Repeat Photography
Methods and Applications in the Natural Sciences
First developed in the 1880s as a way to monitor glaciers in Europe, repeat photography —the practice of taking photographs at different points in times from the same physical vantage point—remains an essential and cost-effective technique for scientists and researchers working to track and study landscape change.
This volume explores the technical and geographic scope of this important technique, focusing particularly on the intertwined influences of climatic variation and land-use practices in sculpting landscapes. Contributors offer a broad-perspective review of the state-of-the-art of repeat photography, with twenty-three chapters written by researchers around the globe who have made use of repeat photography in their work. Topics addressed include
- the history of repeat photography
- techniques for creating and analyzing repeat photographs
- applications in the geosciences
- applications in population ecology
- applications in ecosystem change
- cultural applications
Repeat Photography demonstrates the wide range of potential applications, examines new techniques for acquiring data from repeat photography, and clearly shows that repeat photography remains a valuable and efficient means of monitoring change in both developed and developing regions. Over one hundred sets of photographs, including thirty-two pages of color photos, serve as examples.
Recent concerns about climate change and its effects on natural landscapes, combined with ongoing concerns about land-use practices, make this state-of-the-art review a timely contribution to the literature.
"These remarkable essagys bring together a treasure chest of accumulated wisdom from more than three dozen scholars who have explored the world of repeat photography. From the rural Scottish Highlands to the desert landscapes of Arizona, these innovative case studies showcase the use of repeat photography in the sciences and provide general observations on the techniques and applications of this fascinating, rapidly evolving field."
"As an archivist, I applaud the myriad ways these talented scientists from around the world have incorporated repeat photogrpahy into their research. Historic photographs teach us much about environmental and cultural change and the continutiy--from subtle shifts to cataclysmic events. Thousands of images await discovery by like-minded, innovative scholars. Kudos to Webb, Boyer, and Turner for leading the charge."
"Repeat photography, which can be a rigorous, scientific technique requiring precision and patience, has made a significant contribution to the study of landscape dynamics over the past century. This book is a wonderful and uniquely important contribution to the proper use of this technique for contemporary ecological studies."
"Repeat photography proves that pictures are indeed worth a thousand words. What Webb, Boyer, and Turner teach us is that pictures also open up fresh paths of interpretation and understanding. New digital technologies and discoveries of historical photographic collections usher in an exciting era for appreciating cultural, ecological, and geophysical change. Spanning continents, disciplines, and techniques, Repeat Photography will become a standard reference."
Foreword (George E. Gruell)
Preface
TechniquesChapter 1. A Brief History of Repeat Photography
Chapter 5. Using Fixed-Point Photography, Field Surveys, and GIS to Monitor Environmental Change in Riemvasmaak, South Africa
Applications in the GeosciencesChapter 6. Repeat Photography of Alaskan Glaciers and Landscapes from Ground-Based Photo Stations and Airborne Platforms
Chapter 7. Documenting Disappearing Glaciers: Repeat Photography at Glacier National Park, Montana, USA (Daniel B. Fagre, Lisa A. McKeon)
Chapter 8. Historical Arroyo Formation: Documentation of Magnitude and Timing of Changes Using Repeat Photography in the Southwestern United States the Coming of the Interstate: Vermont’s Photographic Record of Landscape Use and Response (Paul Bierman)
Chapter 9. Clearcutting, Reforestation, and the Coming of the Interstate: Vermont’s Photographic Record of Landscape Use and Response (Paul Bierman)
Chapter 10. Population Fluxes in the Sonoran Desert Shown by Repeat Photography (Stephen H. Bullock, Raymond M. Turner)
Chapter 11. Repeat Photography, Climate Change, and the Long-Term Population Dynamics of Tree Aloes in Southern Africa (M. Timm Hoffman, Richard F. Rohde, John Duncan, Prince Kaleme)
Applications in Ecosystem ChangeChapter 12. Temporal Dynamics and Spatial Variability in Desert Grassland Vegetation of Southern Arizona, USA (Mitchel P. McClaran, Dawn M. Browning, Cho-ying Huang)
Chapter 13. Disturbance and Vegetation Dynamics in the Southern Andean Region of Chile and Argentina (Thomas T. Veblen)
Chapter14. Repeat Photography Challenges Received Wisdom on Land Degradation in the Northern Ethiopian Highlands (Jan Nyssen, Mitiku Haile, R. Neil Munro, Jean Poesen, A.T. Dick Grove, Jozef Deckers)
Chapter15. Cattle, Repeat Photography, and Changing Vegetation of the Victoria River District, Northern Territory, Australia (Darrell Lewis)
Chapter 16. People, Elephants, and Habitat Change in Amboseli National Park, Kenya: A Century of Change Detected by Repeat Photography (David Western)
Chapter 17. Repeat Photography and Low-Elevation Fire Responses in the Southwestern United States (Raymond M. Turner, Robert H. Webb, Todd C. Esque, Garry F. Rogers)
Cultural ApplicationsChapter 18. Written on the Surface of the Soil: Northwest Highland Crofting Landscapes of Scotland during the Twentieth Century (Richard F. Rohde)
Chapter 19. Photography and Rephotography in the Cairngorms, Scotland UK (Peter R. Moore)
Chapter 20. Learning Landscape Change in Honduras: Repeat Photography and Discovery (J.O. Joby Bass)
Chapter 21. Using Rephotography to Find Historic Trails and Campsites in the Southwestern United States (Tom Jonas)
Chapter 22. Shadows of Prehistory: Persistence and Change at Nordenskiöld’s Mesa Verde Archaeological Sites, Southwestern Colorado, USA (William G. Howard, Douglas J. Hamilton, Kathleen L. Howard)
Chapter 23. The Future of Repeat Photography (Robert H. Webb)
About the Editors
Contributors
Index
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