Basics of Aerial Photograph

Types of aerial photographs.

Geometry of single Aerial Photograph.
Principle of Aerial photograph
 Introduction of aerial photograph
Photograph taken from airbase using high quality camera from
aircraft or balloon with at an altitude 15-20 km.
Spectral resolution of Aerial photo are grater (0.3- 0.9
micrometer).
In India Dakata,AVRO,CANBERA aircraft are used for collecting
aerial photograph.
Almost all modern topographic maps and many other types such
as those depicting geology, natural vegetation, and land use, and for
serving are based on information obtained from aerial photography.
Geographers make use of both maps and aerial photographs as
complementary sources of landscape data and as storage for spatial
data.
 Advantage of Aerial photograph
Permanent Record
It can stop the motion of the Object
3-D View
Synoptic view or Birds eye view
Restricted area and Irascible area
Better Spectral and spatial resolution.

Disadvantage of Aerial photograph

Weather Depended
Need efficient Labour
Unnecessary information
Relief Displacement
Image Parallax
 TYPES OF AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS

The aerial photographs are classified on the basis of the position

of the camera axis, scale, angular extent of coverage and the
film used. The types of the aerial photographs based on the
position of optical axis and the scale are given below :

Type of Aerial photograph based on the

Camera axis
1. Vertical photographs
2. Low Oblique photograph
3. High Oblique photograph
 Vertical photographs
Vertical photo which is taken and keeping the camera axis directly vertical to
the earth surface here ±3º tilting or inclination of the camera axis may be
consider as vertical position and the collected photographs are consider vertical
photo.
 Advantage of Vertical Aerial photograph
No Distortion of this photograph
Area of Different features can be accurately calculated
No relief displacement.

Disadvantage of Vertical Aerial photograph

Small area coverage

Restricted area can not be taken.
Height of the object can not be taken / calculated
due to the absent of relief displacement.
 Oblique photograph
Oblique aerial photograph when the camera axis is tilted grater than 3° from its vertical
position than the collected photo is called oblique aerial photograph. there are oblique
aerial photograph are two types-
A. Low oblique Aerial photograph-
When camera axis is tilted >3° to <30°,but horizontal does
not appear in the photo.
B. High oblique aerial photograph-
When camera axis is tilted >30° to <60°,but horizontal does
not appear in the photo.
High Oblique Aerial photograph
 Advantage of Oblique Aerial photograph
Large area coverage at a time.
Photograph of restricted area can be collected.
Height of the object can be calculated with the help the
relief displacement.
Disadvantage of Oblique Aerial photograph
Distortion of scale in this aerial photograph.
Area of the different features can not be accurately calculated.
The features in the shadow area can not be identify properly.
 Types of Aerial Photographs Based on Scale

Large Scale Photographs:

When the scale of an aerial photograph is 1 : 15,000
and larger, the photography is classified as large-scale
photograph
 Medium Scale Photographs:
The aerial photographs with a scale ranging between 1 : 15,000
and 1 : 30,000 are usually treated as medium scale photographs

 Small Scale Photographs:

The photographs with the scale being smaller

than 1 : 30,000, are referred to as small scale
photographs
 Convergent Aerial photograph
Exposure Station-1 Exposure Station-2

Backward Looking
Forward Looking

Forward Overlay /
End Lap

60%
Overlay

In those photograph the forward looking of one exposer station convergent with the
backward looking of next exposer station.
In convergent photographs there is a overlapping area(60%) which taken as end lap/forward
overlap.
 Side Lap

Flight Line

Side Lap 30%

Overlapping area is also maintain in the photograph collected from different flight
lines knows as side lap/lateral overlap.
 Trimetragon Aerial photograph
Here,3 photographs are
collected at a time from a
single exposer station one
camera is kept directly vertical
to the earth surface and
another two camera are kept
at 60% angle with the vertical
camera. The vertical camera
Flight Line
collect the vertical photograph
and another two cameras
collected the oblique
photographs.
 Aerial photograph Based on the Angular coverage

The angular coverage is a function of focal length and format size. Since the format
size is almost exclusively 9’’ × 9’’the angular coverage depends on the focal length of
the camera only. Standard focal lengths and associated angular coverages are
summarized.
 Aerial Photograph Based on the Emulsion
The sensitivity range of the emulsion is used to classify photography into
Panchromatic black and white :
This is most widely used type of emulsion for photogrammetric
mapping.
Color Colour photography:
It is mainly used for interpretation purposes. Recently, color is
increasingly being used for mapping applications.
Infrared black and white :
Since infrared is less affected by haze it is used in applications
where weather conditions may not be as favorable as for mapping missions
False color :
This is particular useful for interpretation, mainly for analyzing vegetation
and water pollution.
 Geometry of the single aerial photograph

