Jambo Architect: London At Night

Thought I'd share this with you. We may still be a long way off but in my experience, aerial shots of development sites / completed schemes provide a great marketing tool to add to the 'wow' factor

The City of London, including the Gherkin (or 30 St Mary's Axe) and Tower 42 (formerly known as the NatWest Tower)

Renowned aerial photographer Jason Hawkes has spent the last year capturing the British capital from 1,000 feet above the ground for his new book, "London At Night"

Aerial view of City Hall and the More London development

"All my work is done from a twin engine helicopter flying between 800 to 1500 feet above the ground," said the 42-year-old from London. "The door is opened and I am strapped into a harness and I begin taking my pictures.

Looking west from Canary Wharf over the rest of London at sunset

Aside from the aesthetic qualities of Jason's pictures, the practical applications are quite varied. "Architects and virtual planners value night photographs above day in their visualisation of sky-scrapers at the early design stage," says Jason

The London Eye, which opened to the public in March 2000 and stands 135 metres (nearly 443 ft) high

"I'm looking to do other cities at night, and still hoping to get over to Dubai at some point, as there are so many amazing structures to photograph there," says Jason

The BT Tower, previously known as the Post Office Tower. The rotating restaurant at the top of the tower is due to reopen in time for the 2012 London Olympics

The BT Tower, previously known as the Post Office Tower. The rotating restaurant at the top of the tower is due to reopen in time for the 2012 London Olympics

The glass roof of the Great Court at the British Museum, designed by Foster and Partners