The apple never sleeps Photography by Jason Hawkes
Fans of New York, take a close look at this — the iconic city by the Hudson, presented in a way rarely ever seen. This is New York after dark, captured from a helicopter by one of the world’s top aerial photographers, Jason Hawkes. Aerial photography isn’t cushy. It is noisy, draughty and often cold in an open helicopter. The photographer is restricted by a harness, while shouting instructions to the pilot over the headset and dealing with the constant movement and vibration. Photography at night brings other issues, like how to keep a camera steady for the long exposures needed for a rich, detailed shot. The solution came in a new invention, a gyroscope stabilised tripod. Hawkes has been honing his skills since 1991, starting off shooting from microlight aircraft. Today, he works the world, clocking up thousands of airborne hours over locations as contrasting as Norway to Morocco, to the Far East. The images presented here are part of a much larger series collected in 15 air hours over 15 weeks — and Hawkes can shoot thousands of shots on a single flight. The best are presented in New York At Night, Hawkes’ second nocturnal aerial photography book, and his 35th aerial photography publication. Launched September 2010, New York At Night (ISBN: 978-1-8589-4529-3) with text by Christopher Gray, follows Hawkes’ equally mesmerising London At Night, published in 2009. So if you are a fan of The Big Apple, there are over 100 more images in the book, available at www.merrellpublishers.com/?9781858945293. For more information on photographer Jason Hawkes, see www.jasonhawkes.com
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"Went flying last night in a Twin Star, with both doors off."
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"By the time we landed I could not even feel my hands, never felt cold like it."
The Empire State Building, New York’s 102-storey landmark, bathed in floodlights that illuminate the top of the building
Built where the old New York Coliseum used to stand, the Time Warner Centre is home to a 1,200-seat theatre for Jazz at Lincoln Centre as well as CNN studios
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The signature terraced crown of the Chrysler Building, a National Historic Landmark since 1976
"I was chatting to my cab driver (Eftakhar) on the way down to the heliport, and asked if he wanted to come along for the ride."
Overlooking Midtown Manhattan, the largest central business district in the world
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"He had never been up in a helicopter before so jumped at the chance."
View of One Worldwide Plaza, part of a three-building commercial and residential complex on New York’s 8th Avenue, above 50th Street subway station
Dusk brings an unexpected glamour to the power station at 800 East 14th St New York
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The Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park rises 366 metres in Midtown Manhattan
"I had plenty of cold weather gear to wear, as did the pilot, but Eftakhar was only wearing a jumper."
As twilight falls, Midtown Manhattan’s grid-like patterns emerge as streetlights come on in a cityscape punctuated by towering giants
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Looking south along Park and Madison Avenues from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Central Park. In the foreground is the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir
The Midtown Manhattan sprawl around MetLife Building. Formerly the Pan Am building, MetLife was the last skyscraper built in New York city that allowed corporate logos on top of the building
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"Quite how he survived the flight I'm not sure. He said he enjoyed it and even gave me a free ride back to my hotel."
Looking down 5th Avenue, towards Central Park
Newark Liberty Airport, with planes docked in the foreground
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