This article is more than 2 years old.

December 31, 2017 This article is more than 2 years old.

Drones have allowed photographers to explore perspectives previously only available to those with access to airplanes and helicopters. Their relative ease of use and increasingly cheaper costs have revolutionized photography for professionals and amateurs alike.

Drone photo-sharing site Dronestagram has released their favorite images of the year, selected by the site’s moderators. The selections showcase a diverse range of locations and subjects including a leaping polar bear in Arctic Canada, a sweeping waterfall in Iceland, and window washers hanging off a Moscow skyscraper.

Namibia

LukeMaximoBell/Dronestagram Quad bikes cross sand dunes in Namibia.

Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

yannick68/Dronestagram Hippos in Serengeti National Park.

Chiang Mai, Thailand

tominspires/Dronestagram Two scooters crossing a bridge in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Algarve, Portugal

jcourtial/Dronestagram A long staircase leading to one of the most beautiful beaches in Algarve, Portugal.

Alexandria Bay, New York

JustenSoule/Dronestagram A house surrounded by water in Alexandria Bay, New York.

Bac Lieu Province, Vietnam

helios1412/Dronestagram Salt fields in Bac Lieu Province, Vietnam.

Moscow, Russia

Alexey Goncharov/Dronestagram Window washers hang alongside Mercury City Tower in Moscow, Russia.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

bachirm/Dronestagram Skyscrapers in Dubai.

Kefalonia, Greece

Calin Stan/Dronestagram Melissani Cave on the Greek island of Kefalonia.

Sveti Stefan, Montenegro

makadron/Dronestagram A view of a hotel along the coast of Montenegro.

Gullfoss waterfall, Iceland

Vaidas/Dronestagram The Gullfoss waterfall in Iceland.

Nunavut, Canada