The mounting of the regular camera auxiliaries—releases, sights,
propellers, speed controls, motors—is usually a great bother, due to
lack of space and to the severe restrictions on methods of fastening.
Screws in longerons or uprights are taboo. Metal straps to go around
structural parts are the approved device, but with variations in the
size of these members, the holes, straps, bolts and nuts provided are
very apt not to fit. Changes of construction, such as that from
skeletons covered with fabric to veneer bodies, also interfere with any
standard means of attachment, and leave this, like many other problems
in war-time aerial photography, to the resourcefulness of the man in the
field.
Magazine racks must be tucked away in any available space. Under the
seat is a position frequently utilized. Especially with plates is it
desirable to carry the extra magazines in a position to interfere as
little as possible with the balance of the plane. In the DH 4 this means
that they should be carried if possible forward of the observer, even
though he must turn completely around to get and insert each magazine.
IV
SENSITIZED MATERIALS AND CHEMICALS
CHAPTER XVII
THE DISTRIBUTION OF LIGHT, SHADE AND COLOR IN THE AERIAL VIEW
The general appearance of the earth as viewed from above has already
been described and illustrated (Figs. 10 and 11). It remains to deal
with the earth's appearance in a more analytic and quantitative manner,
in order to decide upon the characteristics to be sought in our
photographic sensitive materials.
=Range of Brightness.=—The absence of great contrasts so apparent in the
view of the earth from a plane is confirmed by photometric observations.
These show that the average landscape, as seen from the air, rarely
presents a range of brightness of more than seven to one, even when seen
without the presence of veiling haze. It is to be remembered that
shadows constitute no important part of the aerial landscape. Vertical
walls in shadow, which form a substantial part of the surfaces seen by
an observer on the ground, are invisible or greatly foreshortened from
the air. Moreover, they are never contrasted against the sky, which is
photographically often the brightest part of the ordinary picture. To
the aviator's eye shadows on the ground are only of any length at early
and late daylight hours. Even at these times they cover but a small
area, since the number of high vertically projecting objects in a
representative landscape is small. Lacking shadows, the brightness range
is only that between various kinds of earth, water, and vegetation.
Chalk (from freshly dug trenches), reflected sunlight from water, or
marble buildings, furnish almost the only extensions to the brightness
scale as above given.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account