1. Final adjustments to the boom camera After consulting with site architect Joseph Roberts (right), the photographers make final camera adjustments.

2. Camera boom is readied With the tripod and boom in the correct position for shooting a plan view of this structure, the team prepares for the lift.

3. Raising the camera boom A member of the crew supports the camera while the photographer – at the other end of the boom – steadies the tripod and begins the lift.

4. Ready for the photo shoot With the boom in the correct position, the chief photographer makes his final camera adjustments and then begins to snap digital photographs.

5. More photos to come Joseph Roberts (left) and Dr. Soles discuss the shoot setup and the many other buildings that must be photographed. It is a precise and labor-intensive process … but something that must be done to thoroughly document the excavation site.

6. Plan view photo of an ancient building Overhead photography using the boom system enables archaeologists to create a complete mosaic of the excavation site, which can be used by future researchers to study the cultures that lived here.