Suffice it to say that the field of contemporary photography is a marvel, and one branch that demonstrates that very fact is aerial photography. Aerial photography, also known as airborne imagery, is a method of taking photographs from a high point of view using an aircraft or other flying objects. Alternative platforms for aerial photography are helicopters, drones, blimps, balloons, rockets, and even pigeons. What’s important is that the mounted camera obtains a “bird’s eye view” of things below, yielding complete, detailed, and accurate picture of the surveyed area that wouldn’t be possible on flat ground.
Aerial photography has myriad applications in the modern world. The practice is of great value to fields such as reconnaissance, cartography, urban planning, and even archaeology. To give you some perspective, here’s a brief guide on seven of these key applications.
Battlefield and airspace surveillance
Air reconnaissance was one of the earliest purposes of aerial photography. The Rumpler Taube, a surveillance aircraft deployed during World War I, was regarded as “the world’s first stealth plane” and used airborne imagery to secretly detect movements from the Russian army. To this day, imagery intelligence lives on as a key component of military strategy. What’s more, cameras with mini motors for automated optics control are now utilized in airspace surveillance. These cameras are feted for their precise focus on moving targets, their efficiency of movement, and their ability to withstand extreme environmental conditions.
Maritime patrolling
Airborne cameras of high caliber also contribute to maritime surveillance in great part. Unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, are of great assistance to maritime patrollers. Even as they remain on the ground, patrollers can use airborne cameras to survey the oceans. The act enables them to oversee compliance to environmental regulations, protect ports and fisheries, and identify other risks related to sea-based travel.
Law enforcement
Police departments and other government agencies make use of drones for surveillance, although they are typically governed by strict regulations in doing so. For example, in the State of California, law enforcement agencies must obtain a warrant before using any unmanned aircraft, except in cases of dire emergency. Nevertheless, airborne cameras prove appealing to law enforcement because they can record large amounts of valuable footage, and they can survey crime scenes without police officers needing to insert themselves in overly dangerous situations and environments.
Mapmaking
Aerial photography has, of course, bolstered the field of cartography for many years. At present, the level of detail that mapmakers now have access to has further increased the depth and quality of their topographical surveys. The vertical photographs taken by airborne cameras enable the mapping of areas at a large scale. The photographs also encompass some hard-to-miss details if a surveyor is on the ground, such as small prominences or depressions in the ground. Such details may prove important when taken in a wider context and may prove necessary for the construction of accurate, up-to-date maps.
Urban planning
Those who work in the discipline of urban planning may also turn to aerial photography for their decision-making. Airborne imagery can help urban planners and town developers to assess the impact of new infrastructure, i.e. road upgrades, additions to public housing, the construction of a town center or sports stadium in a chosen area, and the like.
Agriculture
Aerial imagery also contributes positively to large-scale agricultural practices, such as that of resource-intensive farming. High-resolution spectral imagery can be used on large plots of land to survey crop health, water stress problems, and pest and plant disease activities in near real-time. This grants farmers problem-solving capabilities to improve their methods before the planting season ends, thus mitigating the risk of crop failure.
Archaeology
Last but definitely not the least interesting: aerial photography can also be utilized in archaeology. Images obtained from a high altitude can help in locating lost monuments or evidence of activities from civilizations past, even if they are hidden deep under the soil. Airborne cameras might also reveal the true size of an archaeological site, which isn’t perceivable when an excavator is just on foot.
These are just some examples of how aerial photography has improved through the years, consequently shaking things up in many disciplines.
