813 
EFFECT CF FLYING HEIGHT ON THE COLOR OF TARGETS 
IMAGED ON COLOR INFRARED FILM 
1 / 
Jack H. Hansen 
University of Missouri-Columbia, U. S. A. 
ABSRACT 
Color shifts associated with three flying heights above the 
datum, namely 1500 feet (460 m), 6000 feet (1800 m) and 15000 
feet (4600 m) are analyzed on two flight dates. Color meas 
urements of imaged red, green and white targets on color infra 
red film are made with a Leitz MPV microspectrophotometer and 
specially written computer programs with color descriptions 
given in 1960 CIE-UCS u,v uniform chromaticity scale coordin 
ates. Color differences are statistically analyzed and anal 
ytical densities are determined. The hue of all imaged tagets 
shifted toward blue-green with increasing altitude when the 
exposure was consistent with the Kodak recommended decrease in 
exposure for increasing elevations. Generally, value and chroma 
decreased with increasing altitude with differences in the effect 
ive film exposure contributing to variations. Film exposure 
differences caused target reflectance related color shifts, 
therefore strict exposure control must be maintained where color 
comparisons between different flights will be made. Also import 
ant to photointerpreters is the color similarity found between 
the imaged targets on photography taken at the same altitude but 
on different dates. This suggests that photography flown on 
different dates may be compared directly, altitude for altitude, 
when taken under similar atmospheric conditions, exposure and 
time of day. 
ZUSAMMENFASSUNG 
Farbschwankungen verbunden mit drei Flughöhen, nämlich 1500 Fuss 
(460 m), 6000 Fuss (1800 m) und 15000 Fuss (4600 m) werden für 
zwei Flugdaten analysiert. Mit Hilfe eines Leitz MPV Mikrospek 
trophotometers und eines speziell entwickelten Computer-Pro 
grammes, dessen Farbbeschreibungen in CIE 1960 u,v einheitlicher 
Farbenskala gegeben sind, werden Farbmessungen der auf dem Infra 
rot Farbfilm rot, grün und weiss abgebildeten Objekte gemacht. 
Farbunterschiede werden statistisch analysiert und analytische 
Dichten werden bestimmt. Die Färbung aller abgebildeten Objekte 
verschob sich mit zunehmender Höne zu blau-grün, wenn die Belicht- 
J. H. Hansen presently is Associate Professor of Civil Engineering 
University of Tennessee Space Institute, U. S. A.