Useful And Essential Facts About Florida Keys Aerial Photography

By Timothy Butler


Within the field of photography, there is a very important one known as aerial photography. Aerial photography is also called airborne imagery. This refers to the process of taking pictures from flying objects like an aircraft or a drone. Among the platforms which are used currently in taking the shots are rockets, kites, UAVs, helicopters, balloons, pigeons and parachutes among others. This is what Florida Keys aerial photography is all about.

The photographs can be taken by someone aboard the different airborne platforms. In case the platform is not able to be boarded by a person, then automated or remotely controlled cameras can be used. Airborne imagery and air to air photographing are two distinct concepts because of the way pictures are taken in the two processes. In air-to-air imagery, pictures of airborne systems such as aircrafts, balloons, rockets amongst others are taken by other airborne platform.

Photos captured from the air can be grouped in different classes depending on various factors. Photos which are captured from an angle are called oblique pictures. Low oblique photographs is a term that refers to oblique photos which are taken from a low attitude relative to the earth surface. Alternatively, the term high or steep oblique pictures is used to refer to photographs which are captured from a high angle.

Vertical photos is another group of photographs. These pictures are taken straight down. Normally, these kinds of photos are taken to be used in photogrammetry and image interpretation. Special huge format cameras are normally used to take photos that are utilized in photogrammetry. Such cameras normally have documented and calibrated geometric settings.

Creation of orthophotos is done using vertical photographs. Orthophotomaps is an alternative name for orthophotos. These are the type of photographs which have been corrected geometrically so that they can function as maps. A better way to look at these photos is to consider them as photo simulation which have been shot from infinite distance, facing straight down. The photos have perspective removed while terrain differences are corrected.

The field of aerial photography is attached to a long history that started in France. Gdpard-Felix Tournachon was the first individual to experiment with taking shots from the air. Tournchon was a balloonist and a photographer. Therefore, the individual chose to capture shots of the earth from the air. Tournachon used cameras which were installed on a balloon and flown above Paris.

Taking aerial photographs as an idea proceeded to become popular when World War I started. Britons as well as the Germans used planes belonging to perform surveillance of troops of their enemies. The photos captured then were only in black and white. This made them low quality. Additionally, because they used cameras that did not have enough power, there was a limit in the altitude at which the pictures could be taken.

These days, airborne imagery is an advanced field. It is used in many industries, which include the military, aeronautical, research, movie making, recreation, and music production among others. The equipment used nowadays are safer and more advanced as well.




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