The ability to see specific items in an aerial image is mostly a function of scale and resolution. The following aerial photography products all have a resolution of 1 meter or better, so you should be able to see an object the size of a house:
- High Resolution Orthoimagery (HRO)
- National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) imagery
- Digital Orthophoto Quadrangle (DOQ)
Use EarthExplorer to search for the aerial photography resolution that fits your needs. In the "Additional Criteria" tab, indicate the desired scale range using the "Scale" option. Scales of 1:500 to 1:24,000 are best for identifying buildings. Scales of 1:20,000 to 1:80,000 work well for agriculture and geologic interpretation. Scales in excess of 1:100,000 provide regional assessment information.
Enlarging an aerial photograph will only make the object bigger; it will not add more detail in the object. Photographic resolution (image resolution) deteriorates with each enlargement.
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Related Content
Are the scanned aerial photographic images georectified?
Scans of traditional aerial photography film products (air photos) are not georectified.The USGS does, however, offer several orthoimagery (georectified aerial photograph) products:Digital Orthophoto Quadrangle (DOQ)High Resolution Orthoimagery (HRO)National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP, NAIP Plus)NAIP orthoimagery has been collected for the entire conterminous United States every 3 years...
How much area does an aerial photograph cover?
The area covered by an aerial photograph (air photo) depends on the scale of the imagery. Most air photos were taken on 9 x 9 inch film. The chart below reflects coverage for a variety of photographic scales.Scale1 inch = feet1 side (miles)Area (square miles)1:12,00010001.702.91:20,00016672.848.11:24,00020003.4111.61:40,00033335.6832.31:58,00048338.2367.731:63,36052809.0081.001:80,000666711.36129...
Is there a cost for aerial photograph products?
Download medium-resolution scans (400 dpi) of aerial photography products at no charge using EarthExplorer. We are working on high-resolution scans (25 micron or 1,000 dpi) that can also be downloaded at no charge. With over 8.4 million frames of imagery in our archive, scanning will take many years to complete, but about 80% of high-resolution scans are currently available. If you can't find a...
What do the different colors in a color-infrared aerial photograph represent?
Color-infrared (CIR) aerial photography--often called "false color" photography because it renders the scene in colors not normally seen by the human eye--is widely used for interpretation of natural resources. Atmospheric haze does not interfere with the acquisition of the image.Live vegetation is almost always associated with red tones. Very intense reds indicate dense, vigorously growing...
How do I download orthoimagery products and what are the available formats?
Download orthoimagery (georectified aerial photographs) using EarthExplorer, which has the full catalog of USGS orthoimagery and aerial photography, or The National Map downloader, which has NAIP orthoimagery only. EarthExplorer: Products Overview Format varies by type of orthoimagery: Native format, Georeferenced Tagged Image File Format (GeoTIFF), or compressed 10:1 JPEG2000 The National Map...
What is a digital orthophoto quadrangle (DOQ) or orthoimage?
A digital orthophoto quadrangle (DOQ)--or any orthoimage--is a computer-generated image of an aerial photograph in which displacements (distortions) caused by terrain relief and camera tilts have been removed. It combines the image characteristics of a photograph with the geometric qualities of a map. Unlike an aerial photograph, an orthoimage has a uniform scale, so it can be used as a base map...
How often is orthoimagery in The National Map updated and what are the acquisition dates?
Orthoimagery (georectified aerial photography) available through The National Map Downloader and The National Map Services is from the USDA Farm Service Agency's National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP), which is 1-meter resolution. Generally, NAIP imagery is refreshed on a 3-year cycle with approximately one third of the continental U.S. flown each year. The month and year of imagery...
Related Content
- FAQ
Are the scanned aerial photographic images georectified?
Scans of traditional aerial photography film products (air photos) are not georectified.The USGS does, however, offer several orthoimagery (georectified aerial photograph) products:Digital Orthophoto Quadrangle (DOQ)High Resolution Orthoimagery (HRO)National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP, NAIP Plus)NAIP orthoimagery has been collected for the entire conterminous United States every 3 years...
How much area does an aerial photograph cover?
The area covered by an aerial photograph (air photo) depends on the scale of the imagery. Most air photos were taken on 9 x 9 inch film. The chart below reflects coverage for a variety of photographic scales.Scale1 inch = feet1 side (miles)Area (square miles)1:12,00010001.702.91:20,00016672.848.11:24,00020003.4111.61:40,00033335.6832.31:58,00048338.2367.731:63,36052809.0081.001:80,000666711.36129...
Is there a cost for aerial photograph products?
Download medium-resolution scans (400 dpi) of aerial photography products at no charge using EarthExplorer. We are working on high-resolution scans (25 micron or 1,000 dpi) that can also be downloaded at no charge. With over 8.4 million frames of imagery in our archive, scanning will take many years to complete, but about 80% of high-resolution scans are currently available. If you can't find a...
What do the different colors in a color-infrared aerial photograph represent?
Color-infrared (CIR) aerial photography--often called "false color" photography because it renders the scene in colors not normally seen by the human eye--is widely used for interpretation of natural resources. Atmospheric haze does not interfere with the acquisition of the image.Live vegetation is almost always associated with red tones. Very intense reds indicate dense, vigorously growing...
How do I download orthoimagery products and what are the available formats?
Download orthoimagery (georectified aerial photographs) using EarthExplorer, which has the full catalog of USGS orthoimagery and aerial photography, or The National Map downloader, which has NAIP orthoimagery only. EarthExplorer: Products Overview Format varies by type of orthoimagery: Native format, Georeferenced Tagged Image File Format (GeoTIFF), or compressed 10:1 JPEG2000 The National Map...
What is a digital orthophoto quadrangle (DOQ) or orthoimage?
A digital orthophoto quadrangle (DOQ)--or any orthoimage--is a computer-generated image of an aerial photograph in which displacements (distortions) caused by terrain relief and camera tilts have been removed. It combines the image characteristics of a photograph with the geometric qualities of a map. Unlike an aerial photograph, an orthoimage has a uniform scale, so it can be used as a base map...
How often is orthoimagery in The National Map updated and what are the acquisition dates?
Orthoimagery (georectified aerial photography) available through The National Map Downloader and The National Map Services is from the USDA Farm Service Agency's National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP), which is 1-meter resolution. Generally, NAIP imagery is refreshed on a 3-year cycle with approximately one third of the continental U.S. flown each year. The month and year of imagery...
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