Fixed Point Photography uses photographs taken from the same vantage point over time to create a timelapses of visual habitat change. This can be achieved by:
- marking a location with a post on which a camera can be mounted
- using ACE Nature's Fixed Point Photography App that enables you to mark a location using GPS, uses faded masks from previous photos to align new photos, and automatically creates timelapses
Main categories
- Monitoring Visual Habitat change
Relevant scenarios
- Farmers who want to do monitoring to engage local communities/the public with their nature uplift work
- Farmers who want to do monitoring for personal interest
- Farmers who want to do monitoring for SFI
The video below shows an example of some river restoration work captured using ACE Nature's Fixed Point Photography App.
How to
Android & iPhone Apps
The video below shows how to use our Android/iPhone Fixed Point Photography App:
Creating a new Fixed Point Photography Location
- When you are at the site from which you want to do a fixed point photography timelapse, tap Add Location
- Give the site a name, and tap Add Location again
- Tap on the site within the list of Fixed point locations, hold the phone in a Landscape (as opposed to Portrait) orientation, and tap the white circle to take the photo. The ability to add Portrait photos is coming soon!
- To view the photo, tap on the burger in the top left of the screen.
Adding to existing Fixed Point Photography Locations
- Open the App to view the list of fixed point locations – your distance from the locations is shown to the right of the location name. The App will show all locations near to you (not just the ones that you have created)
- When at the site of an existing location, tap on the location and hold your phone up to align the current view with the faded mask. If the mask is upside down, tap the curved arrow to flip it. Use the Opacity slider to alter the opacity of the mask. Use the Previous Photo slider to view older images if the latest one is not clear enough. Tap the white circle to take the photo.
- To view the timelapse, tap on the burger in the top left of the screen and then tap the photo to start cycling through them.
Uploading photos to a website
- Tap Share and then Collaborate – only use this feature if there is an ACE Nature server associated with your photography locations. If there is not, you can tap Save to Camera roll to save all the photos from the selected location to your phone’s camera roll
- Check that the correct server is showing. If it isn’t, tap Change Server.
- Tap Upload – the App will count down the photos and then display Upload complete
Web-based Phone App
The Web-based phone App is designed to be used by the public to contribute their own photos to timelapses. This App runs off specific URLs/QR codes and opens a browser with the base photo pre-loaded. Contact ACE Nature if you would like to use this option.
Example - Fixed Point Photography in action
Figure 1: Wendling Beck Fixed Point Photography
Questions or problems?
Get in touch and we'll help you get set up.