Aerial Photography


        Viewing photographs which are taken from a good, unique point of view is one of the most fascinating things in the world of photography. This is what we refer to as aerial photography.

Origins

Aerial photography is formally defined as photograph taking from an overhead viewpoint by using cameras that are mounted on an airborne tool such as a balloon, an aircraft, a kite, a skydiver and other similar tools. The art of aerial photography was first developed by Nadar, a French airman back in 1858. During the Second World War, aerial photography found a niche in military operations. Aerial photographs were used in spying and in the assessment of the battle ground. These photographs provided updated and realistic impressions of the topography and current situation in a certain area.

Uses of Aerial Photographs

There are many conceived and actual uses for pictures which are taken from above. Aerial photographs are actually used in the construction of topographic maps, in cartography, planning land use, archeology, production of movies, espionage, environmental studies, commercial advertising and in other fields. 

The use of technology has also crawled into the field of aerial photography. Advances in radio technology has allowed for the use of aircraft models which are controlled by radio  in the conduct of low-altitude photography. This is mainly used in advertising for the real estate business. This is because manned aircrafts are not allowed to fly low altitudes in populated locations. This task can be done by these radio-controlled aircraft models and they do the job very well.

Public Domain

Aerial photographs are considered public domain, because the pictures are taken from aerial views which are considered public places.

There are many ways to view aerial photographs on-line. One of the most popular ones is the Google Earth by Google. Google Earth provides satellite imagery as well as aerial photos of the planet. You can actually use the service to be able to search for different places in a certain area such as parks, restaurants, schools and hotels. It can also be used to be able to track down the best routes for reaching a certain location. You can also view the aerial photographs in different angles by tilting and rotating them.

These are some basic things about aerial photography. If you are interested in learning more about this topic, you can browse through some basic materials at the local library or use the Internet to get more information about it.

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Richard Prince: Best or Most Controversial Photographer?


Many people are hooked on photography. People go into photography either as a hobby or go into it in a serious manner, some people do both at the same time. Photography is an art form that requires a good eye and a heart for image. There are many elements that make a photo a good one and there are more elements which separates the good ones from the best ones.

The same is true for photographers. There are many photographers out there who are good, but there are only a few who have fallen into the realm of greatness. Some of these photographers use precision-bound skills to be able to generate the best pictures that they could, some use themes and capture the hearts of their audiences. But for whatever reasons, these photographers are above the others because of their love for the art of photography.

This article tries to give some information about one of the most influential photographers who took the realm of photography to a higher level, Richard Prince. There are other photographers that are as great as Prince, maybe even better, but Prince was chosen as the topic for this article because he moved the world through his photographs and moved the world of photography as well.

Richard Prince

Richard Prince is an American photographer and painter. He made controversial pieces such as the “Untitled” which caused commotions in the art world. This certain piece of his is the forerunner “photograph” to be able to get past the 1 million dollar mark in public auctions.

He started the world of photography by taking four pictures which were published in the New York Times. This certain piece started discussions about issues which had risen with regards to authenticity of the images and authorship. Another controversial picture by him was released in 1983. It contained the image of the 10-year old Brook Shields who was standing inside a tub. The picture lead to several lawsuits which were filed by the mother of Brook. This picture was entitled “Spiritual America”
which was an allusion to a photograph which was taken by Alfred Stieglitz, which was of the same title. Prince garnered more lawsuits coming from the original photographer or the said title. His pictures made people more aware of voyeurism inside the world of photography and made policy makers more vigilant against these things.

Prince may have been controversial, but he is essential to the modern workings of the world of photography. He defined and redefined the boundaries and limitations of photography.