Aerial photography is a type of photography that involves taking pictures from an airplane. This style of imaging has many applications and can be highly beneficial in various fields.
Aerial photography has been around for over a century and continues to be an invaluable tool in landscape studies as well as other fields like archaeology, history, cartography and climate change research. The practice of aerial photography is becoming more and more popular due to its efficiency in capturing images from a unique vantage point at low costs.
Photographing aerial photographs requires a variety of aircraft, such as helicopters and fixed-wing airliners. Helicopters tend to be the most expensive but they offer greater flexibility and access to challenging locations than other types of airliners, making them perfect for many aerial photography tasks.
Helicopters can also be utilized for taking high-angle aerial pictures that would otherwise be difficult to obtain from ground level. To maximize the benefit of a helicopter flight, it’s essential to know how to fly it properly.
Before taking off, always ask your pilot what is safe to do in the air and what not. Additionally, they can assist you with planning the best route and providing the best experience.
Before departing, it is wise to decide which camera type you will use and discuss the details with your pilot. They can advise you on the ideal settings and times of day for taking pictures.
When taking aerial photographs, the type of film used is essential as this will affect how the picture looks. Different film types can be utilized for aerial photography, including color and black-and-white.
Black-and-white films provide a more realistic image than other types of films, due to the absence of colors. Furthermore, this type of film is more durable than others and often utilized for long-term projects.
Additionally, black-and-white aerial photographs tend to capture more detail than color images and cost effectively. This makes them ideal for applications such as building inspections or construction work where it can be invaluable in visualizing how a job will look before it is completed.
CIR (color infrared) film is another option; it looks similar to normal color film but is more sensitive to green, red and near-infrared radiation. This type of film works especially well when flying at high altitudes as it can penetrate haze for sharp images.
Aerial photographs are typically taken from either a fixed wing aircraft or helicopter, although other types of aircraft such as gliders and hot-air balloons can also be utilized. Although these options tend to be more cost effective and easier to coordinate than helicopters, they do come with limitations that make them unsuitable for all applications. Furthermore, their limited ranges and elevation capabilities may limit your ability to capture the images desired.
