Drones can be controversial. As unmanned flying vehicles that can stealthily spy or drop weapons on people, they’ve been the subject of intense ethical and national security debates. But drones don’t have to be military machines. In the hands of photographers, smaller unmanned vehicles can capture beautiful, unique images that would otherwise go unseen.

For the third year in a row, the international Dronestagram contest has recognized outstanding drone photos in this emerging field.

“A great drone picture is a picture that you immediately identify as a drone photo,” says Guillaume Jarret, Dronestagram’s head of marketing and development. “It is taken at a low altitude, near the target of the picture.” If you know what to look for, you can