Meet the photographer taking breathtaking aerial drone portraits

Photographer Dimitar Karanikolov has put the drone to the test, travelling the globe and capturing his subjects from the air in some of the world’s most beautiful natural settings. He talks to Dean Murray

Faraclo beach on Lemnos, Greece (Dimitar Karanikolov/SWNS)

An aerial photography fan has created stunning images from around the world.

Dimitar Karanikolov’s work features what he calls “drone portraits” that capture figures in the centre of the frame.

The Sofia-based architect says he has spent recent years travelling on specialised photo expeditions worldwide on which he tries to “capture authentic environments, portraits and unusual perspectives” with his drone.

Dimitar, 46, explains: “I love symmetry and placing the subject in the middle. There is a cinematic feel to it – it kind of looks like a movie poster.

“I like to shoot ‘drone portraits’ - a tiny figure placed somewhere among a vast landscape could give you a sense of scale and would make a photo much more exciting.”

Dimitar uses a range of drones, including the DJI Phantom 4 and DJI Mavic Pro.

Hierve el Agua, a natural rock formation in Oaxaca, Mexico (Dimitar Karanikolov/SWNS)

Morenite stone river in Vitosha Nature Park, Bulgaria, is one of the few known stone rivers in the world (Dimitar Karanikolov/SWNS)

Komodo islands, Indonesia, has one of the world’s seven pink beaches. A microorganism called Foraminifera leaves red pigment on the coral reefs (Dimitar Karanikolov/SWNS)

A pool in an abandoned seaside resort in Crete, Greece (Dimitar Karanikolov/SWNS)

The Big Daddy dune in Sossusvlei National Park, Namibia, is among the tallest in the world (Dimitar Karanikolov/SWNS)

A hotel pool in Kizimkazi, Zanzibar (Dimitar Karanikolov/SWNS)

Volcanic rocks at Faraclo beach (Dimitar Karanikolov/SWNS)

A salt lake in Lemnos, Greece (Dimitar Karanikolov/SWNS)

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