Kite aerial photography concept:
It's about using kites to lift professional cameras.
The photographic equipment is mounted on a small cradle hanging on the line under the kite. I now use a Canon 5DMarkII, with mostly a 24mm lens. This cradle with the camera is gyro-stabilized, fully radio-controlled, and a video link air-to-ground is used for an accurate framing.
I build my own kites after the famous Japanese kites "Rokkaku", with the largest reaching 12 square metres (about 40 square feet). They are made out of siliconized nylon and carbon or fiberglass sticks.
The camera can fly up to a thousand feet, even though low altitudes are often more interesting. Easy to set up, very flexible, the camera flies in the wind, a silent and unobtrusive spectator. It can remain stationary over a site for a few hours, thus offering the guarantee of a successful job.
© Nicolas Chorier