Aerial RGB photographs of Arctic Ocean sea ice surface were taken during MOSAiC (Leg 5) in August-September 2020. Photographs were collected with a DJI Mavic 2 Pro drone along with Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-based albedo measurements. The main purpose of the dataset was to provide information about the sea ice surface conditions to help the interpretation of co-located UAV spectral and broadband albedo observations. Photographs were typically recorded at 30-50 m altitude following a manual serpentine flight pattern with high image overlap. On some occasions, low-altitude (2-4 m) photographs or photographs without albedo flights were collected if freezing conditions or other difficulties prevented original flights. The dataset includes all collected photographs regardless of data quality. Ascending numbers for different flights have been added (FL1, FL2..). Two modes for camera orientation, either directly down (nadir) or slightly frontward (off-nadir) were used during flights. The relative location (Place) of the flight over the ice camp or during transit is provided. The dataset provides valuable information of the sea ice surface conditions that can support and help the interpretation of other measurements collected during the expedition.