This site is a set of pages and pictures telling about Kite Aerial Photography, using a kite to do aerial photography. The idea of Kite Aerial Photography, or "KAP", was something I just happened slip into from reading a D.I.Y. book back in y. 2001. After realizing this is doable I was sold for the idea. Before I never enjoyed windy days, those we have plenty of here at the west coast in Finland, but after having finalized the first KAP equipment, windy days have become just lovely days. In contrast to having my eyes tied to the computer screen, I started to put my eye in the sky whenever there was a chance to. In addition to documenting the equipment I have been using, this site also serves as a picture gallery from my neighborhood in this end of the world, which might make it a little more unique. I was active with KAP during y. 2002 - 2007, after which drones started to take over productivity in the Aerial Photography area. Happy clicking!
-johan-
The need of a kite was quite obvious as I decided to give KAP a try. To make my own kite was beyond my interest, so I was looking around in kite-shops to find something good. With the help from KAP resources on the net I knew that single line kites are very usable and especially some models that are good lifters.
There are framed kites and soft kites. A Flowform is a soft kite (without frame and sticks), it gets the form and shape as the wind blows through it. The kite can be packed into a small bag. Quick to get into air and easy to carry with you in your back-pack.
A soft kite many KAPers are recommending are named Sutton FlowForm. An other FlowFlorm sold in Europe is HQ FlowForm that is cheaper, but heavier than Suttons, which make them require more wind. I finally ordered an HQ FlowForm 2.
Now with some experience from this kite I now it is working, especially in 6-9 meter per second wind. The size if the kite is about 1,5m x 2m and has an area of 2,7 square meters.
The kite becomes very steady when reaching an altitude above tree tops. Usually 50-100m kiteline is needed to get good views. However, the kiteline I use has a length of 200m.
In order to attach the camera to the kite line, a special "Rig" is needed. I built my first rig combining ideas from several sources. The goal was to make a cheap rig to get a taste of what KAP is in reality. For this a simple Pocket Film Camera was used. The camera was put into a cradle of wood equipped with a mechanical timer.
After only a month of use, I was already working on the second rig with a digital camera and remote control for controlling the shutter from ground.
Consist of a frame of light balsa-wood serving as a cradle for the camera. A strong rubber band holds the camera in place. Another rubber band will draw the shutter arm down to hit the shutter button when the timer triggers.
The cradle is attached to a "cross" that in turn hangs under the kite line. When the timer triggers, a picture is taken and the read float will fall down a few feets to visually indicate to the ground that the picture is taken.
The camera can be tilted all way to pointing straight down or turned around for panning and locked in any position prior to setting the timer and letting the rig up in the air.Total weight of the rig is 500 grams.
The timer was taken from the inside of an "Egg-timer" that can be set up for many minutes. When the timer trigges, a steal wire falls into a small opening in the timer, just enought to release and drop the shutter arm.
Right: Timer in close up. The thin nylon thread of the float is released automatically as the shutter arm goes down.
This rig is made of light Aluminium, holding a digital camera. The camera is a simple point-and-shoot camera, without optical zoom and fixed focus (zoom is seldom needed typical KAP pictures). The HP Photosmart 435 was the cheapest used camera I could find second-hand and that was light enough (170 grams with batteries). It has 3.2M pixels which is enough for up to A4 size printing if the picture is sharp.
The shutter control here is made with radio control from the ground. This is far better than using a timer as you can decide exactly the timing for the shot. Also you can make subsequent shots when you believe the camera is in good position.
To allow best possible reception of the signal, the antenna of the receiver need to be as far as possible away from other metal parts. It is hanging down below the black box to the right. The read part behing the black box is made of balsa wood.
The total weight of this rig including batteries is, like the first rig, 500 grams.
The camera is attached to the rig using the tripod screw hole.
The radio control for the shutter is made from a "wireless door-bell" that was hacked a litte to work with the camera. Also the camera was opened to connect a pair of wires to the shutter switch... With the remote controlled shutter, many shots can be made while the camera is up, which saves a lot of time. Of course the camera has to be taken down in between to check the result and possibly tune the tilt and panning.
Let the kite go up 10-30 meters to a stable altitude (the wind is usually turbulent at the ground). Attach the rig with its wires to the kite line in two pints (1st picture) and let the camera go up by letting out 30-100 meters more line. Try to see where the camera locates relative to the scene or target, move around on the ground or let out more line until the location is ok.
Now the kite line can be anchored to something steady on the ground (bi-cycle, car, tree, fence- or lamppost) to relieve pressure from yourself. You can easily reach the camera by walking by the kite line, pressing it down with your hands as you walk. Soon the camera will come down so you can re-position it (and advance the film and reset the timer if there is no remote control). Then just take your hand from the kite line and the camera will in no time go up to the same position again as the anchor place has not changed.
In harder winds the car is a perfect place to tie the kite line to off-load yourself. If the anchor place need to be adjusted, just move the car around (slowly ;-) as the kite and camera is up.
KAP på Strömsö! 28.10.2007
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