Module 2 - Aerial Photography Basics & Visual Interpretation of Aerial Photography

Module 2 lab focused on basics of visual interpretation of aerial photos. In the first exercise we identified different tones, or shades, of surface features. We also identified varying ground textures. These varied from very fine, smooth water surface, all the way to very coarse thick forest. Once the tones and textures were identified we had to outline them using ArcMap.

In the second exercise we had to identify surface features on an aerial photo based on shape and size, pattern, shadow, and association. Size and shape was useful for recognizing houses, cars, and roads. Shadow was useful for tall features, such as trees and a water tower. Pattern was very useful for identifying waves on the water, parking stripes in the parking lot, and a neighborhood with houses along a street. Last was association. A swimming pool, black rectangle of water in a neighborhood, and a pier, thin, long structure jutting out into the water. As in the first exercise, we used ArcMap to mark and label the features.