Is it a bird? Is it a plane?

Glenn Whorrall gets a whole new take on dark night photography by using a drone to light up the sky

Located in the Irish Sea between England and Ireland, the Isle of Man is home to some of the best dark skies in the British Isles. Photographer Glenn Whorrall uses long-exposure night-time photography to picture the trails drawn by drones equipped with extra lights.

“I have been flying drones for eight years and was one of the first photographers on the Isle of Man to get ‘permission for aerial work’ status,” says Glenn. “Having shot astro timelapse films before, I was looking for something different. Drone light painting astrophotography uses long-exposure night-time photography with extra lights attached to drones to paint light trails in the sky and illuminate scenes from above. The results can be pretty stunning. “Due to its low light pollution, the Isle of Man is home to 26 Registered Dark Sky Discovery Sites and I’m lucky I have these on my doorstep. The Isle of Man has its own Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) and I was able to apply to them for permission to fly at night time.”

In the UK users of most types of drone must pass a theory test and register for an operator ID with the Civil Aviation Authority. You must check with the CAA that your proposed night flying operations are legal, and always get permission from the landowner where you are flying from. For more information, see www.caa.co.uk