Aerial photographs are a little different than the photos you might take with your own camera. The primary aerial photographic product is a 9x9-inch color photograph, usually at scales from 1:10,000 to 1:50,000. Other types of photographs include panchromatic, false-color infrared, and black-and-white infrared. The National Geodetic Survey is transitioning from film-based aerial photography to digital aerial photography.
More than 500,000 photo negatives, dating from 1945 to the present year, exist in NOS archives and are maintained by the National Geodetic Survey. Surveys are conducted on varying time cycles, depending on the amount of change caused by human or natural forces. Photography is acquired when weather conditions, the sun angle, and water levels are optimal to capture the right shot.