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Aerial Photography

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Encyclopedia of Engineering Geology

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series ((EESS))

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Definition

An image of the ground produced on light-sensitive media (including digital sensors or a film of light-sensitive emulsion) that has been taken from an elevated position, unsupported by a ground-based structure. Aerial photographs may be vertical (<3° from the camera to the focal point of the image) or oblique.

Synonyms

Air photographs; Airborne imagery; Orthophotos

Early Years

Aerial Photography made its debut late in the nineteenth century. While French balloons had been used for military observations as early as 1794, the secret of capturing and holding or “fixing” images on film would not be invented for another 40 years. The first camera was invented in 1845 by Francis Ronalds who also invented the electric telegraph and was arguably the world’s first electrical engineer.

By 1855, French balloonist and photographer Gaspar Felix Tournachon, also known as “Nadar,” patented the idea of using photographs to survey and map from the air. Three years later, he successfully...

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Correspondence to Richard Guthrie .

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Guthrie, R. (2018). Aerial Photography. In: Bobrowsky, P., Marker, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Engineering Geology. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-12127-7_7-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-12127-7_7-2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-12127-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-12127-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Earth and Environm. ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Aerial Photography
    Published:
    24 March 2018

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-12127-7_7-2

  2. Original

    Aerial Photography
    Published:
    11 November 2017

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-12127-7_7-1