Aerial Photographs

HIG’s aerial photography products and services

We spend the time to provide our clients with high quality historical aerial photographs.  We have years of experience locating and obtaining aerial photography from a variety of public sources and private vendors, ensuring our clients receive great aerial photography sets and thorough custom aerial research services.

Historical Aerial Photography

This is a series of aerial photographs compiled by our Researchers and designed to show a specific site over several decades.  HIG’s Historical Aerial Photography is used extensively by environmental due diligence professionals, engineers, wetland professionals and others striving to determine the history of land use over time.

Highlights of HIG’s Historical Aerial Photography:

• Most of our photographs have a scale of 1” = 500’ with a few at 1” = 800’. 
• Each photograph can show an area up to 5000’ x 7500’ or approximately 860 acres in size, dependant on the shape of the property.  Larger sites or irregular-shaped sites may require more photographs at an additional charge.
• For most Zone 1 sites we will provide 7 to 12 photographs of different years ranging from the 1930s or 1940s to present.
• Historical Aerial Photography results in Zone 2 are more variable than in Zone 1.  Typical coverage will include 4 – 6 or more photos from the present back to the 1960s or earlier.  A discount will be applied for any order delivered with fewer than 4 photographs or no photographs prior to 1980.  To reduce data gaps and improve consistency, the Deluxe Aerial Upgrade is recommended for sites in Zone 2. 
• Historical Aerial Photography is offered a la carte and in several of our multi-product packages including The Foundation, The Core, Fundamentals, SkyView and The New Standard.

Deluxe Aerial Upgrade

HIG will research and acquire additional photographs to supplement coverage provided with our Historical Aerial Photography service.  The Deluxe Aerials will be delivered separately, in a time frame of 2 weeks or less. 

• For Zone 1 sites the focus of the Deluxe Aerial Upgrade is to obtain higher resolution photographs.  Please note: this service was formerly called the Ultimate Aerial Upgrade for sites in Minneapolis and Ramsey County, MN. 
• In Zone 2 the focus is on acquiring additional years of coverage; typically 2-4 additional photographs will be provided.
• The Deluxe Aerial Upgrade can also be added to supplement the Historical Aerial Photography provided in Packages 1-5.  

HIG’s GIS-Ready Aerials
Do you need more information from your aerials, especially for your corridor or large area projects? 
Have your aerial photography georeferenced by HIG! 

• Our GIS-Ready Aerials service is available for single aerial photographs, HIG Aerial Sets, HIG Custom Aerials and for photograph sets prepared for large areas and corridor studies.
• We use three ground control points per image over an orthophoto base map to provide cost-effective accuracy suitable for general analysis.
• We reference to your choice of UTM Zone or State Plane Zone, in feet or meters, as specified by you on our order form.
• Files are delivered in compact .jpg and .jgw format, named by year the photograph was taken.
• Images are approximately one (1) meter resolution in most cases, and are also CAD compatible. 

We are happy to provide custom GIS services to any specifications require by your project.

HIG Custom Aerials
This service is for clients who need a specific photograph year or set of years and for people who need a certain photograph resolution or file format.  

HIG Researchers will search the HIG collection and other collections of photographs to determine the availability of aerials that cover your site for the year (or years) you specify, in the format you need. Numerous sources of aerial photography exist; due to our experience working with these sources we can streamline the process of acquiring the photographs you need.

Call 952-253-2004 for more details or to discuss the specifications of your project.
     
Large Sites and Corridor Projects
The HIG staff revels in our work with large sites and corridor projects.  We have provided aerial photographs and custom aerial services for numerous transportation corridors, wind farms, large brownfield redevelopment areas and utility corridors.  Because of the unique nature of these projects, please contact us and we will provide you with estimated costs based on your specific project needs and required turnaround time.

For additional information about our capabilities for large sites or corridor projects, refer to our large sites and corridor studies services.   

Aerial Prints & Enlargements
HIG has extensive experience scanning aerial photography, completing accurate image rectification, and creating prints and enlargements from digital imagery.  Call us for more information at 952-253-2004.

Need a quote or have questions?
Please contact us at 952-253-2004 for more information about any of our aerial photograph services.