"Sun's Up, Nets Out" by Zay Yar Lin Drone maker DJI announced the winners of the 2017 SkyPixel aerial photography competition earlier this month, but already there's a controversy. As it turns out, the winner of the Landscapes category wasn't actually taken with a drone or captured in 2017.
The contest rules required entries to have been taken in 2017 using "any aerial platform," but a recent report from PetaPixel reveals that the winning image in the Landscape category, "Sun's Up, Nets Out" by Zay Yar Lin, was actually taken in 2014 using a Nikon D750 from an elevated bamboo stage. . . probably not what they meant by 'aerial platform. '
In fact, the photograph—which has since been disqualified—was previously submitted to the NatGeo 2015 Traveler Photo Contest as well as the 2016 Sony World Photography Awards, and was a 'top entry' in the Amateur Photographer of the Year 2016 contest. Zay's award bundle for the SkyPixel 2017 contest included a Nikon D850 and DJI Phantom 4 Pro Obsidian drone.
In a statement to PetaPixel, Zay Yar Lin explained that his D750 was attached to a hexacopter on said bamboo stage when this photo was shot, but that he didn't realize the photo had to be taken in 2017. His statement reads:
I regret that I had shot with my DSLR with hexacopter on the bamboo stage to get the best angle. But to be honest, I wasn’t aware of the Photo Contest rules that all photos should have been shot in 2017. I’m a freelance and ethical photographer in the contests. Please look up my profile in any site. I really regret misunderstanding had occurred between us.
Zay didn't mention the attached hexacopter when he spoke with Amateur Photographer about this image in 2016.
. dpreview.com2018-2-28 23:14
