Photographic & Digital Skills (GIS)

Modern geographers use a wide range of digital tools alongside traditional map skills. At GCSE you need to understand how photographs, satellite images and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are used to investigate geographical questions. This lesson covers the interpretation of photographs and an introduction to GIS.

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Types of Photographs

Photographs are a valuable source of geographical evidence. You need to be able to interpret three types:

Ground-Level Photographs

These are taken from the ground — the same perspective as a person standing in the landscape. They are the most common type used in exams.

What you can identify:

• Land use (farmland, urban, industrial)
• Vegetation and physical features
• Building types and their condition
• Evidence of human activity (traffic, pollution, development)
• Weather conditions at the time

Aerial Photographs

These are taken from above, usually from an aircraft. They come in two types:

Type	Angle	What It Shows
Oblique aerial	Taken at an angle	Shows a 3D perspective; easier to interpret
Vertical aerial	Taken from directly above	Like a map; useful for measuring areas