Workshops · Western Australia
Aerial photography workshops in Western Australia
Aerial photography workshops for small groups, led by Scott Jon McCook, a fine art aerial photographer based in Perth. You fly by helicopter, light aircraft and drone over the Wheatbelt salt lakes, Shark Bay, the Goldfields and the Kimberley coast, with as much help in the air and at the editing table as you’d like. Whether you’re here to learn my approach or to focus on your own work, the locations, timing and logistics are taken care of.
- Based in
- Perth, Western Australia
- Aircraft
- Helicopter, Cessna 206 and drones, doors off
- Group size
- Groups of 3 to 6, or private trips for 1 to 3
- Trip length
- 4 to 7 days
- Price
- From AUD $7,000 + GST
(about USD $4,890) - Season
- March to September
- Meals
- Not included, own room on every trip
- Booking
- Send an enquiry, reply within 24 hours
2027 workshops
Where we fly in WA
Each trip is built around one region and timed for its best light, tides and conditions.
Wheatbelt Salt Lakes
Hundreds of salt lakes scattered across the Wheatbelt turn pink, orange, green and turquoise from the air. Scott has spent years finding the most colourful ones, and this is the trip where he takes you to them.
AUD $7,000 + GST (about USD $4,890) · Starts in Perth
Shark Bay
World Heritage coastline from a light aircraft with the door off: seagrass banks, tidal channels, red cliffs and the curious shapes Shark Bay is known for.
AUD $9,500 + GST (about USD $6,630) · Starts at Monkey Mia
Kalgoorlie, Lake Lefroy & Wheatbelt
Gold mine tailings, the vast salt pan of Lake Lefroy and the eastern Wheatbelt, where industry and landscape meet in unexpected colour.
AUD $9,500 + GST (about USD $6,630) · Starts in Perth or Kalgoorlie
Broome & Derby
The Kimberley coast at its most graphic: pindan cliffs, mangroves, tidal rivers and some of the biggest tides in the country, shot by helicopter and drone.
AUD $11,900 + GST (about USD $8,310) · Starts in Broome
Bungle Bungles, Wyndham & Kununurra
Ground and aerial photography in the East Kimberley, from the striped domes of Purnululu to the river country around Wyndham.
AUD $9,900 + GST (about USD $6,910) · Starts in Kununurra
Private trips
Your dates, your pace and the places you most want to shoot, in Western Australia, New Zealand or the USA. Built entirely around you, for one to three guests.
Tailored quote
On the road
What a few days with Scott is like
Scott has spent more than a decade flying over Western Australia, and his workshops are built on that local knowledge: knowing which lakes are holding colour, when the tide uncovers the best patterns, and which pilots will fly exactly where you need to be.
He is an IPA Fine Art Landscape Photographer of the Year and twice a winner at the Fine Art Photography Awards, but on the road the focus is simple: getting you to the right place at the right time.
- Small groups, with two photographers per aircraft on most flights so everyone has a window.
- Flights timed around the light and the tides, so the plan can change from morning to afternoon at short notice.
- Guidance when you want it, freedom when you don’t: help with settings and composition in the air, image reviews and editing in the evening, or simply the space to focus on your own work. No classroom days.
- Remote and rarely photographed places, with comfortable hotels in town and your own room on every trip.
- Drones available to hire on drone trips if you would rather not bring your own.
Beyond WA
New Zealand and Utah
Scott also runs a helicopter, drone and ground workshop on New Zealand’s South Island each May, and a drone workshop in Utah’s badlands each April, led together with Kane Engelbert. See all 2027 workshops
Good to know
Common questions
When is the best time for aerial photography in Western Australia?
Scott’s WA workshops run from March to September. The Wheatbelt trips run in winter, when the salt lakes hold water and colour, and the Kimberley trips run in the dry season, when flying conditions are at their most settled. Private trips run from March to November.
How much does an aerial photography workshop in WA cost?
Group workshops range from AUD $7,000 + GST (about USD $4,890) for four days in the Wheatbelt to AUD $11,900 + GST (about USD $8,310) for five days in Broome and Derby. Exactly what’s included is listed on each trip’s page. Meals aren’t included, and everyone has their own room.
What aircraft do the workshops use?
Depending on the trip, a helicopter with the doors off, a Cessna 206 light aircraft, drones, or a mix of all three. Each workshop page lists exactly what you’ll fly in.
Do I need aerial or drone experience?
Not at all. As long as you know your way around your camera, Scott will guide you through the rest. Shooting from the air feels a little unusual at first, but most people are comfortable by the end of the first flight. For drone trips, you’ll want to be comfortable taking off and landing from uneven ground.
How big are the groups?
Group workshops take 3 to 6 photographers, depending on the trip, with two photographers per aircraft on most flights. Private trips are for 1 to 3 guests.
Where do the workshops start?
The Wheatbelt trips start in Perth, Kalgoorlie and Lake Lefroy starts in Perth or Kalgoorlie, Shark Bay starts at Monkey Mia, Broome and Derby starts in Broome, and the Bungle Bungles trip starts in Kununurra. Arriving the day before is recommended.
I’m a professional photographer. Is this for me?
Yes. Many guests are working photographers who want reliable access to the best aerial locations in WA, in the right light. I look after the aircraft, pilots, timing and remote logistics, and you focus on your own work. Guidance is there if you want it, never forced on you.
Can I book a private trip instead?
Yes. Scott runs private trips for one to three guests, from a couple of days to more than two weeks, built around your dates and the places you most want to photograph.
How do I book?
Send an enquiry from the workshop page. Scott normally replies within 24 hours with the booking details, payment information and terms, and your place is confirmed once your deposit is paid.
Ready to fly?
Find your trip
Groups are small and the popular trips fill early. If the dates don’t quite work, a private trip might be the answer.