Ten years of capturing Cornwall from above.
Words by Hannah Tapping | Images by Matthew Burtwell
Aerial Cornwall was launched by Matthew Burtwell in 2014. He had found a passion in taking images around the Cornish coastline from new and different perspectives: “Cornwall means so much to me. I have fond childhood memories of summers spent on the beaches and in the water and of countless coast path walks at the weekends. I started out photographing these areas from the air purely for personal interest.”
The rise in drone popularity alongside the demand for aerial images for commercial use saw Matthew’s hobby quickly evolve into a business and he’s never looked back: “Cornwall’s coastline is highly photogenic; the stunning water clarity, popular beaches, interesting rock formations and lively boat activity all play a part in how it looks from the ground and, of course, the air. Drones provide almost unlimited opportunities to capture familiar landscapes from fresh, new perspectives. Sometimes it takes a while to recognise where photos of even the most renowned locations were taken.”
Matthew takes great pride in what he’s achieved so far: “I’ve built up a huge library of images over the past decade, and there are just a few places I’m yet to photograph. I enjoy capturing existing locations at different times of year and have found, with the improvement of camera quality, it’s interesting to revisit places and refresh some images in a much higher resolution than I’ve been able to achieve before.
“In 2021, I took to the air in a Cessna 152 plane for some photography flights around Cornwall which enabled me to cover many places in a short amount of time – much quicker than travelling to each location by car. Photographing the coastline by leaning out of a plane window with a camera and seeing it with my own eyes was an incredible and unforgettable experience.”
Last year, Aerial Cornwall launched a new website complete with an online shop selling prints, calendars and art posters where you can browse Matthew’s print collection, latest photos and the full range of services he offers.