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How to become A Photogrammetrist

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

A digital camera in hand aboard an aeroplane or helicopter - a Photogrammetrist sounds like a tourist but is a skilled professional who takes and uses a series of photographs to make scientific measurements between objects and recreate their geometric representations. Typically, satellite images, aerial ... Continue Reading

Skills a career as a Photogrammetrist requires: Geography Photography Geology Anthropology Data Management View more skills
Photogrammetrist salary
$65,470
USAUSA
£47,000
UKUK
Explore Career
  • Introduction - Photogrammetrist
  • What does a Photogrammetrist do?
  • Photogrammetrist Work Environment
  • Skills for a Photogrammetrist
  • Work Experience for a Photogrammetrist
  • Recommended Qualifications for a Photogrammetrist
  • Photogrammetrist Career Path
  • Photogrammetrist Professional Development
  • Learn More
  • Conclusion

Introduction - Photogrammetrist

A digital camera in hand aboard an aeroplane or helicopter - a Photogrammetrist sounds like a tourist but is a skilled professional who takes and uses a series of photographs to make scientific measurements between objects and recreate their geometric representations. Typically, satellite images, aerial photographs, light imaging detection and ranging (LIDAR) technology help measure and map the earth’s surface.

Similar Job Titles Job Description
  • Cartographer

What does a Photogrammetrist do?

What are the typical responsibilities of a Photogrammetrist?

A Photogrammetrist would typically need to:

  • Plan aerial and satellite surveys to ensure complete coverage of the designated area; collect, measure, and interpret geographic information using data from photographs and surveys to create and update maps & charts for regional planning, education, and other purposes
  • Compile and analyse both spatial data, including distance, elevation, longitude, and latitude, as well as nonspatial data such as demographic characteristics, land-use patterns, population density, and annual precipitation levels
  • Perform geographic research to collect, analyse, map, and interpret geographic information; build models of the earth’s surface and its features to create maps
  • Provide satellite and aerial surveys of locations to develop base maps that provide geographic information systems (GIS) data to be layered on top, using (LIDAR) technology as needed
  • Prepare maps either in graphic or digital form with information from satellites, LIDAR, aerial cameras and other geodetic surveys and remote sensing systems; show both social and physical characteristics of the land in their maps
  • Collect data to design and develop online and mobile maps, interactive ones being popular, for mobile phones and navigation systems

Photogrammetrist Work Environment

Photogrammetrists may work in offices using computers or undertake fieldwork to acquire data and verify results. Since photogrammetry assignments may be carried out through aerial or terrestrial photography, you could be airborne for short periods or located on site. Fieldwork may require extensive travel, sometimes to remote locations being mapped for topographical purposes or to plan for future aerial surveys or to validate interpretations.

Work Schedule

Most Photogrammetrists work full time and regular hours. However, fieldwork may extend the workday beyond normal hours.

Employers

Photogrammetrists can boost their job search by asking their network for referrals, contacting companies directly, using job search platforms, going to job fairs, leveraging social media and inquiring at staffing agencies.

Photogrammetrists are generally employed by:

  • Governments
  • Architectural, Engineering & Related Services
  • Management Consultancies
  • Scientific & Technical Consultancies
Unions / Professional Organizations

Professional associations and organisations are a crucial resource for Photogrammetrists interested in pursuing professional development or connecting with like-minded professionals in their industry or occupation. Membership in one or more adds value to your resume while bolstering your credentials and qualifications.

The American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) serves professional members worldwide. It aims to foster knowledge and improve the understanding and responsible application of mapping sciences, including photogrammetry, remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS) and supporting technologies.

Workplace Challenges
  • Exploiting the latest sensor technologies and tools
  • Increasing the automation in modelling
  • Adopting new applications to fulfil growing demands and evolving needs
  • Strengthening the sensor-method-application feedback loop

Work Experience for a Photogrammetrist

Relevant internships during high school and your bachelor’s degree will stand you in good stead. Experience in specific work will help you become a Photogrammetrist. For example, Photogrammetrist jobs require experience in aerial photography. Previous cartography experience is also convenient for aspiring Photogrammetrists. Having worked as a field technician often gives you entry into the career.

Recommended Qualifications for a Photogrammetrist

The development of GIS calls for higher academic requirements than earlier for positions as Photogrammetrists.

