INTERGEO TV Expert Talk about Photogrammetry
Guest: Barry Bassnett, Founder & Managing Director, RICHPiX Spatial Imagery
Drones, robots, and SLAM make big headlines, but project quality is decided earlier - and more quietly - in the image. In our INTERGEO TV Expert Talk, host Denise Wenzel speaks with Barry Bassnett, Founder and Managing Director of RICHPiX Spatial Imagery, to explore why camera craft is the geospatial field’s core competency, why heritage sites are unforgiving, and which simple habits can instantly improve photogrammetry.
Barry, you insist the camera - not the rig it rides on - is the heart. Why?
"Rigs are carriers—drone, rover, robot, even a tripod. The result is only as good as the image: correct exposure, true focus/sharpness, good optics, and consistent capture sequences. Nail those upstream and downstream processing becomes faster, cleaner, and more reliable."
What do teams underestimate most during capture?
"Light and cadence. Harsh contrast, mixed color temperatures, unstable rhythm, and patchy overlap all inject noise into reconstruction. A calm, repeatable sequence with controlled light beats sophisticated fixes later."
Let’s talk heritage. Why is Westminster Cathedrale a ‘no-excuses’ environment?
"Complex geometry, sensitive materials, restricted access—and surfaces that reflect or sink into shadow. If you haven’t preplanned, the model will punish you. Heritage work demands precision at capture, not heroics in software."
How do you prepare for sites like that?
"I “pre-compute” the light: scout at the same time of day, mark problem zones (backlight, specular highlights, tight passages), and plan alternates. Then run a steady, repeatable sequence. It’s method over magic."
Three quick wins for photogrammetry?
1) Stabilize.
2) Control light.
3) Slow down.
What do you say to “We’ll fix it in processing”?
"Garbage in, garbage out. No pipeline—no matter how advanced—can consistently rescue weak imagery. Maps start in the image. Accept that, and you protect schedule and scope."
What excites you over the next two years?
"Advances that elevate image competence: smarter sensors and metering for complex scenes, assistive tools that quantify capture quality on site, and workflows that push decision-making upstream—right where images are made."
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