How do I know whether I need LiDAR or photogrammetry?

Canopy is the fastest test. Bare, open site and you need a photorealistic model — photogrammetry is enough. Vegetation, and you need the true ground beneath it — that's LiDAR, because a camera can't see through leaves and laser pulses can find the gaps.

Is LiDAR always more accurate than photogrammetry?

They answer different questions rather than one being simply more accurate. Photogrammetry measures surfaces from photos; LiDAR measures true elevation, including ground under canopy. Accuracy is a chain — positioning, flight height, point density, control — not a single number quoted before we understand the site.

Will you recommend photogrammetry if it's cheaper and it fits?

Yes. If photogrammetry does what the project needs, that's the recommendation, even though LiDAR is the bigger invoice. A firm that recommends its most expensive sensor for every site is scoping its own job, not yours.

Using Topography and Aerial LiDAR in Active and Cold Case Investigations

Earl Bakke
7 days ago
3 min read

Updated: 18 hours ago

When an investigation involves a large, heavily vegetated area, the biggest challenge is often deciding where to begin. Ground-level searching can be slow and resource-intensive, while conventional aerial imagery may show only the tree canopy—not the terrain beneath it.

Topographic analysis and aerial LiDAR can help investigators see the landscape differently.

3D LiDAR topographical elevation mapping

Turning a Broad Area Into a Search Strategy

In a recent 10-year-old homicide investigation, a law-enforcement agency had narrowed its area of interest to approximately 50–60 acres. The area was densely vegetated, and there was no obvious location from which to build an effective search plan.

Historical LiDAR data collected approximately six months after the crime was located and processed. From that dataset, multiple digital terrain models (DTMs) were created to remove the vegetation layer and reveal the underlying ground surface.

The resulting terrain visualizations did more than identify general areas of interest. They revealed actual trail networks that existed shortly after the event. That historical context gave the agency a clear trail map to support continued investigative planning and help focus available resources. The agency is also considering a current, high-resolution LiDAR collection to build on the historical analysis.

Why Historical LiDAR Matters

Historical LiDAR can be particularly valuable when conditions have changed since an incident occurred. Vegetation grows, trails disappear, construction alters access routes, and natural processes can obscure subtle terrain features over time.

Depending on the quality, timing, and coverage of the available data, LiDAR-derived terrain models may help investigators evaluate:

Historic trail and access-route networks
Drainages, ravines, depressions, berms, and other terrain features
Areas affected by earth disturbance or changes in ground surface
Locations that may warrant additional investigation
Search-area priorities in large or difficult terrain

LiDAR is not a substitute for investigative work, field verification, or other evidence. It is a tool that can provide terrain context, identify areas requiring closer evaluation, and help agencies deploy personnel and resources more strategically.

From Data to Investigative Use

A useful LiDAR product is more than a raw point cloud or a map with a color ramp. Investigators need visualizations that answer practical questions:

Where could someone have accessed this area?
Which routes existed at the relevant time?
What landscape features may have influenced movement or concealment?
Which areas should be prioritized for field assessment?
How can the findings be clearly communicated to investigators, command staff, attorneys, or a search team?

Digital terrain models, Hillshades, slope visualizations, contour products, and carefully interpreted topographic maps can turn a difficult dataset into an operationally useful investigative exhibit.

Supporting Investigations With Geospatial Analysis

This year alone, ScenePhoto360 has assisted with five cold-case investigations using geospatial tools such as LiDAR-derived terrain analysis. Each case is different, but the goal remains the same: provide technically rigorous, understandable information that helps investigators ask better questions and make more informed decisions.

The image accompanying this article is an example of a LiDAR-derived terrain visualization. It illustrates how trails and subtle terrain features may become visible once vegetation is removed from the model. It is not from the investigation described above. All case information, work products, and locations remain confidential.

ScenePhoto360, LLC provides law-enforcement agencies, attorneys, and investigative teams with aerial mapping, LiDAR terrain analysis, point-cloud processing, 2D/3D scene documentation, and advanced aerial and thermal imaging. If you are evaluating whether historical or current LiDAR could support an active investigation or cold case, a conversation is always welcome.

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Tell us the tolerance your deliverable has to hold and what's on the ground, and we'll tell you honestly which sensor your site needs. See what LiDAR mapping covers, or start with a conversation.

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About the author

Earl Bakke, founder of ScenePhoto360 — Level II certified thermographer and FAA Part 107 drone pilot.

Earl Bakke is a Level II Certified Thermographer and FAA Part 107 pilot with night-operations authorization. Twenty years in law enforcement and crash reconstruction, 450+ thermal inspections, and testimony in criminal and civil proceedings. He founded ScenePhoto360 in Stillwater, Minnesota. Read the full background.