Bird's-eye view

Bird's-eye view
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Graphical projection

A bird's-eye view is an elevated view of an object from above, with a perspective as though the observer were a bird, often used in the making of blueprints, floor plans and maps. It can be an aerial photograph, but also a drawing. Before manned flight was common, the term "bird's eye" was used to distinguish views drawn from direct observation at high locations (for example a mountain or tower), from those constructed from an imagined (bird's) perspectives. Bird's eye views as a genre have existed since classical times. The last great flourishing of them was in the mid-to-late 19th century, when bird's eye view prints were popular in the United States and Europe. The terms aerial view and aerial viewpoint are also sometimes used synonymously with bird's-eye view. The term aerial view can refer to any view from a great height, even at a wide angle, as for example when looking sideways from an airplane window or from a mountain top. Overhead view is fairly synonymous with bird's-eye view but tends to imply a less lofty vantage point than the latter term. For example, in computer and video games, an "overhead view" of a character or situation often places the vantage point only a few feet above human height. See top-down perspective. Recent technological and networking developments have made satellite images more accessible. Microsoft Bing Maps offers direct overhead satellite photos of the entire planet but also offers a feature named Bird's eye view in some locations. The Bird's Eye photos are angled at 40 degrees rather than being straight down. Satellite imaging programs and photos have been described as offering a viewer the opportunity to "fly over" and observe the world from this specific angle. In filmmaking and video production, a bird's-eye shot refers to a shot looking directly down on the subject. The perspective is very foreshortened, making the subject appear short and squat. This shot can be used to give an overall establishing shot of a scene, or to emphasise the smallness or insignificance of the subjects. These shots are normally used for battle scenes or establishing where the character is. It is shot by lifting the camera up by hands or by hanging it off something strong enough to support it. For a scene that needs a large area shot, then it will most often likely to be lifted by a crane or some other sort of machine.

Gallery

Bird's-eye view

A view of central London

Flying above the ESO's Atacama Large Millimeter Array site.

Bird's Eye View drawing of the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition 1909

Aerial view of Disneyland in 2004

Article Sources and Contributors

Article Sources and Contributors

Bird's-eye view Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=543183113 Contributors: 0900moosa01, 16@r, Acdx, Alarob, Aleksandr Grigoryev, Allefant, Beland, Cmadler, David Shankbone, Dicklyon, Dogears, Dpv, Dream out loud, Drru0999, Elekhh, Frymaster, GTBacchus, Guy1890, Halloleo, Hasanisawi, Hraefen, Jagged 85, Jamesx12345, Jmencisom, JordoCo, Joseph A. Spadaro, Jrsnbarn, Kye3333, Lcarscad, Magioladitis, Maire, MarylandArtLover, Matthew Yeager, Mccunecollection, Mursel, Mutunus.tutunus, Natcase, Onofre Bouvila, Otownfla, Outriggr, Paris 16, Patrick, Patrick-br, RedCoat10, Reesej2, Rondnoirm, SGGH, SharkD, Spaminatrix, Suduser85, Trelio, Umer07, Wknight94, Wolffystyle, 30 anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors

file:Axonometric projection.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Axonometric_projection.svg License: Public Domain Contributors: Yuri Raysper File:Baku-London flight.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Baku-London_flight.jpg License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Contributors: User:Azeri File: Flying above the ALMA Site.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Flying_above_the_ALMA_Site.jpg License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Contributors: Jmencisom File:A-Y- P Exposition bird's eye view postcard.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:A-Y-_P_Exposition_bird's_eye_view_postcard.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: William Caughey File:Disneyland Annaheim.JPG Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Disneyland_Annaheim.JPG License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 2.0 Contributors: Elf, Gdgourou, Horst Frank, MB-one, Ske, 1 anonymous edits

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