And now, a dispatch from your eyes in the sky.

One of the biggest takeoffs in consumer tech this year was the consumer drone. Once most popularly known to be used for military operations, these remote-controlled airborne gizmos have now etched a firm place in professional and hobby photography, thanks to high-definition cameras that come pre-installed on many drone models.

(Just ask Martha Stewart about how she keeps an eye on her horse paddocks, chicken coops, and cutting gardens. Or look up the word “dronie.”)

READ: DIY Eye Candy of the Day - Drone Records Holiday Lights

One website that’s keen on the proliferation of this category of photography is dronestagr.am, a social network for drone photos and video. What follows are its picks for the best drone photos of 2014, a collection of beautiful aerial snaps from around the world.



