1. Visual Interpretation Skills
How to read a satellite image

2. What do you need to interpret remotely sensed imagery?
Familiarity with the specific area or similar areas
Basic interpretation skills
Image prints that are of sufficient quality
Projection grid marks on the image are helpful to locate oneself on the image using a GPS
Equipment to protect the imagery if working in the field
Tools to transcribe information onto the image

3. Basic Elements of Visual Interpretation
Tone (color)
Size and shape
Texture and pattern
Relative and absolute location
Shadows

4. Tone and Color
Variations in tone and color results in all of the other visual elements
When looking at a image photo we associate specific tones to particular features
Tones change when we enhance an image or when we change the band combination of a color image

5. Size and Shape
Rectilinear and circular features often indicate human influence such as agriculture
Size and shape information greatly influenced by image resolution
Knowing the scale of the image helps to convert image feature dimensions to actual dimensions

6. Texture and Pattern Varies with image resolution
Often noted by roughness or smoothness
Influenced by shadows

7. Relative and Absolute Location
The location of a feature narrows the list of possible cover types
Relative location particularly useful to determine land use

8. Shadows
Often considered a contaminant but can be very useful to identify features on an image
Helpful to accentuate relief
Shadow effects change throughout the day and throughout the year
Shadows can give an indication to the size of a particular feature