Aerial Photography

Elevated positions from the ground make the main specificity of aerial photography. The camera has no ground-based support; it is usually held by the photographer or mounted on some special structure on a platform or aircraft. Aerial photography can be taken from the plane, from dirigibles, parachutes and balloons. The practice is 150 years old, being first recognized with a French balloonist and photographer, Gaspard Felix Tournachon.

Later on, at the beginning of the 20th century, motion picture cameras started being used on heavier-than-air aircraft for film shooting. Aerial photography played an important role during World War I and World War II, being extensively used for military purposes. At present, aerial photography is part of popular culture, particularly due to the great appeal of inexpensive cameras. Anybody on board of a plane can make photos, not to mention of how eager you will be to capture the moment when you are flying in a balloon or some other light aircraft.

Besides popular culture, aerial photography has numerous applications for archaeology, surveillance, environmental studies, cartography, artistic projects and so much more. GIS software is usually employed for processing aerial pictures in specialized studios. Real estate companies and advertising agencies also make use of aerial photography for marketing purposes. On particular occasions, the human operator of the camera is no longer necessary with model aircraft designed to take photos at low altitudes.

However, every company using commercial model flights whether for aerial photography or for some other reason should require formal FAA certification before receiving permission to fly. This regulation is in use in the United States since 2006, and it applies to all flights regardless of the altitude. One aspect you ought to be aware of is that aerial photography can legally document events and features on private properties for the reason that whatever can be viewed from public space is outside the realm of privacy.

Aerial photography has an enormous impact on cartography: the creation of maps. Thanks to modern technologies, the cameras are now used at vertical angles so that the information can be totally compatible with the mapping systems. Multiple variations in terrain require adjustment and correction, but this depends from one image to another. The operator of the mapping system will correct the images after registering and aligning them with real-world data and coordinates.

Aerial photography is complemented by aerial videos, but the purposes of aerial video projects are usually different.