25 Aerial Images Of London To Make You Fall Utterly In Love With This City All Over

Will Noble
By Will Noble Last edited 35 months ago

Last Updated 24 January 2022

25 Aerial Images Of London To Make You Fall Utterly In Love With This City All Over
2,400 feet over the Thames at dawn.

At Londonist, we're always excited to get an email from Jason Hawkes, because it means we're about to see some extraordinary photos of our city.

The controversial Sky Pool at Embassy Gardens, Nine Elms.

While we tend to go around snapping things at ground level on a camera phone, Hawkes prefers to take his photos from an AS355 helicopter.

From heights of 750-feet to 2,450-feet.

While hanging out of the door.

Gulp.

Londoners enjoying the sunshine in Granary Square, King's Cross.

We're grateful he's got the guts to, as well — otherwise we wouldn't have remarkable aerial photos like these.

View over Pan Pacific London and the Sales Force Tower. The building shaped like a can of ham is 70 St Mary Axe.

Hawkes has selected some of his favourite aerial views from his latest London session — taken between spring and autumn 2021.

Knightsbridge, Brompton Road, Sloane Street, Lowndes Square Gardens, Belgravia.

As always, they're a heady concoction of instantly-recognisable iconic landmarks, and one or two shots that'll have you squinting then cocking your head to one side, before going "Ah, THAT'S where that is!"

Lord's cricket ground.

The (in)famous Sky Pool at Embassy Gardens also gets the Jason Hawkes treatment for the first time.

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Accompanying Hawkes shots is this video footage taken from his flights over London during 2021 — complete with stirring soundtrack.

The Union Flag flutters over the Victoria Tower at the Houses of Parliament.

You can see more of Hawkes' work — including aerial shots of New York, Morocco and Hong Kong — on his website.

Looking west up the Thames at sunset.
Sunset over the London Eye, Waterloo and South Bank.
Broadgate Circus and 100 Liverpool Street.
Canary Wharf looks westward to central London.
A misty dawn looking east over Canary Wharf.
A somewhat apocalyptic-looking dawn over the City of London.
2,500-feet over the City.
The London Eye casts a long shadow over a murky Thames.
The BT Tower standing proud.
Working on the side of The Shard. Don't look down.
Tough one this — it's actually Battersea Power Station.
Oxford Circus almost looks serene from up here.
You won't quite get this view of Hyde Park from the Mound.
The almost sculpted-looking curvature of the Thames, as Greenwich faces off with the Isle of Dogs.
Looking over Principal Tower, Principal Place and the City.
Night at the (British) Museum.
Piccadilly Circus looking rather magical.

All images © Jason Hawkes