• Tagged aerial, aerial photography, drone photography, photo contest

When it comes to privacy, there are plenty of arguments to make against drones; yet it’s hard to make a case against the awesomeness of photos and videos captured by drones. Some droners take dronies — the drone photo equivalent to selfies — but drone photographers give us aerial views that rival the view of even superheroes like Iron Man and Superman. You’re probably familiar with Instagram, but what about Dronestagram? These fabulous bird’s eye shots were but a few of the entries from the more than 5,000 drone aerial photos submitted by professional and amateur drone photo enthusiasts in Dronestagram’s 2015 Drone Aerial Photography Contest. Thank you to all the photographers who captured these shots by potentially risking their ludicrously expensive drones and cameras. [30 Drone Aerial Photos]

• Tagged outdoor scenes, people, photo contest, photographers, photography, places, travel, Wikimedia Commons Picture of the Year

A decade ago, there were not tons of terrific photos to choose from in the Commons, but photographers have really stepped up by licensing their photos so people can share them along with knowledge. While you may or may not agree with the 12 Wikimedia Commons Picture of the Year winners, most everyone could agree the competition was smoking hot. Categories like animals, plants, people, panoramas, nature, space, architecture and even miscellaneous objects give us a chance to go globe hopping as we celebrate these 45 sizzling snaps. Congratulations winners and thank you to all photographers who make the Commons a fountain of beautiful knowledge! Why don’t you consider uploading your photos to the Commons and maybe we’ll see you listed as a winner next year? [45 Photos]