On a hot and humid Tuesday morning in April 2023, at the ringside of a wrestling match in Chittagong, Bangladesh, software engineer Sanchayan Chowdhury was looking for a good vantage point to launch his drone. Currently living in Finland, Chowdhury had traveled to Bangladesh to capture shots of the famed Abdul Jabbar’s Boli Khela — a wrestling tournament that dates as far back as 1909 and is named after the man who started it. Boli Khela means “the game of powerful people.”

The image highlights the dedication, skill and physical prowess of the wrestlers, he says. “I decided to shoot this picture because I wanted to capture the raw energy and passion of the wrestlers as well as the vibrant atmosphere of the event. It’s a way to honor my heritage and share this unique cultural practice with a broader audience.”

His photo is a finalist at this years’ Siena Drone Photo Awards.

Drone photography has really evolved over the years, says Emanuela Ascoli, one of the judges for this year’s contest. And that’s thanks to the advancement in technology. Drones can now fly faster, secure better quality images and as a result of their GPS (global positioning system) can move precisely and maintain stable positions. “This has made it easier for photographers to capture detailed and stunning aerial shots from perspectives that were previously impossible to achieve,” she says.

Overall, judges look for photographs that stand out for their technical skill, creativity, composition and visual impact, Ascoli says. “Above all, I consider the photograph’s emotional and aesthetic impact, including how well it captures a moment — the perfect moment,” adding that “a great picture stops the time and raises awareness of the wonders and worries of our world.”

Here’s a selection of contest nominees, focusing on the Global South countries that Goats & Soda covers. The prize winners will be announced on September 28.

A pack of pelicans

Pelicans gather in the wetland Estero el Soldado in Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico. This wetland hosts numerous migrating birds. The white pelicans stand out against waters darkened by sediment.

Guillermo Soberón

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Guillermo Soberón

Guillemo Soberon chanced upon this scene when he set out to document the beauty of the wetlands called Estero el soldado for the media site Mongabay. “It is a natural protected area that hosts a great biodiversity, over 400 species in 350 hectares of land, and it’s a beautiful space in my hometown, Guaymas, Sonora, México,” he says. As he was shooting wildlife with his camera, he launched his drone to capture shots of the ecosystem from above. He meant to create a “virtual tour” to showcase the beauty and importance of the wetlands and that’s when he spotted a flock of gleaming white pelicans.

“It was such an amazing scene, I couldn’t believe my luck,” he says. While brown pelicans are common in these parts, white pelicans are not easy to find. “I believe that the appreciation of nature is a pathway to its conservation,” Soberon says.

Crossing the Darien Gap

Migrants trekking through the jungle during clandestine journeys through the Darien Gap typically endure five or six days, exposed to all kinds of harsh weather conditions. Over 390,000 individuals have entered Panama through this jungle on their way to the United States.

Luis Acosta/AFP

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Luis Acosta/AFP

A photographer at Agence France Press, Luis Acosta has on several occasions visited Darien Gap, the region that stretches from the Darien Province of Panama in the south to Columbia in the north. In 2023, over 500,000 people moved through the Darien Gap to migrate to the U.S.

In September last year, Acosta deployed a drone to capture the image. I realized that the only way to show the magnitude of the migration through the jungle was with a drone,” he says. “The message I want to send with this image is how people’s desperation to find a better life forces them to make such dangerous journeys, sometimes risking the lives of their loved ones,” he says.

Crowds at the bullfight

More than 42,000 people witness the final minutes of a bullfight in Mexico City’s Plaza México arena.

Roberto Hernandez

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Roberto Hernandez

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Drone shots of crowds create interesting visual patterns, says Roberto Hernández Guerrero, a graphic designer turned photographer.

In February 2024, a court ruling allowed bull fights to finally return to Mexico City after a gap of two years. After the two-year ban, crowds swelled. Over 40,000 people gathered at La Monumental Plaza de Toros Mexico to watch the bulls return to the arena. And he decided to aim for a drone photo.

It took a week of planning and two days of drone flying to get the perfect shot. He rented the roof of the biggest building near the Plaza de Toros and from this vantage point launched his drone.

Guerrero purchased his first drone camera a decade ago. “It started as a hobby,” he says. “I’ve flown a lot of different models, each with better technology and camera than the last. And while I enjoy the result, to be honest, I don’t enjoy flying drones, because it’s stressful,” he says. And that’s because he knows that whatever goes up can come crashing down too. “Some of my best photos involves flying drones over the heads of many people but that thought isn’t relaxing,” he laughs.

