Flying High Above Miami

I won an incredible photography experience with NYonAir to shoot out a chopper high above Miami, a city which is experiencing an urban boom with real estate exploding, an ever expanding art scene and hordes of tourists flocking to its golden sand beaches...what better way then to document this awesome city than from high in the skies! 

Flying in a helicopter without doors allows for completely clear and stunning views; it also means that you can shoot uninterrupted throughout the flight and often almost straight down if you wish.

 What I really like about NYonAir which I will elaborate on in a further post from when I flew with them again in NYC, is that many of their pilots are also photographers. This means they have an understanding of how to maneuver the choppers to the best spots in order so that I could get the best shots. 

I flew at sunset just as the light was fading which presented a challenge as you need to keep a high shutter speed when shooting out a helicopter both due to it's obvious movement (they can travel up to 120mph) and the vibrations caused by the rotars. Therefore, I was constantly compensating during the flight with various ISOs and apertures in order to mean I got the right exposure to capture the lights just as they came on over South Beach, Ocean Drive and the various hotels and condominiums packed along the South Florida coastline. Below are a few of my favourite shots. 

Looking Through The Lens Article with Adam Jacobs

I recently had this very nice article written on me and my photographic journey after being chosen to judge a photography competition in the lead up to the Rugby World Cup to be held in England later this year. Here's the first paragraph: 

"As our journey towards Rugby World Cup continues, we meet an individual who has applied a fearless attitude to life. Instead of standing on the turf and accepting the challenge of the fearsome Haka, packing down in the front row ahead of a scrum engagement or tackling the flying winger as he breaks away to score a seemingly certain try; Adam Jacobs showed his determination to succeed in very different circumstances."

Click on the picture below to read the article in full: 

I'm a winner!

I was fortunate enough to be chosen as the winner of a recent photography contest where the aim was to encapsulate Miami in a single shot from the ground with the winner taking to the the skies to shoot South Beach hanging from a helicopter. The competition was run by the aerial content company NYon Air who have just launched their services there. They produce some amazing aerial content based out of New York providing some stunning cinematography and photography from high in the skies and are expanding across the US. I'll be blogging about this unique prize in time but, below is the winning shot and me in the chopper before take off:  

Fancy a dip?

It's not often you encounter an abandoned swimming pool when urban exploring so this was quite a find...not sure whether I would have fancied taking a swim though? 

Abandoned High Schools

As part of my ongoing "Abandoned Spaces" project, I have began to incorporate more and more abandoned high schools;  they are both visually rich and eery in terms of their aesthetic as well as a poignant remark on the collapsed urban geographies of some of today's post-modern cities. Further, it is a space that everyone can relate to. We all went to school at some point so seeing abandoned lockers, strewn books, disused science rooms and empty assembly halls reminds us that everything is temporary; both our lives and these often grand and sprawling spaces. 

Speaking at Clifford Chance To Launch Photography Competition

I recently spoke at Clifford Chance to launch a photography competition open to all of their employees in anticipation of the Rugby World Cup later this year. The firm are the official legal supplier of the tournament and are therefore actively encouraging all of their staff through various channels to engage in the lead up to the event. Each employee has been provided with a mini rugby ball and asked to use their creativity to go out and take photographs of their ball in interesting and unusual places. 

My job was to launch the competition by inspiring people through my story and portfolio whilst sharing a few tips on how to make better pictures. I will then be judging all entries in the coming months with winners receiving a host of prizes from Rugby World Cup merchandise to Canon cameras and the eventual winning image, receiving tickets to the Rugby World Cup Final at Twickenham. 

New Manfrotto Roller Bag 50

I recently switched my Thinktank RollerBag for a slightly more compact shaped Manfrotto equivalent. Both sturdy and robust with plenty of protective padding for all of my equipment which you can see comfortably fits, this bag may prove to be very useful with all of the shoots and traveling I have coming up in the next few months. 

Judging Clifford Chance Photography Competition for Rugby World Cup

I'm really looking forward to speaking at Clifford Chance, one of the official sponsors of the Rugby World Cup, next week and being chosen to judge their photo competition in the lead up to the tournament being held in the UK later in the year

Making Dreams Come True With Rays of Sunshine

I have been honoured to work closely with a charity Rays of Sunshine which grants wishes to terminally ill children and those with severe disabilities for a number of years. I recently helped on a wish with a charming young man named Lewis who had asked to be accompanied by a professional photographer to learn how to photograph wildlife, specifically his favourie animal giraffes. Despite the slightly cold temperatures, we therefore took him, with the wonderful staff from Keech House Hospice, to Whipsnade Wildlife Park just north of London which is a drive through safari and allows you to get very close to many different animals. 

To start the day and to Lewis' total surprise, we presented him with a DSLR camera. The look of surprise and joy on his face was priceless and it was extremely fulfilling seeing how happy the gift had made him.  I then preceded to show him how to use his new camera, demonstrating the various settings and explaining the fundamentals of digital photography before we set off to photograph some wildlife in the field. 

Of course, we headed straight to the giraffe enclosure (no surprises there!) where the surprises kept on coming. Lewis to his amazement was told that he had adopted one of the giraffes and presented with a certificate. We then spent a lot of time photographing that giraffe to his delight as I continued to help him make better pictures through talking him through framing and compositional techniques. We then continued around the park photographing everything from hippos to rhinos to lions before heading back to the cafe for a much needed warm up and to review the photographs taken and buy Lewis some gifts from the zoo store. 

It is Lewis' dream to one day produce an exhibition of his work. Indeed, who knows one day I could be there as the person who provided him with his first camera and contributed in some way to help his dream come true! 

Creating an Ad for Natwest

I was recently commissioned by Natwest and M&C Saatchi to create an advert to showcase the vibrancy and energy of the Natwest Winter Southbank Festival which runs along the length of the River Thames in London. 

Working closely with some of the creatives of M&C, I created a number of shots (shown below). These were then narrowed down by the agencies to the eventual image that was to be used in the commercial. The designers then added the appropriate copy and the final result is below. It is always rewarding to see your work displayed in print and to a wide audience whilst also being part of a large team to produce a piece of creative work. 

Some of the Original Images for Selection for the Final Advert

The Final Advert