Kite Aerial Photography KAP

Kite Aerial Photography or also know as KAP is a simple process. You send up a kite, attach a camera to the line and take photos.

A little boy once said to me I understand the kite, I understand
the camera , but what are you doing?

A few things about KAP. When taking the photo you only have a rough idea of what the photo will look like. Because of the wind and movement of the kite the camera moves around a little making it a little harder to visualize what the photo will look like.

Yes, if the wind dies down and the kite starts to fall the camera will come crashing to the ground. We hope that will never happen.

The Kite

The kite I use for Kite Aerial Photography (KAP) is a Sutton Flow Form. The Sutton is very stable in the air and can handle a wide variety of wind strengths. Once the kite is air born it tends to just sit there with very little movement which helps for clearer photos.

The amount of pull this kite produces is unreal. On many occasions you can hear the line whistle because of the tension.

A great place to find kites like this and many others is, from the fine people at Blowing in the Wind.

The Camera and Cradle

The Cradle is made from sheets of aluminum and aluminum tubing. The cradle can rotate 360 degrees around and 90 degrees up and down. All of these controls are done using servos from a remote controlled airplane. The servos turn the gears which in turn moves the cradle in any direction. One of the servos is used for the shutter. The control stick on the radio can be moved to take the photo.

The camera I use most often is a Sony DSC-P72 digital, shown in lower picture. The other camera is a Pantex 35mm. I don't like using it as much as the cost of developing can get expensive. Both cameras however are extremely light weight, making it easier for the kite to lift them.

The Controls

The radio control is a standard control used for a remote controlled airplane. Through the controls the camera can be turned, tilted and the shutter can be pressed.