Air Photo Request

The GIC welcomes the University community and the general public to use the collection for general interest or research purposes.

Commercial Orders

Individuals representing a commercial interest who want to use the historical air photo collection as a commercial reference source can borrow the photos for a fee. For information regarding our service, policy and charges, please see:

 

The photos can be borrowed for a one week loan only. The GIC does not sell any air photos.

The GIC will perform the search and compile a set of photos for your area of interest. In general the set will consist of the most recent and most historic photos from our collection, as well as one or two stereo-pairs from each decade in between. We will automatically select the best scales (i.e. largest scale) and year gaps based on what is available.

You may also indicate any specific dates or time periods of interest when placing your order and we will try our best to accommodate your request.

Area of Interest

Determining the extent of coverage needed when requesting air photos is critical. We require a Google Earth (.kmz) file that clearly outlines your site and area of interest in order to avoid mistakes and overcharges. Google Earth is freely available for download from Google. For instructions on how to create a kmz file, please see:

Google Earth .kmz map samples:

To place an order:

Please email us at gic@geog.ubc.ca with:

  • Area of interest / site address
  • .KMZ file
  • Project number and/or purchase order number (if any)
  • Preferred method of delivery (pick up or courier)

If it is your organization’s first time ordering photos from us please include a billing contact and address. The invoice will be emailed to you once the order has been completed and our staff will soon reach out to you to arrange for payment. Please DO NOT include any credit card information with your order.

Standard turn-around time is two-business days.

An air photo of North Vancouver, BC from 1940.