Sussex former musician wins title of Best Drone Photographer

Charlie is a landscape photographer who took the winning image of Lombard Street on a trip to San Francisco, using his drone at 4:30am for sunrise, and the unique perspective of a drone to capture an unseen view of the windy road. This was the first time Charlie had entered the awards.

Charlie said: “I love photographing anywhere across the downs and any of the coastal parts of Sussex - you can't beat watching a sunrise or sunset over the downs. I really like this time of year to explore Sussex, the Autumn colours are beautiful and the nature is out in full force! Stanmer Park and Arundel are particularly beautiful in my opinion, and I might be biased but Lewes is too!”

When asked what this win means to him, Charlie said: “A few people I know entered and I thought why not give it a go myself? It was the first photography competition that I've entered and I really wasn't expecting anything so I was blown away when I found out the result, it feels crazy to receive such a prestigious award! It means a huge amount and has really encouraged me to continue with photography and see as much of the world as I can.”

Charlie’s next aspiration is to win an award from the judge’s vote next year, in either drone or landscape photography. He said that these categories “fascinate” him, and that he would like to continue travelling and capturing memories around the world.

When asked why he moved from music to photography, Charlie said: “This wasn't actually an intentional move! I'd been writing music and gigging for a few years but covid really threw that onto the back burner and sadly I wasn't able to get back into it. I picked up a camera in lockdown and fell in love with capturing moments from around Sussex, and eventually across the world when restrictions were lifted!

“I still play guitar and sometimes do gigs at my local but I'm not writing or releasing any music at the moment, who knows what the future holds though!”