The work set its task to develop and verify a possibility to use in practice the method of remote analysis of phytocenoses based on tangential shooting in usual color format and as simple as possible transformation of the obtained digital information. We implemented this idea by developing a technique of shooting with the calculation of the index of phytocenosis diversity. The first step of algorithm consisted of obtaining tangential images of plant communities and its transformation into two original indexes. Then we compared these indexes with the results of real field observations and analysis of native and transformed hyperspectral space images on the same territories, including technogenic intrusions on the border with agro-ecosystem. As it turned out, although the method is somewhat inferior to NDVI mapping in its sensitivity, the use of simple equipment and ground-based nature of the photo shooting makes it prospective for express analysis of territories. This is useful for identifying ‘area of interest’ and ‘risk territories’ in the analysis of various phytocenoses both in ecology and agriculture.