As you begin your photographic journey, one of the tips you'll hear often is to change your perspective. For example, instead of just standing there and taking a picture, get down low to the ground or get up high.

I've found that, sometimes, taking these rules to the extreme can open up new worlds for your creativity and ultimately, your portfolio. Next time you're on a trip to a beautiful location, I highly suggest taking a helicopter tour. These tours tend to cost around $80-$300 (which isn't a lot compared to how much we spend on gear) and it will not only give you incredible views of the world below, but will also give you views of places you could never get to otherwise.

Be sure to shop around and research the options wherever you are. Look for tour companies that offer "doors off" tours so you don't have to shoot through a window the entire time. You'll also need a camera strap for each camera and lens hoods will have to stay off. I suggest one camera with a wide angle zoom lens (like a 16-35 or 24-70) and another body with a telephoto lens (like a 70-200). Some companies will allow cell phones but others will require those to have wrist straps as well.

This image was taken from a helicopter about 500 feet above the Puʻu ʻŌʻō’ Crater on the Big Island of Hawaii. If helicopters are synonymous with one thing for photographers, it’s vibration. Therefore, having a fast shutter speed is vital. For this image, I used my Sony a7s and Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 at 1/1250th of a second, f/5.6 and ISO 800. I didn’t realize it at the time, but when I got back to the hotel and processed this image I noticed the break in the clouds/steam and the lava vent looked a bit like a dragon. This quickly became one of my favorite images from the entire trip.