I am not the most camera aware person and I must admit using a film SLR 35mm camera with a fixed 50mm lens for work not that long ago.
However with the publication of the Landscape Institute Advice Note 01/11 – Photography and photomontage in landscape and visual impact assessment http://www.landscapeinstitute.org/PDF/Contribute/LIPhotographyAdviceNote01-11.pdf and the ease of using digital images forced my hand.
After taking much advice from colleagues, friends and the Bristol Camera Centre, I left behind my beloved and trustworthy film camera and purchased a new digital camera, suitable for supporting landscape and visual impact assessments (LVIA’s).
This is the camera equipment I currently use:
- D90 Nikon DX camera body.
- Nikon 35mm f2 Nikkor lens with clear filter to protect the lens. On a DX Nixon camera body, the focal length is equivalent to 52.5mm (in full frame 35mm film terms).
- Manfrotto adjustable tripod with the head fixed on a vertical and horizontal axis. This also includes a spirit level to ensure ‘level’ photographs.
- A detachable spirit level fitted to the top of the camera, to ensure ‘level’ photographs.
- All packed within a padded camera ‘ruck-sack’ with spare batteries, memory cards and instruction booklets.
I also use a hand-held GPS device for recording grid co-ordinates and height data (AOD) and a compass to ensure the direction of view is correct.
