Kite Aerial Photography

[rksmith51]

Do a search on the web for KAP and you may be surprised to see how active this type of photography is. I wondered if anyone here had given it a go, it can be a fairly simple setup or more elaborate with radio control pan, tilt and fire the shutter etc.

I'm just researching on the web at the moment but would like to hear from anyone that has given it a go.

[Cathus]

not yet, I like kite flying but not tried this, willing to give it a go, but might need to save up first.

[rksmith51]

When I add up how much it will cost for the radio, the kite and the special mounting I'm going off the idea too. I thought I could save some money buy making the kite myself but the sowing instructions are very complicated and you would have to make a template to cut the aerofoils etc. All that for a few interesting pictures. I don't think I'll be rushing into this one either.

I still fancy getting a big kite though, I'm sure my Grandson would appreciate it 

What kind of kite do you fly Cathus ?

[Cathus]

I have  a few sports kites, they're not big, delta wing dual line kites

[SimonW]

A long number of years ago I experimented with a fairly small and very stable single-string kite. I made a "traveller" - a stick with a couple of pulley wheels which ran on the kite string, and a sail to catch the wind and take it up the string. At the top, a stopper on the kite string knocked a wire on the traveller's sail to release it, and the traveller came back down. The idea was to attach a small (35mm film back then) camera with the shutter delay set to 20 seconds or so. Cheap, simple, and never got a decent shot! But you might like to try it.

I'd guess a radio shutter release might be good - lots more shots and probably better control over the height, but pan and tilt control sounds expensive and pointless unless you have a monitor on the ground.

Our Local CC has had two talks from Hawkeye (http://hawkeyescotland.com/) who makes his living from aerial photography - he tried kites and then went to helium balloons - seems a much better idea. (And he did use a monitor on the ground). But I think he's found aircraft even better nowadays.

Simon

[krennon]

My mate flies flexifoils (or at leat he used to hasn't done it for a while but he's still got them) He used to stack three together, then he stuck a small lightweight p&s on it and cobbled together a sort of remote release thing (not sure how he did it) and took a few shots, he did get some interesting shots but of course a lot of them were blurred or out of focus because the kite wasn't stable I reckon the success rate was about 1/15 shots in focus and not blurred.....fun though and years ago I got some great shots of him being lifted off the ground his feet literally 4' off the ground and he's 6' 2" so his head was 10' up in the air awesome shot alas I don't have it anymore (might even have been shot on film???)

[rksmith51]

Wow , sounds like it can be er,,, entertaining  . I was outbid on the radio gear on ebay so I'm bidding on another, if I get it cheep enough I'll give it a go but I'm not going to bust the bank to do it.

There are some very clever cradle arrangements to keep the camera steady now, and with digital its not such a pain if the hit rate is low. They say that FlowForm kites " look like a bit of a wing " flown on single string give loads of lift and are very stable, agin fairly expensive at about £60 but hard to sew for me, so I may just have to shell out for it.

[krennon]

Entertaining is not the word, and nope I can't find the photo I took, sorry think I confused things, he put a cheap digital p&s on the kite, I was using either a Kodak digital P&S or possibly a pentax film camera (kind of a bridge camera as had long zoom but not interchangeable lenses). He stacked 3 flexi foils together (kind of like the rectangular parachutes the display teams use) stuck the camera on the middle one and launched it, I was on the ground shooting him flying the kite and occasionally flying himself almost...Got some great shots which is why I am so bummed I can't find the shot...

[rksmith51]

Step one complete, I won a set of radio control gear on eeeebay for a good price. More reading to be done and decide if I should make a rig that holds the camera and control or buy one. Shame you cant find the images I bet that's annoying.

[rksmith51]

First, I got the name wrong its called Kite  Aerial Photography.

At last the parts arrived and I have put it all together ready to go flying. I have the kite too, a Flowform 16, but before I send the camera up I'm going to fly the kite with a similar weight attached to see how it all flies, pictures soon wind and time allowing.

[Jerry WSL]

Look forward to seeing the results!!

[irv_b]

Cool idea Bob, hope it comes off (not literally ) and you get some interesting shots!

[Oldboy]

Cool idea Bob, hope it comes off (not literally ) and you get some interesting shots!

[rksmith51]

I took the kite down the park this morning but the breeze was too light, better forcast for tomorrow. Another weather dependant hobby 

[Beaux Reflets]

A Helium filled balloon on a wire may be safer Bob. I saw one in operation last year at a show. Fully radio controlled it could flown in broad circles while the camera panned and snapped away with the operator seeing the camera's view on a screen beside his controls.

Hope your kit works well