We’re following some of the best drone Instagram accounts in the world and think that you should too. People from all over the planet are sharing incredible, unique, drone pictures from angles that have never been seen before. It is an incredible time to be alive and watch our world in such a new light. We want to share the very best 10 with you!
There’s no #1 best account of all time, and the order of ranking doesn’t matter. What matters is that exploration and evaluating each artist is entirely up to your preference.
Let's get started!
Jerome Courtial's bright and sunny aerial take on the world brings us to faraway destinations like London, Laos, Dubai, and Italy. He’s very good at using light to showcase vibrant color differences, which shows in everything from drone pictures of fields to far away temples. We never know where he’s at in the world, which makes following him like following a few accounts in one. You’ll be sure to get a refreshing mix of nature, shoreline, and mountain dronography by linking up with @jcourtial and the adventures of him.
Guangzhou, China-based photographer @NK7, is a hard one to track down. If you manage to get beyond the anonymous moniker, you’ll have to contend with city-hopping, building-scaling, and keeping up with international escapades to Europe and beyond. Fortunately, you can follow along as they capture incredible architecture, dizzying cityscape heights from questionably legal areas, and excellent light composition. We’ve come to appreciate the complexity, beauty, and scale of China in a way that we didn’t know before…just one of the many reasons that @NK7 is hands-down one of our favorite urban drone photographers of all time.
Not many drone pilots are brave enough to tackle a little cold-weather flying, let alone thrive in it! Meet Tiina Törmänen, an engaging and adventurous photographer from Finnish Lapland. Her profile is full of powdery escapades to experience and capture wonders like the Northern Lights. She’s a fantastic ambassador for our friends who live in colder places and isn’t scared to showcase the beauty of snow & ice. We especially love her work because we get to stay warm and cozy while scrolling through the pictures.
Known to many as just “dronegirl” or “Arina,” @airrisha is the undisputed drone queen of St. Petersburg, if not all of Russia. She continues to fascinate us with the detail and framing of the many cathedrals in her home city. You’ll find everything from fireworks to drones on leashes in her account, which has grown like wildfire in the past year. Arina’s account will help you see the intricate, colorful beauty hiding in the eaves of Russia’s cultural capital. Fortunately, she’s sharing her journey with the world, and it’s easy as following her at @airrisha!
Dirk Dallas is everywhere. As a drone photographer, designer, and educator, you’ve probably seen some of his work and not even known it. Known in the community for his moniker “#fromwhereidrone,” Dirk is a talented aerial and land-based photographer with a big following. We think you’ll love the balance of his account’s nature photography, from rocky Oregon coastlines to an overview of San Francisco’s winding Lombard street. If nothing else, you’ll be impressed by his sheer volume of quality work alone…you’re guaranteed to find something you like.
One of the most unique drone Instagram accounts around, Reuben Wu of @itsreuben, brings a different perspective than most aerial photographers. As a music producer (co-founder of Ladytron), filmmaker, and photographer, Reuben stays busy with client work from the likes of GE, IBM, and Apple. He can be found in some of the most remote, Dr. Seuss-eqsue, sci-fi locations of the world, like the 10,000 mirrors of SolarReserve in Nevada or the brightly colored sea salt deposits of Las Coloradas, Yucatan. His account is a refreshing balance of unusual color, environmental technology, and shapely landscapes, which makes for an excellent addition to anyone’s daily IG lineup.
Vadim Sherbakov or @madebyvadim is a creative force to be reckoned with. As a Moscow-based art director, interactive web designer, brand ambassador, drone travel photographer, and producer (phew!), you’re just as likely to find him behind the judge's table as you are in front of one. Vadim has a great talent for showing scale, whether it’s by framing a mountain-encircled farm just right or highlighting the grandeur and immense presence of cities and monuments alike. We think you’ll love the way he combines astrophotography, long exposure, and dramatic weather to showcase a few of the most amazing places on earth.
Ananya Ray will make you feel tiny today. You’ll find that her excellent aerial photos play with the concept of scale and size in creative ways. By referencing a familiar person or animal in the context of a grander background, she can give the viewer a perspective that’s hard to otherwise gain from a tiny mobile screen. Her drone portfolio has the power to transport you (if only for a minute) to exotic locales like Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and New Zealand. Being based in Alberta, Canada, she’s also the perfect candidate for taking the lens to unbelievable national parks like Banff, Jasper, and Elk Island. We’re always excited to see the new work that Ananya is putting out because it keeps getting better. We think she’s an excellent addition to your daily drone feed!
Classically trained and self-described as “pattern obsessed,” Costas Spathis has one of the most interesting & best drones Instagram accounts out there. His account revolves around the deliberate selection of shapes and geometries to frame up unique shots. He uses anything from super high aerial city views to the patterns on the floors beneath our feet to create innovative and fresh drone photography. If you’re in the minimal design crowd, you’ll appreciate his penchant for black & white, highlighting selective splashes of color to make photos stand out.
The man behind some of Instagram’s most popular drone work, Sydney-based Gabriel Scanu, is just getting started. You’ll see him travel all over the diverse Australian landscapes, covering rocky coastlines, vast deserts, and sheer cliffs with his drone. He explicitly seeks out busy scenes with people, natural elements, and a lot of action…much like a bird looking for prey. Hopefully, in the future, you’ll probably see him working on his Icelandic drone mission…we can’t wait to check it out!
By Oliver McClintock
Oliver is the Founder at My Dear Drone, a website for all things drone from guides, reviews, news, and much more.
