M

OST PEOPLE HAVE fantasised of flying at

one time or another, and perhaps it was the

legend of Icarus written by Diodorus Siculus

between 60 and 30B.C. that captured our

imaginations. But while we all know that

wings made of feathers and wax would

never actually get us off the ground, there are fortunately

many more effective ways of getting a bird’s-eye view of

the world without ever leaving the ground.

It wasn’t long ago that the only way to shoot high-

quality aerial photography was to charter a helicopter, and

this has always been an expensive way to get a camera into

the air. Fast forward to today, and you can purchase a

drone with a high-quality camera that compacts down

small enough to carry in your camera bag alongside your

camera, which is really quite amazing. Drones, or

unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), make it possible for

anyone to shoot stunning aerial stills and video which,

in itself, is a hugely exciting prospect for photographers.

There’s a common misconception that drones are

difficult to fly, but the vast majority of consumer models

use GPS and a multitude of sensors to make flying them

incredibly easy, although care must still be taken.

Even before you think about making your first flight,

you need to select the right drone for you and your budget.

So, enjoy the first monthly instalment of this new series

that gives you a complete guide to choosing a drone, how

to fly safely and legally and special techniques for shooting

the world from an infinitely creative perspective...

AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEO

HAS TAKEN FLIGHT IN RECENT YEARS

THANKS TO THE AFFORDABILITY AND WIDE

AVAILABILITY OF DRONES. IN THIS SERIES,

CAA-APPROVED DRONE PILOT JAMES

ABBOTT WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO

BEGIN SHOOTING YOUR VERY OWN

AWE-INSPIRING AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY