Aerial coverage comparison: For a given flying height and camera, which type of aerial photograph gives the least ground coverage per exposure?

Introduction / Context:
Flight planning balances scale, overlap, and ground coverage. The pointing angle of the camera determines how much of the ground is captured in each exposure.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Flying height and focal length are fixed.
• Only the camera tilt (vertical vs oblique) changes.
• Oblique photographs look sideways and can see farther toward the horizon.

Concept / Approach:
Vertical photographs look straight down and capture a roughly rectangular footprint determined by flying height and focal length. Oblique photographs, especially high obliques, include distant ground near the horizon and therefore cover a much larger area on a single frame.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Compare footprints qualitatively: high oblique > low oblique > vertical.Therefore, the least ground coverage per exposure corresponds to the vertical photograph.

Verification / Alternative check:
Photogrammetric texts illustrate vertical frame footprints as smaller rectangles compared to the trapezoidal, deeper footprints of oblique imagery.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
High/low oblique: both include horizonward regions and cover more ground.Panoramic: designed to sweep wide angles, typically covering even more.

Common Pitfalls:
Equating “best for mapping” with “most coverage.” Vertical images are best for accuracy, not for maximizing single-frame coverage.

Final Answer:
Vertical photograph.