As many people, businesses, etc, are still being caught stealing images from this and many other websites a new policy has now been adopted - in the public interest, naturally.

The names and details of many of the known thieves have been added to a unique .pdf file along with a description of their thefts and the action taken, lies they've told, damages paid etc.

This file of course doesn't include those who have promptly and fairly settled the claims made against them and asked for confidentiality. (So it's pretty much a full list of all offenders.)

Categories of offenders include government agencies, councils, churches and religious organisations, schools and travel & tourism companies as well as a wide selection of self-styled "media professionals". Repeat offenders of course get a special mention.

Other photographers who have the names of offenders are very welcome to join in this process. If we can't stop the thieves then at least we can shame the culprits and damage their incomes as they have so crudely damaged ours by their thefts of our work.

Access to the file is by request only, for the moment.

As well as aerial photos some of the images on this site are of the same subjects but are taken from ground level.

To identify which pages have non-aerial images (and some in the future may be ground-level only with no aerials at all) they're marked in the indexes with double brackets, as in:

   « Tournament Bridge »

Occasionally people ask about the editing of our images and whether it's really a good idea. It is, for many reasons.

A lot of the photos taken by 197 aerial photography are of tourist-based subjects and these days, society being what it is, there is often human detritus lying about. Old burger and pizza boxes, cans, litter and general waste. Plastic bags blown into trees and bushes are also remarkably common. As well as that there are frequently areas of grass that look a bit worn or untidy and occasionally there are weeds growing on paths or roads. More and more potholes are showing up on streets and pavements as well. You've probably noticed that sort of thing happening pretty well everywhere if you live in the UK.

So, by using Photoshop (all trade marks acknowledged) images can be tidied up a bit. A little touch of digital gardening or home maintenance can work wonders to improve a photograph and it's often well worth fixing broken roof tiles or tidying up staining on buildings from loose guttering. There is also the occasional need to edit out people or even vans with obvious advertising on them, if the image calls for it.

Sometimes, as in the photo of the four Waverleys arriving at Ayr, the software is used just to have fun. The same with the panoramas; joining two or more photos together (sometimes as many as five or six) can produce some stunning pictures.

But quality results are obviously dependent on having good quality images to begin with. Using complex editing software can never be a replacement for photographic skill or a good eye for a picture.

And of course all of this has led to the thought that "to Photoshop" is an irregular verb.

 I make artistic improvements to my images.

  He tries to rescue bad work that isn't quite good enough.

    They can't work a camera to save their lives and need all the help they can get.


Is that a ballistic missile coming this way? Again...