Aerial photographs are divided up into nine boxes. Vertical Photograph
A north arrow allows you to divide the photograph into nine equal parts. Compass points are used to locate features on a vertical photograph.
Fig. 15.6 shows how to locate compass points when the camera is not facing north.
North-west
North
North-east
North
North-east
East
West
Centre
East
North-west
Centre
South-east
South-west
South
South-east
: Fig. 15.5 Finding location on a vertical aerial photograph when the camera is facing north
West
South-west
South
: Fig. 15.6 Finding location on a vertical aerial photograph when the camera is not facing north
Left Background
Centre Background
Right Background
Oblique Photograph When finding location on an oblique aerial photograph, compass points cannot be used. Instead, features are located using the nine sections shown on the left.
Left Middle Ground
Centre Middle Ground
Right Middle Ground
Time of Year
It is possible to tell the time of the year on a photograph by observing the following:
• Spring: ploughed fields are visible, and young animals are visible in fields.
Left Foreground Centre Foreground Right Foreground
• Summer: there are leaves on deciduous trees, fields are freshly cut (so look yellow), there are bales in the fields and shadows are shorter.
