By measuring the EMR (Electro Magnetic Radiation) from airborne system, remote sensing and aerial photography acquire information on Earth’s upper surface. However, there are differences between them as given below:
| Remote sensing | Aerial photography/photogrammetry |
| Images are taken from satellites. | Usually taken from airplanes. |
| Images gathered by a digital CCD camera. | Photos obtained using analogue camera, converted to digital mode through scanning.
Film has high resolution. |
| In CCD, radiation reaching the sensor is measured quantitatively. | Whole picture is taken at one instance, hence is a central projection. |
| Linewise image generated, therefore geometrical correction is complicated. | Gathers data in the visible spectrum
Air photos are affected from haze. |
| Devised for gauging radiation in electromagnetic spectrum. | Accurate 3D model generation for boundary location plot of objects and generation of Digital Elevation Model. |
| Images are affected by absorption. | Air photos can be interpreted more easily. |
| Using atmospheric corrections, analysis of inbound electromagnetic spectrum. | |
| Images problematic to process and require skilled people. | |
| Quite beneficial for following happenings on worldwide scale. Satellites cover an extensive stretch and acquire all time images and revisit the same place at fixed interval. |