5. Aerial photograph sources

Sources: Local newspapers have aerial photographs, usually in black and white.

Local flying clubs may have members who are prepared to overfly your area and take photographs if you cover costs.

Local flying centres may be approached for a hire service and local hot air balloon enthusiasts/clubs can be hired or paid costs. Commercial aerial photograph companies offer varying packages. Check that their service is a colour one, and that they will laminate photographs. This service costs extra, but extends the use and life of photographs and is well worth it.

Reputable companies

Photoair has packs on rivers: these include the Thames, Severn, the Stour, the Darent and the Medway. They expect you to choose two packs - a national and a local river when you order. They also have a pack on settlement and can tailor make your school locality pack. The photos are now available on CD ROM. Photoair, 191A Main Street, Yaxley, Peterborough, PE7 3LD Tel: (01733) 241850.

Wildgoose Publications mentioned in the first section produce a wide range of local and other U.K. aerial photos on request.

Hunting Aerofilms Gate Studio, Station Road, Boreham Wood, Herts, WD6 1EJ Tel: (0181) 207 0666.

Your best local Kent supplier is: Fuller Franklin Photographic, 8 Lockham Farm Avenue, Boughton, Manchelsea, Maidstone ME17 4TN Fax/Tel: 01622 609975

Robin Fuller will visit your school to tailor-make the provision to your requirements, whether you need local area photos or photos of Kent themes or places. His photos are oblique and near vertical, as opposed to true vertical. It is still necessary to go to major companies for these.

Ask your local secondary school for its discarded GCSE oblique and vertical aerial photographs. You may be given sets, although they are unlikely to be of your area.

Satellite images

These are amongst the exemplar secondary resources in the Key Stage 2 programme of study for National Curriculum Geography 2000. They are useful resources to motivate, challenge and stimulate children relating to themes or place work. Regional (e.g. SE England), UK, Europe and world satellite images are now widely available in display-size format. They are best bought already laminated: the extra cost is readily regained with longevity and practicality of use. Lamination allows for wipe-off pen and sticker use.

Such satellite posters can be obtained from Stanfords, listed earlier under ’Globes’ or by mail order from: MJP Geopacks and Wildgoose Publications. Addresses given in section 1 above.

A specific resource for teachers and pupils at Key Stage 2 now exists: -

Images of Earth: A Teacher’s Guide to Remote Sensing in Geography at Key Stage 2, Barnett, Kent and Milton (eds), Geographical Association, 1994. (Address on resources page 1 and 7)

It contains colour images for classroom use. Some of the images relate to St Lucia in the Caribbean and Castries, a commonly used locality there, found in a whole range of other media now.

Multiple copy packs of images of Manaus, Brazil (Amazon River), Mt St Helen’s, USA and Castries, St Lucia from the pack are also available separately.

Theme photopacks

Photopacks which include a range of side view and aerial view photos are available from:
112A Alcester Road, Studley, Warwickshire B80 7NR.

Folens:
Physical Features, Weather, Environmental Change, Aerial Photographs

Philip Green Educational:
Weather, Water, Climates Landscapes, Polar Regions, Deserts