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SmugKAP

ghinsonghinson Registered Users Posts: 933 Major grins
edited August 23, 2011 in Technique
I have a new toy. A Sony Nex 5 with the 16mm lens, a delta kite, and a brooxes.com rig for suspending it and taking kite aerial photographs. Just looking for new views of an old landscape.

Two trips now. Some success. Some failure. Will post pics tonight.

Any other dgrinners practicing KAP, Kite Aerial Photography?

Greg
uosuıɥ ƃǝɹƃ
ackdoc.com

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    ghinsonghinson Registered Users Posts: 933 Major grins
    edited August 16, 2011
    Maiden voyages:

    i-zZT8WvG-XL.jpg

    i-SKcVXQs-XL.jpg

    i-cFFbcPs-XL.jpg

    i-K5VWVbK-XL.jpg

    i-74q8ntn-XL.jpg
    uosuıɥ ƃǝɹƃ
    ackdoc.com
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    pathfinderpathfinder Super Moderators Posts: 14,697 moderator
    edited August 17, 2011
    Very well done, Greg!!

    Kite shooting is one of those things I would love to do, but there never seems to be enough time and money and wind all at the same time for me to jump in

    Your shots may help give me the nudge I have been needing.

    Post some more images, and some explanation about how you accomplish this feat.
    Pathfinder - www.pathfinder.smugmug.com

    Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
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    IslandcrowIslandcrow Registered Users Posts: 106 Major grins
    edited August 18, 2011
    I really like it. That's a cool way to get a different perspective. I especially like that last picture (#2 would be a close second). Very cool. . .and a little bit spooky.
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    ghinsonghinson Registered Users Posts: 933 Major grins
    edited August 18, 2011
    Here's a few more from this morning, from Sconset Bluff, Nantucket, and Sankaty Head Lighthouse:

    i-96pqgdd-XL.jpg

    i-HJkf2CM-XL.jpg

    i-W2Ddzzc-XL.jpg

    i-9Tk8X6W-XL.jpg
    uosuıɥ ƃǝɹƃ
    ackdoc.com
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    ghinsonghinson Registered Users Posts: 933 Major grins
    edited August 18, 2011
    Now a few words about technique.

    I got a Sony Nex-5. Fine camera. Lightweight. Using it's 16mm pancake lens. It's OK. Not as sharp as I am used to with my Nikon Pro equipment. (But that stuff is not going up on a kite string, at least not yet!)

    Then I bought a rig from a guy named Brooks, well known in the KAP (Kite Aerial Photography) world. He has a site: www.brooxes.com.

    I got a fairly basic rig, (HoBEAK), and a 9-ft Levitation Delta kite. The camera fits into the right, which is suspended from the kite string by a floating picavet rig, which is really quite elegant and does a good job of keeping the camera level. You can see this at the brooxes site. The rig included a remote device and a servo that together, spins the camera 30 deg at a time, panning 360 deg. And fires the shutter via IR remote every 5 sec.

    You attach the rig, turn on the camera, turn on the rig battery pack, and send it up with a prayer.

    So far so good, and after just three trips, and very favorable winds (8-10 knots), I've gotten bold enough to send it out over water, and up 300-400 ft!

    Worth trying!

    Tons of info here: http://arch.ced.berkeley.edu/kap/discuss/
    Fun samples here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/kiteaerialphotography/
    uosuıɥ ƃǝɹƃ
    ackdoc.com
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    eoren1eoren1 Registered Users Posts: 2,391 Major grins
    edited August 18, 2011
    Greg
    These are awesome shots! Great perspectives.
    Would love to be able to do this but I don't trust myself getting the kite up let alone with a camera attached.
    Keep em coming...
    Eyal
    My site | Non-MHD Landscapes |Google+ | Twitter | Facebook | Smugmug photos
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    gecko0gecko0 Registered Users Posts: 383 Major grins
    edited August 18, 2011
    Fantastic shots, especially considering it's your first attempts! I'd love to try this...
    Canon 7D and some stuff that sticks on the end of it.
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    dbvetodbveto Registered Users Posts: 660 Major grins
    edited August 18, 2011
    How about posting a couple of shots of your Rig?
    Dennis
    http://www.realphotoman.com/
    Work in progress
    http://www.realphotoman.net/ Zenfolio 10% off Referral Code: 1KH-5HX-5HU
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    ghinsonghinson Registered Users Posts: 933 Major grins
    edited August 19, 2011
    Will do. Today the real job has taken back over. Will get one up this weekend. There's a big Regatta here this weekend, so the kite rig is going to hang out over water all weekend. Hopefully I'll still have a camera come Monday and a rig to photograph!
    uosuıɥ ƃǝɹƃ
    ackdoc.com
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    knapphknapph Registered Users Posts: 142 Major grins
    edited August 20, 2011
    On my list
    This is on my list of things to try. We talked with a photographer up here in Maine last weekend who was doing it. He has some nice images (http://nearlyvertical.com/). I especially like the vertical shots he has done.
    Knapp
    Stone Coast Photography Facebook
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    ghinsonghinson Registered Users Posts: 933 Major grins
    edited August 21, 2011
    That's an inspirational site. Will have to start aiming down more!

    Here's another:

    6065349485_ce24f6f8e4_o.jpg
    uosuıɥ ƃǝɹƃ
    ackdoc.com
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    choudhrysaabchoudhrysaab Registered Users Posts: 249 Major grins
    edited August 22, 2011
    WOW! this is awesome. almost every day i find some sort of new photography "genre".
    Great pix!
    Abi
    http://choudhrysaab.smugmug.com
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    QarikQarik Registered Users Posts: 4,959 Major grins
    edited August 23, 2011
    damn cool
    D700, D600
    14-24 24-70 70-200mm (vr2)
    85 and 50 1.4
    45 PC and sb910 x2
    http://www.danielkimphotography.com
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