This simple composition is as good as they come – and it just won an aerial photography award

Aerial view of road running through snow-covered field. There is a church and a tree on the left-hand side of the road. — (Image credit: Aleksandra Wilk / The 2nd International Aerial Photographer of the Year)

You don't need to reinvent the wheel to create something great. And this image, which recently won the Above Snow Special Prize at the International Aerial Photographer of the Year (IAPOTY) 2026 Awards, is a perfect example.

Created by Aleksandra Wilk, an aerial photographer from Bavaria, Germany, the image, taken using a DJI Mavic 3 Pro, cleverly incorporates negative space, crafting a masterful yet simple composition.

Wilk shot the image on a cold winter’s day in the Bavarian countryside near Lake Ammer, opting for settings of 1/400 sec, f/7.1, ISO200 using the 24mm equivalent lens.

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“My intention was to capture this church, which stood on a street, with nothing to disturb the composition, all white in a graphic style,” she told the IAPOTY organizers.

What I love most about this scene is how minimalist and balanced it is. The tree and the church are neatly placed in the middle, while the road creates that clear separation needed for all the negative space to have its impact.

The negative space is also brilliantly employed: any more and the image would be underwhelming, any less and the composition would feel suffocating. And this isn't the only time Wilk has used a drone and negative space to craft a creative composition.

In August, an image that Wilk shot on a Madeira (Portugal) beach will feature on the cover of German photography publication Fotomagazin. It's a fantastic half-and-half image of black sand and foamy water, with a sunbather perfectly placed in the middle.

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While Wilk doesn't get the honor of a magazine cover for winning the 2026 Above Snow Award from IAPOTY, she did claim $250 (approximately £190 / AU$350) in prize money, as well as a page in the forthcoming book showcasing all 101 finalists from this year's competition.

Wilk's image is the sort of composition whose well-balanced, aesthetically pleasing simplicity comes from years of experience.

Congratulations to Aleksandra, and here’s the photo from Azim Khan Ronnie that took the overall 2026 IAPOTY crown.

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I’m a writer, journalist and photographer who joined Digital Camera World in 2026. I started out in editorial in 2021 and my words have spanned sustainability, careers advice, travel and tourism, and photography – the latter two being my passions.

I first picked up a camera in my early twenties having had an interest in photography from a young age. Since then, I’ve worked on a freelance basis, mostly internationally in the travel and tourism sector. You’ll usually find me out on a hike shooting landscapes and adventure shots in my free time.