State what you can see. Keep suggested explanations separate, and check the image's place, date and scale.
A photograph shows what was visible from one viewpoint at one time. Start with observations: features you can actually see. An inference is an explanation you suggest from those observations; it needs further evidence.
A ground photograph shows foreground, middle distance and background. Near objects may hide distant ones. In the USGS South Platte River ground view, water and rocks fill the foreground, plants line the banks and a bridge appears farther away. These are observations. The image cannot tell you annual flood frequency or whether the water is safe.
An aerial photograph shows a local area from above. In the separate USGS aerial view, a river lies in the middle, plants border it and a narrow pale path runs along the right edge. Do not assume the ground and aerial views show the same stretch of river or the same moment.
A satellite image can cover a much wider area. The Terra MODIS image from 19 June 2013 shows smoke extending from Sumatra towards Singapore and Malaysia. Read its labels and 100 km scale. It shows a regional pattern, not conditions for each neighbourhood.
To sketch the aerial photograph, draw a frame with similar proportions. Outline the river, banks and path in their relative positions, then use simple shapes for vegetation. Point short annotations at specific features. "Vegetation borders the river" is observable; "the river never floods" is not.
Add the place and image date. If only a publication date is known, label it as such. Do not invent a capture date, north arrow or numerical scale when the image gives none.
Step by step
Check the view
Read location, date, viewpoint, scale and colour key before interpreting.
Select key features
Separate visible natural and human features and their relative positions.
Sketch and annotate
Use simple outlines, precise labels and a clear distinction between evidence and inference.
Worked example: A satellite view needs ground evidence too
NASA's 19 June 2013 image shows a regional smoke plume extending towards Singapore. It does not measure how much pollution each resident breathed. That question needs ground measurements for the relevant places and times.
Watch out for this
A photograph tells you what every location outside its frame is like.
It shows a selected area and moment. Viewpoint, obstruction, resolution, season and image processing can all limit what is visible.
Check your understanding
Which annotation is supported directly by the aerial river photograph?
- The river water is safe to drink.
- This site floods exactly twice every year.
- Vegetation borders the river, and a narrow path appears along the right side.