You might think you know your way around a city, but take a few snaps from 12 000 feet (3,6 km) and those familiar streets take on a rather different appearance.

Photographer Vincent Laforet is quite obviously not afraid of heights, all of the pictures below taken whilst leaning out of a helicopter door over some of the world’s most famous cities. He has used the pictures to put together a book called AIR, a collection of his most awe-inspiring shots taken during the early months of 2015.

He spoke to CNN about the experience of snapping pictures from above:

“When you are in any of these metropolitan areas on a street level, you feel a lot smaller and isolated…You are overwhelmed by the noise and the differences you see on the ground.”

“But when you are above these cities at several thousand feet or several kilometers, somehow they feel much more within grasp. You definitely feel more connected to the city and the people within it. There’s this energy that’s almost palpable.”

Berlin

London

New York

Las Vegas

You can see more photos HERE.

[source:cnn]