Notes on Kite Aerial Photography: Background
After deciding to incorporate kite images into the project Paul and I had a number of meeting so that I could understand their approach and he could get a grounding in matters KAP. Over a month or so we took test shots with the KAP rig, worked out access to the Campanile, reviewed the existing Campanile shots, and made test kite flights from the top of the tower.
The
Campanile as seen from the top of Wurster Hall, my building on
campus. The tower serves as a visual reference throughout the
campus, Berkeley, and the Bay Area (December 1996, Canon 15-mm,
38K jpg).
The very same Campanile captured by Paul Debevec in
the PSR test roll. The Berkeley campus is in the mid-ground with
Campanile to the left and the Eucalyptus Grove to the right.
Downtown Oakland is on the horizon above the eucalyptus.
(February 1997, Canon 24-mm cropped, 20K jpg).
Benton Hall (no relation) on the PSR Quadrangle as
captured by Paul Debevec. Paul and I are standing on the sidewalk
in the upper right of the image (February 1997, Canon 24-mm, 37K
jpg).
17 February, 1997 -- One of the first orders of
business after meeting with Paul Debevec was to demonstrate how
the KAP systems worked. We met in late February at the Pacific
School of Religion (it had wind that day) to shoot a test roll.
Up went the Sutton 30 and the Canon-based KAP Rig #2. The flight
went well with Paul controlling the camera rig for most of the
shots.
The
Campanile in one of my existing KAP negatives. This shot is from
an outing in November 1996 (Canon 15-mm, 61K jpg).
12 March, 1997 -- I delivered my complete set of
negatives to Paul so that he could review, and scan, shots of the
Campanile and Central Campus. As our discussions continued it
became clear that the use of clear day photographs would be
problematic -- each hour and day has its shadow pattern making it
difficult to merge surface textures together. We decide to take
the approach of using shots from overcast days. This diffuse
context does not have time-specific shadows.
Paul's technique also calls for a fixed exposure (manually set before launch) and focus locked at infinity.
Colleague Robert Marcial lurks in the shadows below
the Campanile's lantern. To reach this level one climbs spiral
stairs, ship's ladders, and ladders proper. It is worth the trip.
(March 1997, Canon 15-mm, 12K jpg).
15 March, 1997 -- About six months prior I'd met
with Jeff Davis, Head Carillonist for the Campanile, to discuss
taking shots of the tower. I renewed this contact and found Jeff
to be a delightful host. He provided access to the balcony above
the tower's principal observation deck. It is an adventure
getting to this level -- one must ascend a tiny spiral stair
tucked inside a corner column. It is also a great treat to enter
these private spaces.
27 March, 1997 -- Getting to the upper balcony fulfilled a wish I've had for a couple of years. The next step was to launch a kite from these confined quarters. Three trips in a row provided lackluster winds -- very unusual for the Bay Area. I finally encountered a marginally adequate breeze from the west and attempted a kite flight. Flying from the tiny balcony was much more difficult than I had anticipated. The massive corner posts allow a two-foot-wide jet of air to rush through. But this is more narrow than the Sutton 16 I was trying to fly and the leeward backflow to either side of the jet would invariably claim (collapse) the kite. I finally resorted to the inelegant technique of balling up kite and tail then throwing it far out over the rail. Twenty four out of twenty five times this is a mess and I have to haul the kite back in before it fouls on something below (giant clock hands?) Eventually I caught clean air and - look - I'm flying from the top of the Campanile.
Your author with Sutton 16 aloft (left, 17K jpg), tending the kite (middle, 19K jpg), and immediately after a rather frantic recovery (note spooled kiteline on floor, right, 24k jpg). Photos by Robert Marcial
[ Home Page | Background | Equipment | Gallery | Maps | Discussion | Others | What's New ]
Comments to author: cris@ced.berkeley.edu
All contents copyright (C) 1997 by Charles C. Benton.
All rights reserved. Revised: Saturday, November 24, 2001
URL:
http://www.ced.berkeley.edu/~cris/kap/backgrnd/sather2.html