Saturday 21 December 2013

Spectacular aerial photographs show a bird's eye view of London from 2,400ft

Ever wondered what London looks like from 2,400ft? Spectacular aerial photographs show a bird's eye view of the city

PUBLISHED: 15:15, 21 December 2013 | UPDATED: 16:52, 21 December 2013

Clustered around the winding Thames, London's mosaic collection of luscious green parks and staggering sky scrapers is the epitome of dynamism.
And these pictures, shot from 2,400ft above the capital, capture the city's ever-changing landscape.
Aerial photographer Jason Hawkes started the project as a way to chart the numerous development plans in recent years, including the crossrail and Leadenhall Building, nicknamed the Cheesegrater.
The minuscule dots of Londoners scattered across each image put the architecture in its dramatic context.
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Boom town: London at dusk taken only a few weeks ago show how construction work has continued despite the economic downturn
Boom town: London at dusk taken only a few weeks ago show how construction work has continued despite the economic downturn
Grandeur: This low level shot of Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square captures the mesmerising gold and blue fountains against the stoic grey 19th century square
Grandeur: This low level shot of Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square captures the mesmerising gold and blue fountains against the stoic grey 19th century square
Heart of London: From the ground, Oxford Circus may seem like a crowded maze, but from up high it looks clear, and open-structured
Heart of London: From the ground, Oxford Circus may seem like a crowded maze, but from up high it looks clear, and open-structured
Festive season: In the run up to Christmas, Somerset House bathed the ice rink in glittering pink lights as Londoners whizzed around the white-brick square
Festive season: In the run up to Christmas, Somerset House bathed the ice rink in glittering pink lights as Londoners whizzed around the white-brick square
Green lung: Hyde Park's geometric plots of grass slotted between paths looks like a piece of art, made dramatic by the little specks of people seen across the image
Green lung: Hyde Park's geometric plots of grass slotted between paths looks like a piece of art, made dramatic by the little specks of people seen across the image
Night-time: London is famed for its mixture of luscious greenery and a heavily structured cityscape, accentuated here with a nighttime shot of the blackened trees
Night-time: London is famed for its mixture of luscious greenery and a heavily structured cityscape, accentuated here with a nighttime shot of the blackened trees
Piccadilly Circus looks like an illusion as an aerial shot captures the peculiar winding streets that people and red buses cavort through in one of the city's busiest junctions
Piccadilly Circus looks like an illusion as an aerial shot captures the peculiar winding streets that people and red buses cavort through in one of the city's busiest junctions
Despite all the new developments, the Shard still stands the tallest at 310 metres. Close up to its summit, Hawkes can capture the intricacy of the building's spire
Despite all the new developments, the Shard still stands the tallest at 310 metres. Close up to its summit, Hawkes can capture the intricacy of the building's spire
Mesmerising: Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament glowing amongst orange street lamps look seasonal against a sombre dark grey backdrop of the Thames
Mesmerising: Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament glowing amongst orange street lamps look seasonal against a sombre dark grey backdrop of the Thames
Time capsule: The iconic Tower Bridge straddled across the winding Thames river is shrouded by small patches of green and clusters of cutting-edge sky scrapers
Time capsule: The iconic Tower Bridge straddled across the winding Thames river is shrouded by small patches of green and clusters of cutting-edge sky scrapers
Booming: This image of the business heart of the capital, one of London's most expensive districts, shows a maze of glass towers Booming: This image of the business heart of the capital, one of London's most expensive districts, shows a maze of glass towers
Further out: In the less built-up suburbs of north west London, Wembley Stadium stands out as a dramatic landmark
Further out: In the less built-up suburbs of north west London, Wembley Stadium stands out as a dramatic landmark
Baking summer: And where there are epic spaces in the capital, Londoners cram themselves in. Here, hundreds gather for the Wireless festival in Hyde Park
Baking summer: And where there are epic spaces in the capital, Londoners cram themselves in. Here, hundreds gather for the Wireless festival in Hyde Park
The Cutty Sark, a British clipper ship which stands in Greenwich, built on the Clyde in 1869 for the Jock Willis shipping line. It is also where the recent Les Miserables film staged the Bastille scenes
The Cutty Sark, a British clipper ship which stands in Greenwich, built on the Clyde in 1869 for the Jock Willis shipping line. It is also where the recent Les Miserables film staged the Bastille scenes
Christmas lights: Taken in the early hours of the morning, Jason Hawkes manages to shoot the Christmas lights on Regents Street when it is unusually free of crowds
Christmas lights: Taken in the early hours of the morning, Jason Hawkes manages to shoot the Christmas lights on Regents Street when it is unusually free of crowds
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park was built in London's neglected eastern suburbs where the far-flung greenery makes the city centre look minuscule
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park was built in London's neglected eastern suburbs where the far-flung greenery makes the city centre look minuscule
Mediascape: The newly developed BBC Broadcasting House in central London is yet another example of the city's unique winding shapes of grand, old buildings
Mediascape: The newly developed BBC Broadcasting House in central London is yet another example of the city's unique winding shapes of grand, old buildings
Crystalised: Hawkes soared low over Lodnon Bridge in his helicopter to get the best shot of the glass structure glistening against the nighttime lights
Crystalised: Hawkes soared low over Lodnon Bridge in his helicopter to get the best shot of the glass structure glistening against the nighttime lights
The aerial photographer started photographing London from above to chart the numerous development projects over the past few years
The aerial photographer started photographing London from above to chart the numerous development projects over the past few years
Change: This is a unique glimpse into the Crossrail development in Victoria which the general public can't see from the ground. The billion-pound project is forecast to finish in 2015
Change: This is a unique glimpse into the Crossrail development in Victoria which the general public can't see from the ground. The billion-pound project is forecast to finish in 2015
The tunnel: This structure which looks like a giant train carriage is a different take on St Pancras, where Londoners catch the Eurostar to Paris or Brussels
The tunnel: This structure which looks like a giant train carriage is a different take on St Pancras, where Londoners catch the Eurostar to Paris or Brussels


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2527468/Ever-wondered-London-looks-like-2-400ft-Spectacular-aerial-shots-capital-peppered-skyscrapers.html#ixzz2o8JPa9AV
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