For a visual tour of mapping possibilities please click on the following link to a slide show on orthophoto & GIS database development.

GIS

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is computer hardware and software that displays points, lines, and polygons as geographic data. GIS can display planimetric (line) maps and also high resolution aerial images called orthophotos.

GIS is more than just pretty maps or pictures. GIS integrates resource data and correlates it to a map, and the visualization provides a powerful tool for analysis. This allows a user to view, understand, question, interpret, and visualize the data. With the data on a map, it is easier to ask questions like: what, where, why, and how. ERS uses GIS as a tool to support the decision making process.

Orthophotos

Digital orthophotos combine the image characteristics of a photograph with the geometric qualities of a map. Digital orthophotos are rectified (corrected) to remove distortion effects from camera lenses, tip, and tilt, as well as from terrain relief and scale. Orthophotos serve as photographic maps. Accurate measurements can be obtained from orthophotos and additional GIS layers can be overlayed for analysis. ERS can arrange to have a geo-referenced digital orthophoto created to suit your needs. Custom orthophotos can be created from existing recent aerial photography or from new custom aerial flights designed to capture imagery to meet specific needs of the client.

Aerial Photography

ERS works with many aerial photography contractors and public agencies to identify existing available aerial photography as well as to design custom flights tailored to the client’s specific imagery needs. For forestland photography the best image quality generally results from photography flown from mid June to early July, near the summer solstice when the sun is at its highest point in the sky.