI says its SkyPixel contest has acquired a mixed 400,000+ submissions from across the globe.
That mentioned, there are some methods you possibly can enhance your odds of successful.
Embrace the theme: This 12 months’s theme is “Discover With out Limits.” Quite than importing a generic seashore, attempt to tie it into the theme — even when it’s a generic seashore. After all, be artistic and attempt to snap a photograph that leans into the ‘exploration’ or ‘no limits’ vibes.
Enter early: Whereas there may be the massive, total prize, there are additionally smaller prizes alongside the way in which. Every month will characteristic “Reputation Awards.” DJI says the winners listed below are those who “recognizing content material that explores “discover new developments or innovate artwork.”
Play to the judges: I’ll clue you in to who they’re, so you possibly can tailor your submissions to their pursuits. The images judges are Anne Farrar (Assistant Managing Editor-Images at Nationwide Geographic Journal), Weimin Chu (panorama photographer), Daniel Kordan (panorama photographer) and Luke Stackpoole (journey and journey photographer).
The video judges are: Claudio Miranda (Academy Award-winning cinematographer recognized for tasks together with Lifetime of Pi, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Prime Gun: Maverick), Chenyu Jin (Director of Images recognized for Blossoms Shanghai and Like A Rolling Stone), Tianhong Pan (founding father of MediaStorm) and Sam Newton (journey filmmaker).
Get impressed: Use the previous winners to glean insights into what the judges like. I’ve shared the most effective drone images of 2023 and the most effective drone movies of 2023, highlighting the 2023 SkyPixel contest winners. And extra just lately, I shared the finest drone images of 2024 and the finest drone movies of 2024, once more highlighting final 12 months’s SkyPixel winners.
What are the prizes?
SkyPixel will announce the awards on March 27, 2026. So what’s up for grabs? This 12 months, three Grand Winners (that’s one from every of the classes) will win the most effective prize package deal. However that’s not all. DJI plans to present away greater than 80 prizes over the course of the competitors.
Right here’s what’s in these prize packages:
- Picture Grand Winner prize: A Hasselblad X2D 100C, XCD 3.5-4.5/35-75mm, and an XCD F4/45P (price over $14,000)
- Video Grand Winner prize: A DJI Encourage 3 drone, a DL 18 mm F2.8, PROSSD 1TB, and two TB51 Batteries (price over $20,000)
- Handheld Grand Winner prize: A DJI Ronin 4D-8K cinema digicam, DJI Transmission, and two TB50 batteries (price over $15,000)
Discover out in regards to the different smaller prizes on the official SkyPixel web site.
Associated
Uncover extra from The Drone Lady
Subscribe to get the newest posts despatched to your e-mail.
