A method for determining structural vibration mode characteristics includes preparing a digital image correlation (DIC) dataset for the component, applying a dynamic mode decomposition (DMD) technique to the DIC dataset to determine a plurality of DMD modes, selecting at least one dominant DMD mode from the plurality of DMD modes, classifying each of the at least one selected dominant DMD mode as a standing wave or a traveling wave, and determining structural vibration mode characteristics of the component by extracting the structural vibration mode characteristics from each of the at least one selected dominant DMD mode having a standing wave classification.