Infrared is a longer wavelength than visible color.  By using a camera that can see infrared, we can take an image of it.  Our infrared images can also be color infrared (meaning the green and red channels are also used), making them easier to interpret.  Infrared can help show problem areas on fields (like spokes, rings, irrigation leaks, dead areas, etc) more clearly than color.  For forestry applications, infrared is often used as a clearer way to do stem counts and type trees.

Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, or NDVI, is a vegetation index and is one of the several vegetation indices Eagle uses.  NDVI combines the red color and infrared parts of the images together into a ratio.  This creates the index.

NDVI, and other vegetation indices, show relative growth vigor, and are primarily used for agriculture.  Growth vigor corresponds to the health of the plants.  We say that the index is relative because it only shows how well an area of a field is doing compared to the rest of the field at the moment the image is taken.  It is not an absolute value, so it cannot be used to compare exactly to other fields or other days.  It provides a tool, but does not take human expertise out of the equation.

Many things that affect the health of the plants.  This might be over or under watering or fertilizing, a pH imbalance (in sensitive crops like blueberries), insect or pest infestations, disease, and even irrigation system problems like a broken or plugged nozzle.

No.  They will not show everything, and they will not necessarily tell you what the problem is.  It can't tell you if there is a pH problem, or if it is a disease.  What NDVI can do is tell you that the health and vigor of your plants is compromised.  Figuring out the exact cause, and the solution, are still the domain of the local expert (you or your crop advisor).  NDVI images are a great tool, but they cannot do everything.

Infrared images are real pictures of the reflected infrared (like color is a real picture of reflected color).  NDVI, on the other hand, is not an image of reality, but a visual representation of a ratio of a color channel plus the infrared channel.  This makes NDVI almost closer to a graph or chart than to a photograph.  The information is still quite real, but it is determined through formulas, not through reflected wavelengths.

It depends on the resolution and application.  We fly anywhere from 1500 to 15,000 feet above the ground.  Our flights are high enough that people on the ground are not aware of us.

Mooneys, because they are very fuel efficient.

We use Canon Professional Digital SLR cameras. We are currently using the Canon 5D camera with 12.8 megapixels. The camera gathers images at 12-bits per pixel and this is then converted to the desired output format (usually 24-bit RGB). It has a dynamic range that is excellent. Canon creates the best DSLR cameras in the world. Image quality is very important to us and these cameras really do deliver. We start with the Canon camera and then build it into our camera system. It is surrounded by a ¼ inch stainless steel chassis to maintain its internal orientation and alignment with the GPS and IMU (inertial measurement unit).

We use a separate camera for infrared.  We then use multi-modal image alignment software to create the color IR images and to ensure that they line up with the color images.

There is a reason that nearly all professional and artistic photographers have moved from film to the Canon digital cameras, and the cameras keep improving. Film use in aerial photography still has its place, mostly for adhering to old mapping, because a company wants to maintain a similar workflow and needs the 9 X 9 print format, or because an old specification is being used.

This varies substantially.  We are able to do resolution as high as just a few inches, but this is not always practical.  For agriculture, most of our images are taken between ¼ to 1 meter ground sample distance.  For forestry, it is generally about 2 feet.  We use the optimum point between cost effective images and resolution: enough to see what is going on, but not more.  We are very flexible and fly at many resolutions, so we will always discuss resolution options with you during planning.

All of the standard projections.  We have never encountered a projection we cannot do, in fact, so just ask!

We always set a minimum sun angle for our projects, that is usually around 45 degrees for forestry (sun angle is less of a problem for agriculture).  The reason for this requirement is that images taken in the morning and evening, when the sun is lower than 45 degrees, are not of the same high quality.  A high sun angle means that the light is consistent throughout the images, and, more importantly, that the shadows are minimized so you can see everything you need to see.  Our sun angle requirement is essentially a self-imposed quality check that ensures we are consistently delivering the highest quality images possible, even though it means we can only take images for a certain portion of the day. 
We could extend our flying time but our commitment to quality does not allow us to acquire and deliver inferior images.
Although we generally take our images with appropriate sun angles, this is to increase quality, not because our cameras require it: our cameras are excellent at lower light images. We often take images in the northwest in the dead of winter (the sun angle requirement must be adjusted). In most cases our cameras operate with a faster shutter than other systems. This allows us to use an aperture setting that takes advantage of the sharpest lens settings. A wide open lens will usually create more distortion. Also, the 12-bit dynamic range of our images provides excellent dynamic range. Even if shadows exist, our system can often see into them. This is how we are able to deliver winter images.

