Instruction manual

If you need to place the horizon in the photo to establish perspective,

never let the sky take up more than the top one-third of the image (note that this

also satisfies the rule of thirds). And try to keep the horizon straight in the photo.

You can correct for a slightly angled horizon in your editing software, but each

time you rotate the photo you degrade the photo slightly.

Filling the frame is very important when taking a digital photo. If the target

is too small in the frame you lose important detail because you wasted a lot of

pixels on extraneous details.

In CAP aerial photography, we try to follow three general rules for

framing:

• Frame the image so he target fills most of the frame (at least 75%)

• Frame the image so no aircraft parts (i.e., wingtip, strut, window sill or

wheel) show; don’t rely on software to crop your photo

• Whenever possible, position the aircraft so you can frame the target

without using the zoom feature. When this isn’t possible, use the zoom to

improve the framing or to concentrate on a specific portion of the target

(e.g., damage to one section of a power plant or a crack in a bridge

support).

Practice

An inexpensive way to practice framing is to take photos of objects from a

vehicle. Preferably, have a friend drive along a freeway where you can safely

drive ~ 55 mph; this most closely simulates the speed effect you’ll experience

during flight. Pick out “targets” of varying sizes along the roadway and

photograph them, practicing the three rules for framing. After you get proficient at

proper framing, take 2-3 photos of the same object as you pass; this also

simulates what you’ll be trying to accomplish while on imaging sorties.

3.3 Depth Perception

Sometimes when you frame your shot, the target appears small in relation to

its surroundings. This may be due to your height above the target and your angle

to the target. If the target is so small that it appears “flat” in your viewfinder, it is

likely that the photo won’t be useful to the customer. In these cases, reduce

altitude (within FAA and CAPR 60-1 regulations) and/or increase your angle to the

target (e.g., using the 45° Angle to Target pattern, discussed later). Placing the

target in the foreground of the image will add to a sense of depth and perspective.

Also, remember that you can take as many digital pictures as your media

card(s) can hold. If you have any doubt about a picture’s quality or suitability for

the mission, take more photos of the target from different angles and heights or try

different focal points.

3.4 Depth of Field

Depth of field refers to the region of proper focus available to you in any

image. When you focus the camera, there is some distance in front and behind

your subject that will also be in focus. This region of sharp focus is called depth of

field, or sometimes depth of focus.