Norfolk by night: Drone captures spectacular festive colour

The seafront at Great Yarmouth could "almost pass for Dubai", Mr Damms said

A photographer has taken to the night skies over Norfolk to showcase a pre-Christmas blaze of colour and lights.

Brad Damms took his first evening drone image over Cromer two weeks ago and said he was "amazed to see how different it looked".

The 37-year-old father-of-two from Holt said festive lighting also gave the landscape a "unique glow".

"Someone told me Great Yarmouth from the air could almost pass for Dubai - it's true," he said.

Bright lights, big city: the Forum and market stalls are clearly visible in this image over Norwich

Christmas lights zig zag across the street in Sheringham

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"I took some drone images of the fireworks for the Holt Christmas lights event and saw just how different the town looked from the air," he said.

"The colours were amazing - from the modern street lights which appear blue, to the old street lamps which look orange.

"The Christmas lights throw in reds and yellows and greens."

Holt by night: Brad Damms said the speed of the shot rendered the town centres "deserted and empty"

Sheringham: Old and modern street lighting give the town a unique glow, Mr Damms said

Mr Damms, a property photographer for an estate agent by day, said the conditions must be right to get the perfect shot.

"I can only get these long exposure shots when the weather allows - it can't be too windy," he said.

"The shot is taken so quickly that any movement - like someone walking - doesn't get picked up, so the streets look deserted and empty."

Mr Damms is a certified drone pilot and holds the respective operator ID needed to fly the device.

He uses a drone weighing 249g - one gram below the maximum allowed - and flies it at a permitted height of 120m (394ft).

The Norwich shot was captured just outside the flight zone for the city airport.

Great Yarmouth through the lens of a drone at night

Mr Damms' first night drone image was of Cromer in north Norfolk - with the pier and lifeboat station in view

Mr Damms now plans to keep capturing Norfolk's towns from the air at night, with Wells-next-the-Sea, Blakeney and Wroxham next on his list.

"It's not like seeing something and just lifting the camera to capture it - you don't know until you're in the air what it's going to look like," he said.

"But it's so worth it. And night-time gives it an even better perspective.

"I'm always snapping away at landscapes and wildlife but this is different."