Keeping Up with the Aristocrats

Keeping Up with the Aristocrats – ITV

Shine TV produced Keeping Up with the Aristocrats, a three-part factual entertainment series for ITV. The light-hearted programme follows four of Britain’s prominent aristocratic dynasties. It reveals what happens behind the doors of their historic homes during one summer social season.

Across the series, contributors balance family traditions with the practical challenge of maintaining estates and generating income. For example, Lord Ivar Mountbatten opens a pop-up restaurant, while Princess Olga Romanoff welcomes visitors to Provender House. Meanwhile, Lord and Lady Fitzalan-Howard develop a vineyard at Carlton Towers. The series remains available through ITVX.

Factual Entertainment Cinematography

I worked as Director of Photography and Drone Operator on location with Producer Director Chris Heywood. In particular, my role combined observational coverage with aerial photography. This approach helped establish the scale and character of the locations while supporting the contributor-led stories.

Filming within working homes and live events required a flexible approach. Therefore, camera positions and lighting had to respect each location and respond quickly to developing action. Contributors also needed the space to interact naturally. At the same time, the photography had to retain the polished visual style expected from a primetime ITV series.

This balance between strong composition and responsive coverage is central to my work as a Director of Photography across factual television and documentary production.

Sony FS7 and Drone Filming

I captured the ground-based material using the Sony FS7, a dependable broadcast camera suited to observational filming and controlled sequences. Its built-in ND filters and shoulder-mounted design supported an efficient setup. As a result, the camera could adapt as the production moved between interiors, exterior locations and events.

I also used a DJI Mavic 2 Pro for aerial establishing footage. In turn, these wider views introduced the estates, revealed their surrounding landscapes and gave the programme a strong sense of place. Combining the DOP and drone filming roles also gave the production one coordinated approach to its ground and aerial coverage.

Working with Shine TV

Working with the Shine TV team, I supplied cinematography that could integrate naturally with material filmed across the wider series. Consequently, the project required clear communication, technical consistency and the ability to work efficiently around contributors and changing schedules.

Further examples of my television work can be viewed on my factual showreel. Finally, if you need a DOP, camera operator or drone package for a factual entertainment or documentary production, please contact me to discuss your project.