CLAVES METODOLÓGICAS PARA LA ADQUISICIÓN Y USO DE COLECCIONES FOTOGRÁFICAS DE ELEMENTOS PATRIMONIALES

Abstract

This paper deals with the set of photographs that is usually taken as part of the normal documentation in no matter which project of geometric documentation of the Heritage. Photographs are a quick and cheap way to obtain detailed information about the visual appearance of the elements; moreover, they can be used metrically with different degrees of accuracy: from the dimensional analysis through perspective of single images to the photogrammetry both stereoscopic and convergent. Therefore, photographs might be an interesting choice when we need a detailed documentation and, almost the only one, if we count on a smallbudged. Anyhow, the fact of being suitable for low cost projects does not mean that they should be avoided in other situations; on the contrary, a good photographic collection is always an asset for every project. This ability to keep a fair record of the elements makes the photographs very appropriate for preservation purposes. Nevertheless, a photographic collection is far more than a stack of image files stocked in a hard disk or a DVD: it is a reservoir of information that can be recovered in the future. In order to do so, it is necessary to associate the images with some information concerning context, radiometry and geometry.