Scale Of Aerial Photograph

Focal Length
Flying Height
Tilt
Nadir looking
Nadir point
Plumb line/Nadir line
Iso Centre
Photo Base
Principal point
Conjugated principle point
Fridutial Marks
Overlap
Side Lap
 Scale of Aerial Photograph
Methods of scale Determination:
By Establishing the relation of photo to
ground:
R:F=Photo distance/Ground Distance
By Establishing the relation of photo to
ground with the help of a map:

R:F of Photo /R:F of Map

=(p/g)/(m/g)
=p/m
By Establishing the relationbetween focal
length of the camera and flying Height:
In a true vertical aerial photograph of flat
terrain the scale of photograph is ratio F/H
F=focal length
H=Flying height
F=Flight Height
d=Datum height
Tilt:
It is the angle between Optical axis of the
camera and the plum line.
It is also the angle between ground plane
and photo plane.
Principal point
Principal point when camera axis of vertical
or oblique aerial photograph connect towards
the photocenter.
Conjugated principle point
Conjugated principle point is points that are
moves towards the flying line.

Conjugated principle point

 Nadir looking
Nadir looking when Camera axis of vertical
or oblique aerial photo were keep vertically or
oblique towards the earth center.
Nadir point
Nadir point when Camera axis of vertical or
oblique aerial photo to cut towards the earth
surface a particular point.

Plumb line/Nadir line

Plumb line/Nadir line when the imagining

line during the Nadir looking condition.
Fridutial Marks
Fridutial Marks is a one types of sign of four
corner of the aerial photo.(=,+,-,<,> etc.)
 Iso Centre
Iso Centre when in oblique aerial photo
plumb point or principle point and camera
axis line connect to the same point.
Iso center is line joining between plumb
point and principle point.

Photo Base

Photo Base is a mean distance between

principle point and plumb point of an aerial
photograph.

5 5cm +10 cm=15 cm

15 cm /2=7.5 cm(photo
base)

5 cm 10 cm
 PHOTO OVERLAP
Endlap:
Endlap, also known as forward overlap, is the common image area on
consecutive photographs along a flight strip. This overlapping portion of
two successive aerial photos, which creates the three-dimensional effect
necessary for mapping, is known as a stereomodel or more commonly as a
“model.”
Normally, Endlap ranges between 55 and 65% of the length of a photo, with a
nominal average of 60% for most mapping projects. Endlap gain, the distance between
the centers of consecutive photographs along a flight path.

Where, gend= distance between exposure stations (feet)

sp= photo scale denominator (feet)
w = width of exposure frame (inches)
When employing a precision aerial mapping camera with a 9 ×9 in. exposure
format and a normal endlap of 60%, the formula is simpler. In this situation, two
of the variables then become constants:
w = 9 in.
Oend = 60%
Then, the expression w*[(100% – o end)/100]
 Sidelap
Sidelap, sometimes called side overlap, encompasses the overlapping areas of
photographs between adjacent flight lines. It is designed so that there are no gaps
in the three-dimensional coverage of a multiline project.
Sidelap gain, the distance between the centers of adjacent flight lines, can be
calculated

where:gside= distance between flight line centers (feet)

Sp= photo scale denominator (feet)
oside= sidelap (percent)
w = width of exposure frame (inches)
When employing a precision aerial mapping camera with a 9×9 in. exposure format
and a normal sidelap of 30%, the formula is simpler. In this situation, two of the
variables then become constants:
w = 9 in.oside= 30%
Then, the expression w*[(100% – oside)/100]
 Principle of Aerial photograph
Aerial photographs are used in topographical mapping and interpretation. These two
different uses have led to the development of photogrammetry and photo/image
interpretation as two independent but related sciences.
Photogrammetry:
It refers to the science and technology of making reliable measurements
from aerial photographs. The principles used in photogrammetry facilitate precise
measurements related to the length, breadth and height from such photographs.
Hence, they are used as the data source for creating and updating topographic maps.

Image Interpretation:
It is an art of identifying images of objects and judging their relative
significance. The principles of image interpretation are applied to obtain qualitative
information from the aerial photographs such as land use/land cover, topographical
forms, soil types, etc. A trained interpreter can thus utilize aerial photographs to
analyze the land-use changes.