page_title: Kite aerial photography
section_title: Kites
hierarchical_section_title: Kite aerial photography / Kites
caption_attribution_description: English: A picture of Bartlow Hills, taken by Bill Blake, http://www.bill-blake.co.uk . Further pictures of Bartlow Hills are available here.
context_page_description: Kite aerial photography is a hobby and a type of photography. A camera is lifted using a kite and is triggered either remotely or automatically to take aerial photographs. The camera rigs can range from the extremely simple, consisting of a trigger mechanism with a disposable camera, to complex apparatus using radio control and digital cameras. On some occasions it can be a good alternative to other forms of aerial photography.
context_section_description: The most important aspect of any kite used to lift a camera is stability. Generally, single lined kites are used as they allow very long line lengths and need less intervention from the flyer than steerable designs. Almost any stable kite design can be used to lift lightweight camera rigs (up to approx 500g/1 lb). As weight increases, specific designs are chosen for their additional flying characteristics, such as line pull, wind speed, flying angle and ease of launch. Widely used designs are parafoil, rokkaku, delta (including variations such as delta conyne) and the new lighter-than-air helikite design. Of these, the parafoil is most popular as it generates a strong pull for its size, and can be easily stored in a small space due to its sparless construction. Sparred kites such as the rokkaku or delta tend to fly at a higher angle than parafoils, which is of benefit when the space between the launch site and photographic subject is limited. A higher flying angle permits the kite to lift more weight, as more of the generated force is acting vertically. Helikites allow reliable KAP in difficult conditions, thus opening up the use of KAP for professional photography.
caption: A picture of Bartlow Hills, taken using kite aerial photography.
exif: {"Image XResolution": "100", "Image YResolution": "100", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Not Absolute", "Image Artist": "Bill Blake", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Centered", "Image Copyright": "CC By-SA www.bill-blake.co.uk"}