It's hard to get a sense of just how impressive London is sometimes.
With its towering skyscrapers and densely populated streets, the capital is undeniably best admired from above.
Using a drone and a camera hanging from an AS355 helicopter, two intrepid photographers have snapped the capital from a unique perspective.
From the Red Arrows captured mid-flight to the glittering Christmas fair Winter Wonderland and the wild fires in east London over the summer, we’ve selected 25 of the best aerial shots taken this year.
Scroll up to view the gallery of photos.
Jason Hawkes has been capturing the capital from the skies for over 25 years, and his method is not for the faint-hearted.
Flying in a helicopter with the doors removed, Mr Hawkes climbs between 500ft and 2,400ft. Both himself and the camera are harnessed to the helicopter so nothing falls out when it turns on its side to get the perfect shot.
Mr Hawkes told The Standard: “I love shooting stuff at night. Everything looks so cool; it’s like you're in a film, it’s just nuts.
“My favourite jobs are dawn shoots in the summer. I get to the hanger at 4.30am and we often lift by 5.30am to get into town for the very first sunlight. On a clear day with light winds there is nothing like it.”
Meanwhile drone photography specialist Chris Gorman said “often aerial pics can immediately sum up a story”, such as his birds eye view of parched brown grass on Wimbledon Common, soon before the hosepipe ban was introduced in July.
You need various permissions to fly a drone in the capital, especially in central London, such as from the Met Police. Public safety, flight and helicopter paths and privacy determine whether you can operate a drone.
Mr Gorman said: “The shot I took of Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park shows how pulling together all the drone permissions can result in spectacular images.
“You can see the fantastic contrast between the bustling city and that incredible, very chaotic fair.”
