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Aerial Photography for Civil Engineering Projects

As civil engineers develop and sustain a variety of infrastructures, they work with large amounts of detailed data gathered from various sources.  Civil engineering encompasses a wide range of expertise and areas of interest, and data from different areas all needs to be managed and analyzed effectively.

Aerial photography provides a means of capturing important data required for civil engineering projects.  Aerial photographs have a unique, comprehensive perspective that is difficult to obtain by any other means.  They also provide a quick and accurate method of providing vital information to assess the feasibility of a potential project or the progress of an existing project, whether it is a power plant, bridge, airstrip, large construction facility or any civil engineering undertaking.

Oblique aerial photos provide documentation for site selection and evaluation, as well as resource mapping, geological information and a visual identification of various conditions that may affect a civil engineering project.

Civil engineering projects require thorough, expert planning and continued monitoring in order to stand the test of time. Quality aerial photography provides an effective tool in the planning, building and ongoing inspections of civil engineering projects.  They can provide detail that may not be available from other types of inspections, and may help pinpoint potential problem areas as time and the elements take their toll on construction.

Desert View Aerial Photography of Phoenix, Arizona works with civil engineers to obtain a thorough understanding of the detail and documentation required, and provides accurate digital aerial photography quickly and economically.

The Benefits of Oblique Aerial Photography

Aerial Photography has a variety of applications in today’s world.  Aerial photos are a valuable tool in land development feasibility analysis, site analysis and project planning.  They provide clear and thorough documentation for construction progress and defect reports, and can be very helpful for construction bonding and insurance purposes.  Aerial photography can also form the backbone of project promotional and advertising campaigns, providing impressive, detailed views of the entire project.

Vertical and Oblique Aerial Photographs

Experienced aerial photographers know that it’s not just as simple as picking up a camera and taking to the sky.  Different applications require different types of aerial photography.  A vertical photo is one taken from the air while the camera axis is truly vertical at the moment the picture is taken. This type of photo can be most effective for mapping purposes, as distances are accurate and can be used with a grid.  Oblique aerial photography includes high angle oblique and low angle oblique photos.  What is often seen in a high angle oblique aerial photo is the apparent horizon, because haze in the atmosphere or other conditions may obscure the actual horizon.  Shooting oblique aerial photos in optimum conditions from carefully chosen locations can produce a clear representation of a large area.

Why Oblique Aerial Photographs?

Oblique aerial photography has unique applications that differentiate it from vertical aerial photography.  Professional aerial photographers know the by staying at a constant altitude and using oblique aerial photography techniques, some features that cannot be seen clearly in a vertical photo are better shown in an oblique photo. For example, seeing a smokestack from directly above presents an image of a ring, but viewing the same smokestack from an angle reveals part of the side and shadow.  In cases where there are steep slopes or cliffs, some angle helps these features to be more easily identifiable and clearer to those viewing the photo.  If you were to look at those types of features from a straight vertical perspective, the impact of these geological features wouldn’t be as clear.  Oblique photography provides a context that can be missing in vertical photography.  This can be vital when trying to show the viability of a construction site, or produce construction progress documentation. 

Choosing an Aerial Photographer

At Desert View Aerial Photography in Phoenix, Arizona, we have perfected our techniques through years of experience and a thorough understanding of the construction industry.  Desert View Aerial Photography specializes in digital oblique aerial photography across a wide range of applications, from project marketing to traffic control planning.  When choosing an aerial photographer for a project, it’s important to select a company with extensive knowledge of not only photography, but how to most effectively showcase your project based on your needs.  Demands for aerial photographs can be time-sensitive, and accuracy and clarity are essential, so it’s important to choose an aerial photography company that provides quality digital photographs and excellent customer service.

Any construction project is a major undertaking that requires detailed construction project documentation.  This documentation should include a wide range of information, including preconstruction, contracts, and progress reports. It’s important to thoroughly document each step of the project, both to have a record of a successful project and critical information in case any problems develop.  Detailed aerial photographs of each stage of the project may help pinpoint the source of a problem or oversight, and provide valuable information in the case of legal proceedings.

Digital aerial photos are an easy way to share information on a project’s progress when interested parties are in multiple locations, giving project managers the ability to easily post or share visual progress reports online.  These photos can highlight details that are not visible from the ground, as well as providing an overall view of the project to keep everyone involved in the project involved up to date.

With our years of construction industry experience and guaranteed on-time delivery, Desert View Aerial Photography, Phoenix, Arizona, can provide detailed construction progress documentation in accurate, high-quality digital aerial photos of your site.  These photos will not only be valuable as current project documentation, but might form the foundation of your next marketing campaign.

2) Give emphasis to your subject; focus the attention of the viewer to the subject
     in the photograph:
     * Allow the subject of the photograph to fill the frame, OR
     * Make the photograph more interesting by placing the subject off to
      one side (approx. 1/3 to the side)
     * Find a way to frame your subject; trees, arches, windows, etc. can be
     great framing tools.  The example is a picture that I took last year at the Phoenix Botanical Gardens
     Chihuly Exhibit
     * Give your (people) subjects something to do with their hands; move away from the traditional hands 
     at the side pose

3) Simplify each photo; eliminate distractions that will take the focus away from the subject, i.e., trash cans, signs, people, cars