It’s been a while but I thought I’d write down a few thoughts and share some of the aerial video we’ve shot here in the Philippines and a few other locations in Manila.

It’s been just over a year since we purchased our first drone and started experimenting with aerial video and photography in the Philippines. I have to say it’s been an interesting and at times stressful experience. There’s always a small doubt in the back of your mind every time you take off – “Will the drone come back? Will it fly away?!”

I can remember the first flight we took in a field along a road I used to cycle regularly. It was an empty space with few people and a relatively soft surface so we could practice flying without fear of hitting anyone or anything. We did have a very tight limit on how far the drone could fly and we did manage to have a couple of successful flights without any issues.

The most interesting thing about aerial is being able to get a unique perspective of the landscapes in which we are filming. That and being able to have fun flying a remote controlled helicopter!

We’ve finally now put together some of our best footage from aerial shoots in the Philippines, China and Sri Lanka in our first aerial reel.

Aerial video in the Philippines is still in its infancy and like most countries there is some confusion about regulations. We are currently in the process of getting certified by the CAAP the aviation authority of the Philippines and we try to be as responsible as possible when flying.

There are also some good tips found online for drone shots on Vimeo blog page: https://vimeo.com/blog/post/how-to-pull-off-5-essential-drone-shots-and-uplift

Remember, practice makes everything better, just keep flying! On our downtime and on days we can’t go our and fly, we’d usually play with the simulator within the DJI app.

Trash at Freedom Island, Pasay City

Galle, Sri Lanka

A section of the Great Wall, Beijing China