Air-to-air photography, as the name suggests, is photography taken from the air of a subject in the air, usually another aircraft. Air-to-air photography techniques are discussed later in this chapter.

TYPES OF AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY

The vertical and oblique categories of aerial photography are divided into several types of aerial photography. Types of aerial photography are designated by their composition. A PINPOINT aerial photograph contains a target small enough to be included in one exposure. Long, narrow targets are photographed by making a series of overlapping exposures, called a STRIP When several strips are pieced together to form one composite picture of a large area, it is called a MOSAIC. Two pictures photographed to provide a three-dimensional effect are called STEREO aerial photographs. However, there are some characteristics that all types of aerial photography must have. All aerial photography must be sharp, show great detail, and be composed properly, so it satisfies the need for which it was made.

PINPOINT PHOTOGRAPHY

Pinpoint aerial photographs are usually made when the target, such as a building, a weapon, or a small encampment, is small enough to be included in one exposure fig. 4-6 . In the case of oblique photographs, you can make more than one shot of a pinpoint target to show the target from different angles. For instance, you

Figure 4-6-Pinpoint aerial photograph.

might need two, three, or four pictures to show the different sides of a building; or you might make a near and a distant view of the pinpoint target-one to show detail and the other to show location. You can also make more than one shot to produce one large, detailed picture of a pinpoint target. In this case, three or four shots having a 60-percent overlap are made. For example, you may need three overlapping exposures to give a large, detailed view of both ends and the middle of a bridge. When the number of overlapped exposures is small, say four or less, either vertical or oblique photographs, the total composition may be called a pinpoint aerial photograph, but technically, it would be either a strip or a mosaic.