# Good online source for high-resolution aerial photographs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 21, 2008, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-online-source-for-high-resolution-aerial-photographs/450155 "2008-05-21T21:19:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-online-source-for-high-resolution-aerial-photographs/450155/1 "2008-05-21T21:19:13Z")
My law firm is prepping a case for trial and I need an aerial photograph of the section of highway where the accident took place, to be blown up into a color poster, for a visual aid/exhibit. I found the necessary photo on MapQuest, but the clerk at Kinko’s advised me that MapQuest is actually very low-resolution and this sort of thing works better with high-resolution photos. Does anybody know where I might find a better photo? ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-online-source-for-high-resolution-aerial-photographs/450155/2 "2008-05-21T21:26:07Z")
Usually, you’ll need to go analog for this - there are probably dozens of companies around Tampa that do aerial photography, but they won’t have their work available online. Just as one example, [these people](http://www.skypic.com/florida.htm) have images online at Web resolution - 75 dpi, but the source negatives are 3,000 dpi. To get these, you have to go to them and place an order. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2008, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-online-source-for-high-resolution-aerial-photographs/450155/3 "2008-05-22T23:00:54Z")
Looking at downtown Tampa with Mapquest, the resolution looks to me as good as you’re going to get for free. But if your area of interest is outside an urban area, you’ll probably have to pay for comparable resolution. Google Earth would give you more flexibility to view that same free data. Or if you want to fiddle with the National Map Viewer [http://nationalmap.gov/index.html](http://nationalmap.gov/index.html), you can download TIFF images for the free max available resolution. ---
**Author:** ![threemae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f9b8f/32.png) [@threemae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threemae)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2008, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-online-source-for-high-resolution-aerial-photographs/450155/4 "2008-05-22T23:13:35Z")
Microsoft’s [http://www.live.com](http://www.live.com) maps have a pretty cool “Bird’s Eye View” that may prove useful. ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2008, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-online-source-for-high-resolution-aerial-photographs/450155/5 "2008-05-22T23:29:39Z")
I’ve bought from [GlobeXplorer.com](http://GlobeXplorer.com) before. This is the Wiki on it, but I cannot access the site right now and I know not why. > **[GlobeXplorer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GlobeXplorer)** > > GlobeXplorer was an online spatial data company that compiled and distributed aerial photos, satellite imagery, and map data from their online spatial archives. GlobeXplorer has been credited as the first company to establish a business around compiling and distributing online aerial and satellite imagery. In 2007, the company was acquired by DigitalGlobe. > GlobeXplorer's imagery and property data was licensed to many online information websites. GlobeXplorer obtained its content through online d... ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2008, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-online-source-for-high-resolution-aerial-photographs/450155/6 "2008-05-22T23:51:44Z")
Not sure if the resolution is any better, but if you go to [www.flashearth.com](http://www.flashearth.com) you can toggle back and forth between Googlemaps, MSN maps, and a couple of others to find the best resolution available. Then I’d just take a Print Screen shot and save it as a BMP or PNG. Just a thought. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2008, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-online-source-for-high-resolution-aerial-photographs/450155/7 "2008-05-23T00:14:40Z")
Making a print of any image found on the Web would be a violation of copyright, of course (excluding NASA or other U.S. Government images, some of which are not copyrighted). The clerk at Kinko’s should certainly have known that. So whatever source you use, you must get permission to reprint it legally. But I’m sure you knew that. ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2008, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-online-source-for-high-resolution-aerial-photographs/450155/8 "2008-05-23T00:48:00Z")
You should try calling the City of Tampa’s Geographic Information Systems (813) 274-7301. They have a lot of data for download, but unless you know what you’re doing, you’re better off just calling to see if they might help. ---
**Author:** ![Soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2008, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-online-source-for-high-resolution-aerial-photographs/450155/9 "2008-05-23T00:54:23Z")
From my fiancee, who has to get aerials for her job as an environmental scientist: Try contacting the NRCS (National Resource Conservation Service), DOT, nearby libraries, or the University Map Library at your nearby University (might mean going to Gainesville). These aren’t online sources, but if you can’t find anything useful online then these would likely be your best options. Lady Soul also cautions that the NRCS is a Georgia agency, but she knows that Florida has an equivalent (she’s dealt with them before) but isn’t positive what the name is. It might be the same. ---
**Author:** ![Blueapple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Blueapple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blueapple)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2008, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-online-source-for-high-resolution-aerial-photographs/450155/10 "2008-05-23T01:40:18Z")
[QUOTE=commasense] Making a print of any image found on the Web would be a violation of copyright, of course (excluding NASA or other U.S. Government images, some of which are not copyrighted). The clerk at Kinko’s should certainly have known that. So whatever source you use, you must get permission to reprint it legally. But I’m sure you knew that. [/QUOTE] Not to be a nitpick, but I believe anything that the US Government produces cannot be copy written and is all in the public domain. I will second checking out [www.live.com](http://www.live.com) and using the birdseye view. You can also change it so you can view it from 4 different angles. You could try using a projector or large monitor to display this in court. It seems what you want is an aerial photograph, not a satellite image. These are tough to come by for free of charge. The easiest thing might be to hire a private aerial photography firm. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2008, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-online-source-for-high-resolution-aerial-photographs/450155/11 "2008-05-23T02:08:18Z")
[QUOTE=Soul] that the NRCS is a Georgia agency, [/QUOTE] I’m afraid she’s mistaken. [The Natural Resources Conservation Service](http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/)is a part of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). You may remember them as the SCS (Soil Conservation Service). Each state has their own office. [Here](http://www.fl.nrcs.usda.gov/) is Florida’s. In Mississippi, we can access aerials taken through the [National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP)](http://165.221.201.14/NAIP.html) (Also a program of the USDA). > [@](#): > > The NAIP acquires imagery during the agricultural growing seasons in the continental U.S. A primary goal of the NAIP program is to enable availability of digital ortho photography within a year of acquisition. Ours are available on-line through a state agency known as [MARIS](http://www.maris.state.ms.us/); I wonder if Florida has something similar. ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2008, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-online-source-for-high-resolution-aerial-photographs/450155/12 "2008-05-23T02:11:43Z")
If the Tampa GIS office doesn’t work, try this: > **[Hillsborough County](https://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/)** > > Official Website of Hillsborough County, Florida Government ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2008, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-online-source-for-high-resolution-aerial-photographs/450155/13 "2008-05-23T13:36:52Z")
[QUOTE=Blueapple] Not to be a nitpick, but I believe anything that the US Government produces cannot be copy written and is all in the public domain. [/QUOTE] Not to nitpick, but I only said “some” to avoid making an absolute statement to which some nitpicky objection might have been raised. To nitpick, it’s **copyrighted** , not **copywritten**. It’s a right, not a write. 😃