The title of this photo, “Last Minute,” refers literally to the last minutes of a bull’s life. “I don’t support bullfights,” Guerrero says. “When the bull died, I almost cried, taking that last shot. But as with many aspects of my life, I respect people who think differently.” The photo, he says reflects both the pain and plight of the bulls in the arena and how they suffer, contrasting it with thousands of people who embrace the tradition.Ad

Where the Banni buffalo roam

The Banni buffalo can tolerate harsh climatic conditions, surviving on scanty patches of grass and shrubs. They are commonly found in the salt marshes of India’s Thar desert.

Raj Mohan

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Raj Mohan

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An engineer who lives in Bengaluru, India, Raj Mohan has a passion for photography and for drones that drew him to a salt marsh within the Thar desert in the western Indian state of Gujarat.

“Drones transform the mundane view of what we see everyday. Everything looks different from above,” Mohan says.

At first, he meant to seek out patterns of white salt streaks on the brown mud. However, his drone shots also caught farmers taking their Banni buffaloes out to graze in the small patches of green left. Banni buffaloes are well-adapted to survive water scarcity, frequent droughts and high temperatures.

“Ultimately, the resilience of these buffaloes serves as a powerful example of how life can adapt and survive under challenging conditions,” he says.

A 6-mile bridge

The river carves out large, tree-like ravines on the mudflat along the Jiashao Bridge that extends into the East China Sea.

Sheng Jiang

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Sheng Jiang

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This drone photo by middle school teacher Sheng Jiang depicts Jia Shao bridge (also called the Jiaxing-Shaoxing Sea Bridge) — stretching across the mouth of the Qiantang River in the Zhejiang Province of China. It’s one of the longest pylon cable sea bridges in the world, extending 6 miles.

“You can see the splendor of Chinese infrastructure,” says Jiang. She was especially fascinated by the branch-like patterns (that look like nerve endings. she says) that the river carves out in the mud flats around the bridge. In order to get the patterns in the picture which can only be seen from the air, she took the shot at midday and at low tide so the shadows of the bridge wouldn’t interfere with the image.

“By combining man-made structures with unique natural landscape along the Qiantang River, I hope to show a China where man and nature co-exist in harmony,” she says.

Snowed-in village

The village of Kargapazari in the Bingol province of Turkey is blanketed with a layer of white snow, resembling an absract painting from this drone perspective.

Hüseyin Karahan

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Hüseyin Karahan

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Hüseyin Karahan served as an officer in the Turkish naval forces for 30 years before retiring in 2018 and indulging in his love for photography. Karahan says, “Famous Turkish photographer Ara Güler, who made me love the art of photography, has a well-known saying: ‘Photos taken at random turn out better, we are happier with people we meet by chance, falling asleep in a corner is the most enjoyable sleep, unplanned activities are more fun.’ In short, everything that happens spontaneously is the most beautiful. These words completely summarize the photo I took,” he says.

On a February morning, Karahan visited the village of Kargapazari in the Bingol province of Turkey. He planned to photograph people leaving a mosque after prayers. However, their exit was delayed and so he raised his drone to the maximum height to see what it would see. At that moment, he says, the landscape looked like an abstract picture — and reminded him of how small we actually were in this big world.

“I love taking photos with a drone, it allows us to see things that the human eye cannot see, perhaps with the eyes of a flying bird,” says Karahan.

City meets mountains

Beijing-based Xu Zhan, who’s 64, has been in love with photography since his middle school years and is a member of the China Photographer’s Association. He started using drones for filming in 2018, captivated by the perspective it could provide to ordinary landscapes.

Visiting Guiyang City in the Guizhou Province of China, he shot this photo of Qianchun Interchange bridge in July 2023. He sought to capture how the urban landscape integrates with surrounding mountainous terrain. With 11 ramps, 8 entrances and exits, and two main lines, the overpass was put into use in 2016 and is spectacular, he says. “I only took a small part of the huge overpass in this picture. The exit of the overpass between the hills draws people’s attention to the bustling city and to the dazzling lights of every household.”

Nighttime photography using a drone can be a challenge, he says, because of poor visibility. His top tip: “Find a good [spot] and take enough photos until you’re satisfied.”

Kamala Thiagarajan is a freelance journalist based in Madurai, South India. She reports on global health, science and development and has been published in The New York Times, The British Medical Journal, the BBC, The Guardian and other outlets. You can find her on X: @Kamal_t.

Sundays have always been a “sacred” day for Eva Longoria.

Growing up in Texas, the Golden Globe-nominated actor would go to Sunday Mass with her family before heading to one of her favorite restaurants, Luby’s, where she’d order a fried fish platter with mashed potatoes, corn, buttery dinner rolls and as much soda as she wanted.

“I would still order that today,” she says. “It was such a Sunday treat.”

In Sunday Funday, L.A. people give us a play-by-play of their ideal Sunday around town. Find ideas and inspiration on where to go, what to eat and how to enjoy life on the weekends.

