Aerial Photography

Whether you are a new drone owner or an experienced pilot looking for photographic advice, our 1-2-1 Aerial Photography tuition days could be for you.  

Drones are becoming increasingly popular among photographers, and for good reason.  In the crowded world of landscape photography, aerial images open up an entirely new world of fresh new viewpoints. But a drone is far more than a camera in the air, and flying one requires a level of responsibility, safety awareness and understanding of regulations far greater than a regular camera would require.  

Our 1-2-1 Aerial Photography tuition days are designed to give you an introduction to the world of drones, and cover the essentials that you need to know to prepare yourself for this fantastic hobby.  In order to fly on the 1-2-1 day, you will need to possess your own drone, and it will most likely need to be registered with the CAA*.  If you are considering purchasing a drone but want to see what’s involved before you make the jump, you can still book up a 1-2-1 day.  Unfortunately, CAA regulations prohibit you from flying Chris’s drone, but you can experience flights up close while receiving guidance and advice.  You could even instruct Chris to set up a composition for you, and then take some aerial pictures home for yourself!
We can also send you a shopping list with recommended accessories to purchase to make the most of your drone! We’ve tested ourselves hundreds of drone/camera accessories so not only you will save a lot of time but you will save fair amount of money by purchasing the best product 1st time!

In order to maximise the best opportunities for photography, while ensuring that you have chance to recharge your drone batteries, a 1-2-1 Aerial Photography tuition day will be split over two days**.  We will meet up in the afternoon of the first day at Chris’s office for an introductory briefing to ensure you are aware of the regulations, and safety aspects of flying your drone.  Afterwards we will head out to one or two beautiful locations for the reminder of the day where you can fly your drone and capture photographs with Chris’s guidance and support.  After sunset, you can return to your accommodation, giving you opportunity to recharge the drone batteries before meeting up the next morning for sunrise. 

With fully charged batteries we will head out early to another stunning location so you can fly and capture aerial images hopefully bathed in gorgeous morning light.  After returning again to your accomodation for breakfast, we will end the 1-2-1 session with a flight planning tutorial, where Chris will demonstrate his approach to finding and planning locations to shoot.  Throughout a demo flight planning exercise Chris will provide advice on where you can and cannot fly your drone, relevant apps to download and websites to check, how to evaluate risks, weather considerations, and how to check NOTAM’s (Notice to Airmen).

By the end of the 1-2-1 you will hopefully come away with the confidence, knowledge and skills to plan your own flights, and if the weather is kind, a memory card full of beautiful aerial images.

1-2-1 drone days will take place near Chris’s home in Birmingham.  From here, we can easily access spectacular locations that make incredible aerial subjects, such as castle ruins, hilltop churches and rugged granite outcrops, as well as endless patchwork countryside.  After booking, Chris will discuss location options with you, and once a plan has been agreed can provide suggestions for accommodation.  These courses are designed for use with any drones even though we mainly use DJI drones.

* All drones above 250g in weight to be flown within the UK now need to be registered. Before tuition commences, if required, Chris will telephone you to discuss what you need to do in order to register your drone before the 1-2-1 day.  

** Alternatively half day sessions can be offered for £29* if you’re ligible for community support.  If you would like a half day Drone 1-2-1 please contact Chris to discuss your requirements.

What to Bring

In order to make the most out of a 1-2-1 Aerial Photography Tuition Day, we recommend that as well as your drone you bring at least two fully charged batteries.

Booking: Contact us for more information and discuss availability