The Expensive Hobby Of Kite Aerial Photography

GoneGaryT writes "The BBC is running a cool article - strapping your digital camera to a kite and doing D.I.Y. aerial photography. Examples of suitable kites can be found here. Anyone want to try this from the top of an apartment building in London or NY? A pretty accessible pastime, so long as you can afford to lose the lot in a sudden gust!" High-res digital cameras have come down somewhat in price since the last time we mentioned this.

Comments

Kite photo gallery

[linuxwrangler]

Check out Charles C. Benton's Site for collections from years of kite photography.

what about strapping camera's to rc cars?

[narkotix]

we sometimes strap one of those x10 type wireless cams to rc cars...can be an interesting view especially when your chasing your dog/cat/annoying neighbourhood kid.

Re:a friend did do that

[jeffy124]

found it! http://prism.mem.drexel.edu/projects/kite/index.ht ml

IIRC, they had to develop a business case for the project (in other words, what engineers developed had to have a practical usage), and there was also some sort of entrpreneurial business plan competition sponsored by the business school going on at about the same time, so they also entered that contest using their kite project as a product and got an honorable mention. the page linked is what they submitted to that contest.

Amateur Radio Groups Having Done This For Years

[gpmidi256]

Loudoun Amateur Radio Group has been launhing balloons with both still and video camera's on them for years. Info and pics on all 8 of LARG's fights are avalible here here.

When I was a lad...

[CmdrWiggle]

Does anybody remember doing this with model rockets? There was one model that came with a Plexiglas payload and a specially fitted camera. The camera took 110 film (I think), and snapped a single shot at the moment when the engine's ejection charge blew off the nose cone.

See, e.g., here.

Inevitably, everyone I knew would pull out the camera and launch lizards (frogs, bugs, etc.) instead.

I've strapped cameras to airplanes..

[mumblestheclown]

my two hobbies are aviation and photography. As a small airplane owner and a fairly experienced pilot, I have the luxury of being able to and knowing where I can safely attach a camera to the outside of the airplane to get some interesting shots. however, to date I've only attached a video camera (using duct tape--seriously) to the outside of the airplane and never a still camera. Why? because I don't have a digital camera that supports a remote shutter like i would like.

I am desperately looking for recommendations for a digital camera that supports a remote shutter. A cable assembly is fine, as long as I can get a cable preferably longer than 10-15 feet, though a wireless setup would be ideal. even more ideal would be if this is available in Sony, as all my gear is Sony (in fact, my current digital camera is a well-worn DSC-S75 which is about at its retirement age).

The one piece of advice that I can give for aerial photographers, be they of the kite, airplane, or helicopter variety is this: invest in a wide angle lens. I bought the most expensive and "best quality" wide angle lens for my dsc-s75 that I found on ebay - a .38 lens with adapter for about $70. It opens up a WORLD of possibiltiies for photos taken of the ground from the air. for example, I've taken photos from right above skyscrapers (well, the legal limit above) with the macro and I get some really superb shots that way.

Remote-shutter digital camera recommendations really appreciated. Preferably of the "normal price range" of 500 +- a few hundred at the most.