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After more than a decade, the “Desperate Housewives” star is making her grand return to the small screen in “Land of Women,” which premiered this month on Apple TV+. Longoria plays New York socialite Gala, who’s forced to flee her comfortable life after discovering that her husband is on the run from some dangerous criminals. To hide, Longoria’s character brings her teenage daughter (Victoria Bazúa) and aging mother (Carmen Maura) along with her to Spain’s dreamy wine country. The endearing, bilingual dramedy marks Longoria’s first time acting in Spanish.

“It feels like TV is so gloom and it gives me so much anxiety,” says Longoria, who is also an executive producer on the show. “Every series is about a dystopian future, the world is going to end, an asteroid is coming or everybody is a zombie and I’m just like, ‘Ugh!’ I just want to escape. I want to have blue skies. I want to look at a show and say, ‘I want to go there.’ That’s what this show is.”

Although Longoria typically avoids leaving her house on Sundays — which she calls “dormingos,” meaning “sleepy Sundays” in Spanish — she concocted her ideal day in L.A. for us, which she’d spend with her husband, José “Pepe” Bastón, and 6-year-old son, Santiago, whom she calls “Santi.”

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for length and clarity.

7 a.m.: Cook ‘first’ breakfast for my son

I usually make my son his first breakfast at home because he wakes up and gets hungry. He likes boiled eggs. When I was young, I wouldn’t eat egg yolks. I don’t know where he got this from, but he also doesn’t like egg yolks. Then he’ll have some turkey sausage. I’ll always have some refried beans and fresh flour tortillas [on hand] because I make them for the week. Then we’ll lay in bed and watch a movie.

9 a.m.: A ‘bougie’ second breakfast at the Polo Lounge

On Sundays, we like to take my son to the Polo Lounge because he’s bougie. My son is very bougie. He likes the pancakes there, so Sunday mornings, we like to just wander into the Polo Lounge and get our son some silver dollar pancakes. I like the cappuccinos there. They also have a great avocado toast — that sounds boring. They have really good huevos rancheros as well, which my husband really likes.

10:30 a.m.: Pick up BBQ essentials

After breakfast, we’d stop by Jayde’s Market to pick up the food I’ll be cooking that afternoon. Jayde’s is a local market that has everything I need, including my tequila brand, Casa Del Sol. I can pop in, grab what I need and get back to my Sunday.

11 a.m.: Work out, then hop into the pool

Usually Santi will go into the pool and Pepe and I will go work out, even on a Sunday ’cause Sunday is so lazy, we can work out whenever we want. Our gym is right in front of the pool so we watch him as we work out, then we’ll join him right after.

12:30 p.m.: Sunday BBQ with family and friends

Then I usually start prepping a barbecue at home. I always make Sunday barbecues. Our friends and all of the kids come over and they hang out in the pool. That’s definitely our tradition. We always grill so it’s usually rib-eyes, burgers, hot dogs or sausage links. Then I’ll make a salad — most of the time it’s potato salad — and we’ll make tacos out of all the meat. We’ll grill chicken and rib-eye. We always make tortillas and I always make guacamole. I have my Siete chips, the green ones, which are a must in our house. We usually graze a buffet I set out. Nobody leaves. It goes into night and then I end up cooking dinner as well.

7 p.m.: Dinner at Petit Trois

Once everybody is gone, we’ll put Santi to bed. We do bath time, books and then we usually lay with him until he falls asleep. Then we’ll catch a bite at Petit Trois in the Valley. Ugh, it’s my favorite. I like the chicken liver mousse, the mussels and also a nice glass of wine. Their menu is seasonal so it’s always different. Usually if we get the mussels, we’ll have the white wine, but if we have a steak, we’ll have a nice Bordeaux.

Sometimes it’s a toss-up between Petit Trois and Wally’s in Beverly Hills. [Wally’s has] great lentils, baked brie cheese inside bread topped with truffles, truffle pizza, an amazing bone marrow dish that is to die for and amazing charcuterie and cheese. They also have great cocktails. I like to get a Fogliano, a Negroni with prosecco. Of course, they have a great wine list. At Wally’s, you can have one glass of a really good bottle; you don’t have to buy the bottle.

9 p.m.: Tea and TV before bed

We’ll come back and Pepe and I will both take our magnesium tea. We’ll drink it in bed. He likes to watch things to go to bed, so he’ll put on a series or a movie, and then he’s out within two minutes. Then I’m stuck, addicted to some random series.

This week’s show was recorded at the Mann Center in Philly with host Peter Sagal, judge and scorekeeper Bill Kurtis, Not My Job guest Christian McBride and panelists Dulcé Sloan, Joyelle Nicole Johnson, and Peter Grosz. Click the audio link above to hear the whole show.

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