What is Aerial Photography used for?

Aerial photography is a branch of photography that involves taking pictures from a ‘bird’s eye view’ with a camera on an airplane, kite or rocket. It dates back to the French the early nineteenth century and was later used in the First World War. Aerial photos are often processed by a Geographic Information System which is a computer system used for analyzing and displaying geographically-referenced information like maps. Aerial photography has and always will be in demand because an average person is unable to get that kind of view, there is always an element of awe surrounding aerial photography. It is legal because you are not trespassing on anyone’s property when taking pictures from above.The United States Geological Survey has been using aerial photography for mapping since the early 1930’s and categorizes its pictures. These categories are based on a variety of factors such as altitude and sensor and media characteristics. These pictures of the land we live on taken from the air and space teach us about vegetation, and resources. However, there are some caveats one should remember with aerial photography. Firstly, aerial photography is not a map because maps are directionally accurate whereas aerial photography can have radial distortions.