Typically, a bachelor's degree is recommended, specialising in cartography or a relevant field such as geography, surveying, or geomatics. (Geomatics merges the science, engineering, mathematics, and art of gathering and managing geographically referenced information.) It is possible, though not as common, to specialise in engineering, computer science, forestry, or a physical science.

Furthermore, Photogrammetrists must be well-versed with remote sensing, image processing, and light-imaging detection and ranging (LIDAR) technology, and with the software needed with these tools.

Certifications, Licenses and Registration

Depending on location, a Photogrammetrist may need to possess a surveyor’s license or one specifically for photogrammetry. Individual government entities conduct licensing. It typically requires the passage of an examination in addition to the fulfilment of eligibility requirements, such as a minimum level of education, work experience, training, or the completion of an internship, residency, or apprenticeship. Continuing education may also be a stipulation to renew the license.

While not compulsory, voluntary certification is often seen as evidence of an individual’s drive and motivation, giving them a leg up for raises and promotions. Certification demonstrates competence in a skill or set of skills, typically through work experience, training, the passage of an examination, or some combination of the three. When acquired from an objective and reputed organisation, it can help you gain professional credibility, build your expertise in a specific area, and stay up-to-date on technology.

Successful certification programs protect public welfare by incorporating a Code of Ethics. |The reassurance that members who practice outside the Code will be investigated and held accountable earns the community’s trust and respect, which are the most critical elements in securing a Photogrammetrist’s future.

Photogrammetrist Career Path

Performance, experience, and acquisition of professional qualifications drive career progression. Employees with consistently high levels of performance may be eligible for promotion every two to three years.

Occasionally, one may start as a technician and later become a full-fledged Photogrammetrist.

Consumer demand for accurate, quick and complete geographic information, the growing use of maps for government planning, and the ever-expanding number of mobile and Web-based map products should produce new jobs. Other avenues of application include urban planning, security, emergency planning, natural resource exploration, construction, and marketing. With GPS devices and online interactive mapping systems at the forefront, there is widespread demand for current and accurate digital information.

Job Prospects

A bachelor’s degree and strong technical skills will help you stand out in the job market. Be prepared to travel as needed for outdoor photogrammetry projects.

Photogrammetrist Professional Development

Continuing professional development (CPD) is the holistic commitment of Photogrammetrists towards enhancing personal skills and proficiency throughout their active careers through work-based learning, a professional activity, formal education, or self-directed learning. There are many CPD courses, seminars, and workshops to help professionals in the field.

CPD allows individuals to upskill continually, regardless of their age, job, or level of knowledge. It prevents practical and academic qualifications from becoming outdated. It enables Photogrammetrists to identify any knowledge gaps and progress to a new specialism.

The central concern of CPD is that of lifelong learning with its application to professional lives. CPD is more than just a policy or some form of bureaucratic procedure. It is not just a set of boxes to be ticked mindlessly. It is value-laden and embraces several new learning objectives, educational methodologies, and novel technological developments, especially in education, management, and IT.

Reflective learning, interaction with peer groups, comprehensive inclusion, workshops, professional publications serve to educate, influence, support and foster lifelong enlightenment in all career-grade Photogrammetrists.

Learn More

From a Historical Lens

Digital photogrammetry is as recent as the1980s. However, centuries ago, in 1480, Italian Renaissance artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci had postulated his theory of incorporating perspective into illustrations, that vanishing points must appear smaller, while the objects that grow out of them larger since these objects are meant to be closer to the eye.

Aimé Laussedat, a French scientist, indicated in the 1850s that photography was a resource for mapping. He is often considered the “father of photogrammetry.” As the practical uses of photogrammetry grew in recognition, experimentation with the technology grew during World Wars I and II.

The 20th century witnessed advancements in the field, particularly in analytical photogrammetry, which allowed computers to solve complex mathematics, thanks to Uki Helava in the 1950s. The early 1990s brought digital cameras into the picture, leading to both imaging and computations being done digitally. Now, photogrammetry software is available worldwide. Aided by sophisticated instruments, the latter half of the 20th century boasts of developments such as satellite photography, very large-scale photographs, automatic visual scanning, high-quality colour photographs, and the use of films sensitive to radiations beyond the visible spectrum and numerical photogrammetry.

