Repeat Photography Monitoring Made Easy G. Allen Rasmussen and Kathy Voth Revised 2024 by Eric Thacker, Randall Violett, Ruger Carter, and Dallen Smith
What Is Monitoring?
Professional land managers use monitoring as the basis for evaluating and making management decisions. The Society for Range Management has defined monitoring as, “The orderly collection, analysis, and interpretation of resource data to evaluate progress toward meeting management objectives” (1989). The amount of time and expertise this implies scares many people away. However, some monitoring techniques are not that complicated. At the most basic level, monitoring is defined as "to watch, observe, or check usually for a specific purpose" (Merriam-Webster, n.d.). There are many monitoring techniques. Here, we will discuss one of the simplest, cheapest, and quickest methods: repeat photography. By following the easy steps outlined here, range users will collect data and record interpretations over time to provide proof of change and management efforts.
Step 1: Get the Equipment
Equipment: 1. Smart phone or digital camera. 2. GPS unit (if camera or phone does not have this function). 3. Photo board. 4. Reference pole. 5. Notebook or digital notes. •
Smart phone: Most smartphones/cell phones are adequate at taking good quality photos and have GPS capabilities. It is best if the phone is able to take 8-megapixel pictures or better. The data and photos should be saved externally on cloud-based storage or a storage device such as an external hard drive.
•
Digital camera: Most cameras in use today are digital and should take pictures that are 8 megapixels or greater. We recommend that if you use a digital camera, purchase one with GPS capabilities.
1