A lot more than you might think.  Images are orthorectified (a process that converts the 3D world into 2D) and georeferenced (this means adding information to the image that tells programs like GIS software where the image is located on the earth).  Also, the color of images is adjusted slightly to be realistic and consistent, and multiple images may need to be mosaiced together.  This intensive process takes several hours of work by skilled processing technicians. 

We have been evaluated by many customers, both private companies and government agencies, regarding the horizontal position accuracy of our images. In each case we have met or exceeded their accuracy requirements.

We have also been evaluated for image quality and again have met or exceeded other options. We do not use a fully automated approach to image adjustments. We use automation where it makes sense and we use humans where the computer falls short. Adjustments to compensate for atmospheric turbidity (changes in color due to changes in the atmosphere) are best done by experienced processing technicians. Our color quality is one of the major advantages of using the Canon cameras.

You will also have input into this process. We have found that certain companies are used to a particular color bias. In those cases, we use reference images to best match their requirement. This does not happen very often as our standard true color images are usually the best option.

Our images are orthrectificed. It is important to ensure that you are getting true orthorectified images. In normal photogrammetry, ground control targets are used to determine the external orientation of the image. This is the accurate location of the camera and where it was pointing at the time of exposure. By knowing the location of the ground control points and where those same ground control point targets are located on the image, the external orientation can be determined.

Our system uses a very accurate GPS (a few centimeters with post processing) and a very accurate IMU (inertial measurement unit). The GPS provides the location and the IMU (in conjunction with the GPS) provide the direction.
This data is then processed to create accurate external orientation. The external orientation is used along with the camera calibration data and the best available DEM to produce the orthorectified image. We use the Leica Photogrammetry Suite from ERDAS for orthorectification.

Workflow integration is something that sets Eagle apart and makes it easy for you to actually use our images.  Instead of just sending images, we put time into assessing your data and work flow.  We accept data from you in the form you already use, so you don't have to change that.  Then, we find out what type of data will work best for you, and we deliver data in that form.  Beyond this, we work with you to customize our process so it really fits what you are doing.  This may mean keeping track of all of your fields and creating an imaging rotation system for you, or even flagging images of fields that have significant change from the last image so you can quickly look at high priority areas.  Whatever it is you are doing with the images, we can make your life a little easier, so the images come in seamlessly and you can just get right to work.

Our website, www.eagleimaging.net or from one of our many brochures.  Also, feel free to call or email any time with questions.

Please contact us for pricing information.  We do not list our prices because there are so many variables (the size of the project, what processing is needed, what resolution is required, etc) that it is very difficult for us to give a price estimate.  We are happy to explore all of the pricing options with you, however, so please do call or email.  We do not list prices online because so many factors are included, not because it is so expensive that if you have to ask, you can't afford it!  It is much more economical than you might think, so please give us some information about your project so we can give you an idea of pricing.

Often as quickly as 3 days, weather permitting.  Forestry images may take longer due to the large areas normally imaged for this application.  Images may be available faster for special arrangements (like irrigation monitoring) if less processing is required.  We would be happy to discuss these options with you.

Contact Eagle by phone or email.  We will discuss options and pricing with you.  Then you will receive a proposal with all of the image details.  When everything is worked out, we will fly the area as soon as weather and scheduling permit, and processing will begin immediately.  We will keep you updated on the status of the images.  When they are ready, you will receive them on a DVD or hard drive, and/or in poster or print form.

Since we own our own planes and equipment, all of our flights are custom.  You may order as small or large an area as you want: no need to pay for an entire county when you only want images of a field or harvest unit!  Our software allows us to be efficient when planning flights to image scattered sites, so please let us know exactly which areas you need to save us time and you money!  Keep in mind that the cost per acre is less when you order a larger area.

Theoretically yes, but as we all know the unpredictability of the weather, there are some definite limitations.  We are usually unable to take images on bad weather days (unless the clouds are very high and even), so we have to wait for clear skies.  Also, shadows are longer in the winter, which may make images less ideal for some applications.  The short answer is yes, weather permitting (although it's certainly easier in drier areas!).

If you need images in a broader time frame (a month, say, instead of on a particular day), we may be able to keep your data in the system and wait to fly it until it fits well in our schedule and can be combined with another project.  Since the flight would not be only for your images, the operating costs (and thus the costs to you) can go down.  Also, getting lower-resolution images is an option we can explore, but we want to make sure the images are high enough resolution that you can see what you need to see.