Taking CAP Mission Pictures

For comments about this file, email to: paul@kinzelman.com, Capt, NMWG.
Last updated Sept 13, 2008

Procedure Overview

• Take the pictures.
• Make an entry in your picture log for EACH picture with the required information. The information is:
  • Picture number
  • Date
  • Time (Zulu time will be needed later)
  • Location
  • Latitude and Longitude. Ask the pilot how to read the current position from the GPS. Each one is different.
  • Name of object
  • AGL altitude
  • Direction the camera was pointing. You can determine this by looking at the pilot's directional gyro (DG). For instance, if you're shooting out of the left side of the plane, the camera direction will be the heading read from the left side of the DG. If the airplane is heading 030 degrees (read from the top of the DG), then the camera direction would be 300 degrees (read from the left side of the DG).
• Note that the date for Zulu time could be one day ahead of your local date (in the US) if the difference between your local time and Zulu time spans midnight. For instance, 03SEP08 2200 EST in Zulu time is 04SEP08 0300Z.
• After you return to base, copy the pictures from the camera to your computer's hard drive.
  In most cameras you just remove the micro-chip, plug it into your PC, and copy the pictures over to some folder you've created.
• Run the CAP Picture Labeling Software.
• Upload the pictures to WMIRS.

Picture Labeling Software

How to upload pictures to WMIRS

• First log into WMIRS and view the list of sorties for the mission for which you have pictures to be uploaded.
• On the row listing your sortie, toward the right, click on the little ICON image of a camera. This will take you to the Image Management Page for that sortie.
• Then for each image...
  • Click on the "Add Image" button.
  • Fill in all the data requested and browse to the corresponding image file. This should be the same information that you've already filled in when you ran the picture labeling software.
  • Note that the date must be in the format of MM/DD/YYYY but if you click on the calendar ICON to pick the date, it'll do the right thing.
  • In the "Objective:" blank, include your AGL altitude and the direction in which you were pointing the camera when you took the picture.
    For example, you could enter: "Refinery, 1000AGL, facing north". [TBD]What does WMIRS mean by "from collection desk when available" for this blank?[TBD]
  • When all the information is filled in, click on the "UPLOAD IMAGE" button at the bottom of the page.

NMWG has created a bogus mission and sortie in WMIRS for you to practice uploading images. The sortie is [TBD].

Picture Taking Hints

• Start with a blank memory card so that the first picture on the card is the first picture of the mission. It makes correlating the picture number to the file number that the camera writes (like "img_123.jpg") easier.
• Turn off your flash.
• Make sure the window through which you'll be taking pictures is clean.
• Watch the lense cap and strap.
• Make sure you have a notebook for logging the information needed for each picture.
• Be aware of the direction of the sun. The best pictures result from the sun being as directly behind the camera as possible, thereby lighting up the same thing that the camera is seeing.
• Remember they don't want to see parts of the airplane in the picture - wheels, struts, etc., so be aware of that when you're pointing the camera and framing your picture.
• Consider opening the window and taking a picture without the plexiglass in the way. This should be done only after discussing it with the pilot and if the Airplane Flight Manual allows flight with the window open. Watch for any limitations imposed by the AFM for the operation. And if you do open the window, wrap the strap around your wrist, and don't actually hold the camera outside the window because the slipstream can cause the camera to vibrate and fuzz the picture.
  Also, if you're wearing a headset, consider unplugging the mic slightly when the window is open, because the air will probably open the squelch and make it difficult for the pilot to hear the radios. And if you do that, you may have to use hand signals to communicate so work that out beforehand.
• Consider having a third person on the mission to do the logging so that the photographer can concentrate on taking the pictures. Before the flight, the photographer and logger must agree on how to make sure the log stays in sync with the pictures that the photographer is taking.
• Don't allow any part of the camera to touch the airplane. The engine vibration can fuzz the picture. You can hold your finger between the camera and the window or frame as a spacer. Your finger will dampen the vibration and you won't have to watch the spacing as closely so you can concentrate on the target.
• Take the picture as close to the window as possible, and as perpendicular to the window as possible because you'll have less distortion from the plexiglass.
• The pilot should remember that he needs to position the plane where you need it to get the picture you want. So you (the photographer) need to tell him how you want him to fly and how much to bank and/or slip over the target, but of course, he can and must veto any request not consistent with safety of flight. The pilot should be flying the plane and watching for traffic, terrain, and weather, and not be paying too much attention to the target itself.

Picture Labeling Standard

AFNORTH's standardized imagery identification labeling requirement for CAP is:

• Date in Military format - Example: 03SEP08
• TOT: Time Over Target (zulu) - Example: 0930Z
• Location: City and State/GPS Coordinates/ North arrow annotated
  Example: Biloxi, MS/ Latitude: N35 5.37 W95 24.8
• Object: Name of object imaged - Example: Chalmette Refinery