Photomontage

The Purpose of Visualisation

We produce  technical visualisations,  which are intended to form part of a  Landscape and Visual Impact assessment (LVIA), Townscape and Visual Impact Assessment (TVIA) or Landscape and Visual Appraisal (LVA) that typically accompany planning applications. It is critical that these visualisations are accurate, objective and unbiased. Their use as part of an iterative process of assessment and design can help inform sensitive siting, design and primary mitigation, all of which are important considerations in the planning process.

The Process

Our photomontages are carried out in accordance with the industry standard technical guidance – Visual Representation of Development Proposals Technical Guidance Note 06/19 17 September 2019. This is an established methodology that enables a transparent and replicable output using a structured process.

Steps in the Process

• Panoramic photographs are taken using a FFS + 50mm  camera at agreed viewpoints using a tripod and indexed pano head.
• Coordinates of the location are recorded.
• Photos are stitched using a cylindrical projection.
• A 3D model is produced using topographical survey data, National Lidar height data and Ordnance Survey digital map data as well as the 3D cad model of the proposal.
• Virtual cameras are set up in the model corresponding to the recorded coordinates of the photo and set to the ground level of the viewpoint location.
• Outputs from the virtual cameras are overlaid on the corresponding panoramic photos and aligned using reference points that are common to the photo and the model.

Stages of Development and Mitigation

The photomontages are often used to illustrate the effect of mitigation, such as woodland planting, and the proposal is represented at the completion stage as well as at 15 years post completion. In this way montages are often used in conjunction with LVIAs to explain the role of mitigation in reducing the long-term effects of a proposal.