Breaking It Down

The word ‘photogrammetry’ is somewhat of a mouthful but easier to understand by breaking it up into its components. “Photo” means “light”, “gram” denotes “drawing”, and “metry” stands for “measurement”. Thus, photogrammetry is a technique that uses photographs to carry out measurement.

What’s Cool About It?

Using photogrammetry techniques, you can capture gigantic objects, such as mountains, buildings, and volcanoes, which fall outside the scope of other scanning methods. What’s more, the equipment you need is likely at hand - it could just be the camera on your smartphone. Add to your toolkit appropriate photogrammetry software from the diverse choices available, and you have all that you need to generate a 3D file of the object you caught on your camera. The 3D models allow you to examine scaled, detailed scenes of the areas you photographed from all the right angles and all on your computer screen.

How Does It Work?

Imagine that you wish to chart a section of a mountain range. You would fly above the area, clicking a picture at short distances, such as every few metres. With the photographs in place, you would use photogrammetry software to triangulate each point photographed and create a precise 2D or 3D map of the section, generating the inter-point distance to scale.

“Point matching” is the process of finding two or more points on the photos that correspond to the exact 3D location. You can do this manually or automatically. “Ray intersection” refers to the meeting up of light rays. The overall method of using multiple photos for solving points is called “triangulation”.

Types of Photogrammetry

In addition to the standard aerial and terrestrial photogrammetry, there is also the satellite version based on photos taken in space from an orbiting satellite. Typically, such images are helpful for governments to triangulate points on large portions of the earth. This type of photogrammetric location also is a typical source of data for Google Earth and Google Maps.

Where Is It Used?

From surveying and mining to forensic photography and manufacturing, you could apply your skills in various settings and to diverse objects. Ecological studies and forestry also benefit from photogrammetry. You could even use the techniques for single photographs, for instance, to determine the height of a burglary suspect in a single frame from a security camera, with additional data about the scene.

Use in Cartography

Following wartime usage, photogrammetry evolved immensely in its peacetime applications. Today, it is a salient tool in cartography or mapmaking, particularly to map inaccessible areas. An advantage of aerial views is that special cameras can capture large areas in totality, minimising the chances of blind spots that may escape the lens of a terrestrial camera.

Conclusion

An intricate and skilled process, photogrammetry is labelled an art, science, and technology. As a Photogrammetrist, you will make reliable and accurate measurements of 3D objects and terrain features from 2D photographs. Essentially, you will record, measure and interpret images and digital representations of energy patterns obtained from non-contact sensors and sensor systems.

Advice from the Wise

Instead of panoramic pictures or spherical views for exteriors and facades, go for straight views. For successful photogrammetry outcomes in interiors, angle your camera as if to capture an object singled out in the middle of the room.

Did you know?

Photogrammetry, used with data like seismicity, gas emissions, and thermal output, helps understand volcanic eruptions, generate better forecasts, and predict potential hazards.

Introduction - Photogrammetrist
What does a Photogrammetrist do?

What do Photogrammetrists do?

A Photogrammetrist would typically need to:

  • Plan aerial and satellite surveys to ensure complete coverage of the designated area; collect, measure, and interpret geographic information using data from photographs and surveys to create and update maps & charts for regional planning, education, and other purposes
  • Compile and analyse both spatial data, including distance, elevation, longitude, and latitude, as well as nonspatial data such as demographic characteristics, land-use patterns, population density, and annual precipitation levels
  • Perform geographic research to collect, analyse, map, and interpret geographic information; build models of the earth’s surface and its features to create maps
  • Provide satellite and aerial surveys of locations to develop base maps that provide geographic information systems (GIS) data to be layered on top, using (LIDAR) technology as needed
  • Prepare maps either in graphic or digital form with information from satellites, LIDAR, aerial cameras and other geodetic surveys and remote sensing systems; show both social and physical characteristics of the land in their maps
  • Collect data to design and develop online and mobile maps, interactive ones being popular, for mobile phones and navigation systems
Photogrammetrist Work Environment
Work Experience for a Photogrammetrist
Recommended Qualifications for a Photogrammetrist
Photogrammetrist Career Path
Photogrammetrist Professional Development
Learn More
Did you know?
Conclusion

Holland Codes, people in this career generally possess the following traits
  • R Realistic
  • I Investigative
  • A Artistic
  • S Social
  • E Enterprising
  • C Conventional
United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals that this career profile addresses
Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure Life On Land Partnerships for the Goals