Renowned aerial photographer Jason Hawkes took advantage of recent crisp autumn weather and clear blue skies over London. Hanging out of a helicopter, he photographed the capital getting ready for winter. His photos show autumn colours in Kensington Gardens, the Winter Wonderland theme park in Hyde Park and skaters on the ice at Somerset House.
His aerial photographs reveal the rapidly changing face of the capital, offering a close-up look at the US embassy building in Nine Elms and the enormous redevelopment of Battersea Power Station, where the iconic chimneys are slowly being chewed down to stumps (all four chimneys will be rebuilt). He captures the cluster of skyscrapers in the City of London, giving a bird's eye view of relatively new additions to the skyline, such as the Cheesegrater and the Walkie Talkie, as well as the Shard, Western Europe's tallest building.
Night aerial view into building works at Battersea Power StationJason Hawkes / www.jasonhawkes.comDevelopment at Battersea and Nine ElmsJason Hawkes / www.jasonhawkes.comThe new US embassy building, under construction at Nine Elms, near VauxhallJason Hawkes/www.jasonhawkes.comSt George Wharf Tower in Vauxhall, with Pimlico and Battersea in the backgroundJason Hawkes / www.jasonhawkes.comThe new City Island development at Leamouth PeninsulaJason Hawkes / www.jasonhawkes.comRoof gardens on Carmelite Riverside, a new office building on Victoria Embankment near BlackfriarsJason Hawkes / www.jasonhawkes.comCluster of skyscrapers in the City of London, with the Shard behindJason Hawkes / www.jasonhawkes.comCheesegrater and Gherkin (or the Leadenhall Building and 30 St Mary Axe, to give them their proper names)Jason Hawkes / www.jasonhawkes.comLooking down onto St Paul's Cathedral and Paternoster SquareJason Hawkes / www.jasonhawkes.comThe Emirates stadium on the right, with Arsenal'ss old Highbury stadium – now apartments – on the leftJason Hawkes / www.jasonhawkes.com
Hawkes is one of the world's most prolific and sought-after aerial photographers. He has been hovering over cities with a camera since 1991 – initially using microlight aircraft and then graduating to helicopters. He was the official photographer on the BBC's huge Britain From Above project. He has published more than 40 books, including New York At Night and London At Night. His first book, London From The Air, came out when he was just 23 and has gone on to sell more than 160,000 copies.
He says he loves shooting just after dusk, when the city lights come on and there is a tiny bit of colour left in the sky. New advances in digital camera technology allow him to capture the city at night. "It's a fantastic city – the sprawl when looking from above is incredible," he says.
The River Thames snaking through Rotherhithe, Limehouse, Wapping and Shad ThamesJason Hawkes / www.jasonhawkes.comSt Paul's Cathedral and Blackfriars with Tate Modern across the Millennium BridgeJason Hawkes / www.jasonhawkes.comThe Shard, with St George Wharf Tower in Vauxhall in the backgroundJason Hawkes / www.jasonhawkes.comCanary Wharf: The Citigroup Centre (or 25 Canada Square, home to IBTimes UK offices) along with the HSBC building and One Canada Square, which was Britain's tallest building until the completion of the ShardJason Hawkes / www.jasonhawkes.comCity Airport with Thames Flood Barrier on the leftJason Hawkes / www.jasonhawkes.comWest Ham United's new stadium, the former Olympic Stadium, Queen Elizabeth Park, east LondonJason Hawkes / www.jasonhawkes.comThe O2 at night, with Canary Wharf in the backgroundJason Hawkes / www.jasonhawkes.comThe City of London at nightJason Hawkes / www.jasonhawkes.comA close-up look at the Shard at night, with the City of London in the backgroundJason Hawkes / www.jasonhawkes.com
For more aerial photos, visit www.jasonhawkes.com and follow Jason on Twitter at @jasonhawkesphot for the latest info and behind-the-scenes pictures.