Just you and the wind… and some backyard electronics.
Did you know you can take your own photos at 100-metres without a drone?
A beach facing onto the Bristol Channel. The water in the distance is the River Taw
It’s called Kite Aerial Photography (KAP), and has been around since the 1880’s. Think of it like a serene version of drone photography – just you and the wind…
… and some backyard electronics.
How it works
Task overview:
- Choose a camera
- Mount the camera to a lifting rig
- Install a way to control the camera
- Choose a kite
- Hang the lifting rig on a kite line and fly!
- Get awesome photos!
However, it’s not as easy as it seems.
Choose a camera
You may have to replace it when it hits the dirt.
The camera we choose should produce a good quality image, as there isn’t much point going to all this trouble for blurry photos – I can do that well enough from the ground. Cameras with ‘automatic’ and ‘program’ functions are great. You can either let the camera automatically try and take the best shot, or you can jump in and control some of the settings in prog.
Also, consider the durability of the camera. It’s likely the camera will fall from a very high point, so it must withstand a moderate level of mechanical damage. Similarly, cost is important, as you may have to replace it when it hits the dirt.
Lastly, lots of storage is important. KAP uses a ‘quantity over quality’ method of photography, so you are going to need to store all those poor quality images as well as that one good one!
Dan’s tip #1: Popular camera choices are the simple point-and-shoot digital cameras from the 2000’s. Although now replaced by modern smart phones, they often provided a high quality image, with lots of automatic functions, large storage, and a moderate durability for a low price.
I have seen KAP using large SLR cameras, but this increase in image quality comes at a higher price, especially if it destroyed. SLR cameras are more bulky and more fragile than point-and-shoot cameras, so a larger more stable kite will be needed, along with a large wallet to fund any replacements.
Using a smartphone as a camera is not something I have tried, but it can be done. Whatever your choice, make sure it is compatible with your choice for camera control, as described further down.
Mount the camera to a lifting rig
The lifting rig is a frame that carries the camera and attaches it to the support lines that hang from the main kite line. It often has legs for sitting on the ground, to keep the camera out of the dirt and dew (or depending on where you are, livestock droppings).
The rig can be made from plastic, aluminium, steel or even carbon fibre. Plastic is cheap and light, but fragile. Aluminium is stronger, but a bit heavier. Steel is strong, but heavy, and carbon fibre is light and strong, but expensive.
You can mount the camera a few ways. The simplest is to fix the camera in one position, often pointing down. This will reduce rig weight and cost, but will limit your photos to top-down. It also means you will have to fly directly over your subject, which may not be possible (or legal).
The next level of complexity is a rig where you can manually set the camera angle before each flight. This is achieved by using bolts that you can loosen and tighten to set the frame in the orientation you want. This method offers bit more control, but you will still have to interrupt the flight to make any adjustments.
The highest level of control is a two-servo system, to control the orientation (north-south-east-west), and the pitch angle (up down) of the camera. These are often controlled using radio control, but can be controlled with wires if you can manage the spool the spool of wire. This wire will add weight to the kite line, so be careful!
Install a way to control the camera
When the camera is up in the air, it will need to take photos without anyone to push the button. The shutter can be controlled mechanically or electronically.
Mechanically, a physical button-pusher arm operates the shutter button to take a photo. This can be hooked up to a timer, so the camera takes photos at regular intervals. Otherwise, the arm can be controlled by a servo for remote control.
Some older cameras have a shutter control wire that can be electronically activated, but newer ones often don’t have this function. Instead, electronic camera control must be actuated via the USB port with a special electronic device, such as a CAMremote. These devices can fire the shutter on a timer, but can also be connected up to a radio control receiver or WiFi for full control of the shutter from the ground.
If you want to get control over all the camera functions whilst in the air, devices such as the above can also interface with the camera to change ‘program’ setting such as shutter speed and ISO levels whilst in the air. You may need to install some intermediate software on the camera to get it working, but it’s worth the effort.
Lastly, how do we see what you are taking photos of? Most cameras have a video output plug, such as HDMI or Component, and this can be connected to an audiovisual transmitter for viewing on the ground. Again this uses radio waves, and light-weight versions can be found on hobby websites and in shops. These can be shown on a laptop or other screen.
Dan’s tip #2: Make sure your control radio system and your video radio system operate at different wavelengths. You’ll get some serious interference if they are the same! My set up uses 2.4GHz for control and 5.8GHz for video.
Choose a kite
These kinds of kites will pull hard if they get out of control. Bring a friend. Or maybe two.
A kebab stick and plastic bag kite won’t cut it here. Even simple KAP rigs are too heavy for this kind of kite. We need to start with kites at least a square meter in area.
KAP kites are made out of ‘rip-stop’ nylon sail, fibreglass or carbon fibre rods, and polyester kite line. My main kites is called a Dopero, and it’s 3 metres by 2 metres. It’s big.
Dan’s tip #3: These kinds of kites will pull hard if they get out of control. Bring a friend. Or maybe two. On a test run of one of the above kite I had incorrectly set up the pitch, and I could not get it down myself. The cable was even starting to cut into my gloved hands. It took myself, my dad and my father-in-law hanging on the line to haul it in.
Another common KAP kite a ‘sled’. This kind of kite doesn’t have any rods, so it’s easy to set up and pack away. The force of the wind keeps it open due to its shape. They are renowned for being great in moderate to high wind, and being super-stable – Nailed to the Sky.
But you can use any kite you want as long as it’s strong and stable.
Hang the lifting rig on a kite line and fly!
Getting the kite airborne can be tricky. You want to make sure the kite is stable before you hang the extra rig load on the main line. You also don’t want to drag the rig along the ground as the kite falters or changes direction.
Watch out for trees, as they can create turbulence near ground level, giving your kite instability below the tree line. Once you get above the tree line, the kite may pull much harder and even change direction.
Beware of power lines, telegraph lines, people and buildings. You could seriously hurt yourself or others if you come down on any of these things.
Often, one person will concentrate on flying the kite, whilst another hangs the rig and controls the camera. Once stable flight is achieved its easy to hook your rig lines up to the main line, usually by winding the main line around the aluminium connectors.
For single person operation, you can get a kite stake that to stick into the ground amd tie the kite line onto. You can do this whilst you attach the rig and control the camera. It will only work in super-stable conditions, however, as the stake cannot feed the line in and out to maintain kite altitude.
Dan’s tip #4: Know your flying height limits. In Australia it’s 120m, unless you are near an airport. Are you allowed to fly at this location? Do you need authority to fly?
Let the kite out and try to get some height. Then start taking photos!
Get great photos!
I wish. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, your photos are going to be blurry, pointing at the sky, or close-up shots of your nostril. Photography doesn’t like movement, and your camera is hanging off a kite!
But it’s worth it for that one great shot.
Catch us in the following weeks as we get into the details of Kite Aerial Photography!
- Part 2 – Kites
- Part 3 – Rig
- Part 4 – Camera and Control
- Part 5 – Kites and Flying
- Part 6 – Travel with your gear
- Part 7 – Extra Resources
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Daniel is passionate about sharing his enjoyment and experiences of engineering with everyone, regardless of where they are in the world. Based in Sydney, Australia, Daniel has over 10 years of engineering experience: on site, in the workshop, and in the lab.
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