Isn't it possible to make reasonable crowd size estimates from photos?

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

(this photo was randomly selected from an old BBC story, not today's DC march)

I'd think that studies could be done with crowds of known sizes, taking pics of them from various heights and angles, to be able to correlate with crowd estimates.

I realize that often accurate crowd estimates are not desired by those who might do the counting, as large crowds are often doing things like protesting the government in power.

[eyesroll]

1. To be fair, accurate crowd estimates aren't usually given by the people

in charge of the crowd, either. The number is usually in between what the organizers say and what the police or press say.

[philarq]

2. Actually I believe that the U.S. Park Service

estimates crowds thus:

A--every outdoor area in Washington D.C. is a known size.

B--from the photo a density can be derived.

C--total crowd is density per known area and adding up areas filled.

At least thats the regular Fourth of July and New Years, story--

[meisje]

3. With ariel shots, yes

[NewInNewJ.]

4. I was there and I would bet there were between

200,000 & 300,000 there, at one point we had the White House surrounded from the Ellipse, you could not move, we stood for hours before we could move a few feet. It was the greatest experience I have ever had. My husband who is not easily impressed, was very impressed. It was wonderful. I have never been in such a crowd and what a crowd, those who believe and work for Peace!

[FloridaPat]

5. THe park service has always underestimated demonstrations in DC.

During the 60's & 70 and 80's even. A lot of things don't change.

[Freedomfried]

6. You can bet they have a software program for determining crowd size in DC

But they will never tell the truth.

they are very busy doing things we will never know about.

[seriousstan]

7. The Park service doesn't anymore becase everyone cries about it.

Every crowd, no matter what the agenda, complains that they were undercounted. i think the real peoblem is the overestimation of the people throwing the events.

I have been to several smaller protests and the reports I read here at the DU never match what I personally saw.