1. Ground Photographs
- Taken from the ground. They are of 2 types:
Ground Horizontals - taken with the camera at the same level as the object. They are of 2 types.
Ground close ups/particular view photographs - taken from the ground with a camera focused on one particular object.
Ground General View Photographs - taken from the ground with camera focused on general scenery.
Ground Obliques - taken from the ground with a camera slanting/held at an angle.

2. Aerial Photographs
- Taken from the air e.g. from aircrafts, balloons or satellites. They are of 2 types:
Aerial Obliques - taken from the air with camera tilted towards the ground.
Vertical Aerial Photographs - taken from the air with the camera directly above the object or scenery.

- A photograph is divided into nine ports as shown in the image below.

• Used in learning geography because they bring unfamiliar features in the classroom enabling the students to understand them better.
• Photographs showing vegetation and human activities can be used to deduce the climate of an area.
• Aerial photographs show vital information on land use.
• Photographs showing land forming processes help us to understand those processes.

- Coloured photographs are generally expensive to produce.
- Black and white photographs don't show the real colours of objects or scenery e.g. it’s difficult to distinguish ripe coffee berries from green ones.
- Some aerial photographs have objects which are far away and hence unclear which may lead to the wrong interpretation.
- Vertical aerial photographs are difficult to interpret without special instruments like stereoscopes.
- Photographs are difficult to interpret if they are blurred because it’s difficult to distinguish objects which look similar e.g. wheat and barley.

- Means to explain the meaning of the objects or features on a photograph. It involves the following:

Determining the Title
Photographs show human activities, physical features, natural catastrophes etc e.g. nomadic pastoralism, drought, flooding, etc. when determining the title examine the photograph carefully and apply the knowledge you have learnt in geography.

Estimating Time
- In the tropics the shadows are short at noon and longest in the morning and afternoon.
- If the camera is facing south and the shadow is cast to the right it’s in the morning and if cast to the left it’s in the afternoon.

Estimating Season
Dry season

- Bright clear skies
- Dry vegetation
- Harvesting
- Light clothes e.g. shirts and T-shirts since temperature is high (also an - Indication of high temperature.

Rainy season

- Rain clouds
- Luxuriant vegetation
- Young crops
- Flowering plants
- Weeding
- Heavy clothing e.g. pullovers or jackets since temps are low (also an indication of cool season).

Determining Compass Direction
It it’s in the morning and the shadow of flag pole is cast to the left the photographer is facing north and if cast to the right he was facing south.
It it’s in the morning and the shadow is facing towards you the photographer was facing east and it taken in the afternoon and the shadow is facing towards you the photographer was facing west.

Relief
Flat land

• Rice crop
• Irrigation
• Combine harvesters
• Swamps
• Meanders
• Oxbow lakes
• Inselbergs (isolated hills)

An Inselberg - Picture Courtesy

Hilly/Mountainous landscape/Highland Area

• Steep slopes
• Terraced landscape
• Tea, wheat crops which grow at high altitude
• rapids
• Water falls
• Interlocking spurs

Rapids - Picture Courtesy

Drainage
Youthful Stage

• Rapids
• Waterfalls
• Interlocking spurs

Middle Stage

• meanders
• oxbow lakes

Meanders - Picture Courtesy

Lower Stage

• deltas
• distributaries
• meanders and oxbow lakes
• flood plain

Delta - Picture Courtesy

Vegetation
Natural

• Indigenous species
• Dense undergrowth
• Trees grow haphazardly
• Different species of trees
• Not of the same height

Dense undergrowth - Picture Courtesy

Planted

• Exotic species
• In rows
• Little undergrowth
• Same species
• Same heights

Tropical Rain Forests

• Trees
• Broad leaves
• Umbrella shaped

Marshes

• swamps

Savannah Grassland

• Grass and short trees (woodland).

Desert Vegetation

• Thorny leaves
• Baobab and acacia
• Scrub-land covered with shrubs and underdeveloped trees (shrubs).

Climate
High Temperatures and low rainfall

• Sugar cane
• Grass
• Sisal
• Scrub and bush land vegetation
• Dense forests
• Light clothes

Cool Temperature and High rainfall (Sufficient, Reliable and well distributed)

• Tea
• Coffee
• Wheat
• Dairy farming

Soils
Acidic and Volcanic Soils

• Coffee
• Tea

Clay Soils

• Rice

Black Cotton Soils

• Cotton
• Rice

Loamy Soil

• Horticultural crops

• Draw a rectangle the same size as the photograph.
• Divide it into squares using faint lines.
• Subdivide the photograph into 9 sections.
• Insert the features in their exact positions using simple lines being guided by the squares.
• Label the important features e.g. vegetation, land use, prominent buildings, transport, and communication.
• Give the sketch a suitable title.