Aerial photography platform SkyPixel received 27,000 entries to its 2016 competition. Here are the winning shots plus some of our favourites. Here: Dam near perfect. Second prize in the same category was of the Huia Dam in Auckland, New Zealand. Hong Kong-based SkyPixel was launched in 2014. (Photo by Brendon Dixon/SkyPixel)

Students of JSS Dutse Alhaji participate in a cultural dance performance during celebrations to commemorate Nigeria's 55th Independence Day in Abuja, Nigeria, October 1, 2015. (Photo by Afolabi Sotunde/Reuters)

A woman adjusts the Mantle of the Order of the British Empire at an exhibition at Buckingham Palace in London, Thursday, July 21, 2016. In celebration of Her Majesty's 90th birthday this year, visitors to the Summer Opening of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace will enjoy an unprecedented display of The Queen's outfits, from childhood to the present day, in the special exhibition Fashioning a Reign: 90 Years of Style from The Queen's Wardrobe. (Photo by Frank Augstein/AP Photo)

Each year Nikon Small World recognizes the excellence of photography taken under the microscope. The contest showcases the beauty and complexity of life. Anyone interested in microscopy and photography can enter the contest and in its 42nd year, Nikon Small World received 2,000 entries from 70 countries. Here: 11th Place; Scales of a butterfly wing underside (Vanessa atalanta). (Photo by Francis Sneyers/Nikon's Small World 2016)

Yuccas catch fire as the Powerhouse fire makes a fast run toward Lake Hughes, south of Lake Hughes, California, on June 1, 2013. The 19,500-acre wildfire destroyed numerous homes overnight. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

“This grey adult male seal enjoys a good grin while lying on the beach”. (Photo by Michael Hutch/SplashdownDirect via Rex USA)

A group of policemen and passers-by survey the wreckage of a taxi in Stoke Newington, London. Its front wheel lies on the pavement next to a sign bearing the ironic instruction “All Cars Stop Here”. 14th February 1930. (Photo by Fox Photos). P.S. All pictures are presented in high resolution.

“Hello! My name is Kindra, and photography, over the last six months has become a happily all-consuming activity for me. Through my photos and creation of them, I escape into another world entirely, and then share that world with others. It brings me unending amounts of joy, and I never plan to stop!”. – Kindra Nikole

Photo: “Where the Summer Grass Leads”. (Photo by Kindra Nikole)