A filmmaker has created his very own love letter to the Lake District, with stunning aerial footage of Cumbria.

Michael Lazenby's cinematic tribute to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, aptly titled The Lake District, has been viewed almost 450,000 times on Facebook, with nearly 3,000 more watchers on YouTube.

A spontaneous trip to the national park in 2014 was where it all started.

The 23-year-old from Stockton-On-Tees began to visit the area as much as he could and quickly fell in love with the Lake District and mountaineering.

"The views left me in awe," said Michael, who also has a passion for filmmaking.

He said: "I've wanted to make this film for over two years, it was really the place that made me want to become a storyteller, so I felt I owed it to myself to make a love letter to the place that started my love for adventure, storytelling, and photography."

Since he made the film Michael has had two job offers and a number of personal messages.

"The response has been nothing short of insane. I've never had a film take off like this has," he said.

"It has been a truly humbling experience to read everyone's reactions and engage with them.

"I never expected this reaction, and I don't take it for granted. It's made me believe in myself a lot more and this crazy dream I have.

"I never thought I'd get any more than 5,000 views."

With a love of film from a young age, Michael is thrilled to be able to do something he's passionate about.

He waited until the time was right because he knew it had to be something special.

The film is made exclusively using drone cinematography and was a decision Michael made early on and he started shooting two weeks after getting his first drone.

The six-month production, which he completed in November, features locations with a personal attachment and fond memories.

Michael said there are endless stories to be told in the Lake District and he hopes to do a follow up at some point in the future.

He said: "I was very, very fortunate to see some amazing sights on my shoots, like the low clouds over Derwentwater on a crisp autumn sunrise, or the deep blue summer sunset at Ullswater.

"They've been some of my favorite shoots, and experiences I'll cherish for a lifetime.

"I was also fortunate to meet many amazing people during this project."

A week after he released this film, Michael started a new job at Ithica Films, a Middlesbrough-based film production company.

He's also started to write the script for another personal film.