Notes on Kite Aerial Photography: Photo Gallery
A
ground-level view of the Dutch Windmill (21K jpg, Canon 24-mm,
May 1997).
Two
windmills at the western edge pumped salt water back to sea to
keep it from killing the vegetation that had been planted. One,
the Dutch Windmill, was built in 1902 and restored in the 1980's.
Plans are underway to refurbish the other one, the Murphy
Windmill built in 1906.
The Dutch Windmill has a concrete
structure supporting a large circular balcony and the windmill
mechanism itself. The blades are in good shape but lack their
fabric covering. The tower must be about 60 feet tall. It was
decidedly awkward working the camera into position over the
windmill proper. This ultimately involved working the kiteline
around several trees, through a gully, and over a set of
electrical lines. It would have been impossible without the
steady, and strong, Pacific breeze.
Close
shots of the Dutch Windmill.
From
the upper left clockwise: a mid-height view (42K jpg), looking
through the blades to the garden (42K jpg), immediately above the
blades (43K jpg), and a downward shot (41K jpg), all were taken
with the Canon 24-mm lens in May 1997.
One technique that made
these images possible was Charlie Benton's help with a two-way
radio. In this case Charlie positioned himself near the
windmill's base where he could report the position of the camera
cradle relative to the windmill. He can call out the distances
within five feet or so at this range. He cannot gauge height very
well from his post but I am in a good position to figure that
dimension out. For instance at one point he thought the rig had
"kissed" the windmill but at that time it was clearing
the upper blade by 10 feet. We now carry the radios on all KAP
outings.
More
windmill views. From the left: The windmill's garden (42K jpg),
windmill and shadow (46K jpg), and a view down the blade (39K
jpg), all were taken with the Canon 24-mm lens in May 1997.
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Comments to author: crisp@socrates.berkeley.edu . All content,
graphics and
images contained throughout are Copyright (C) 1995 - 2005 by Charles C. Benton
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No text, graphic or image may be used whole or in part, individually,
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All rights reserved. Revised: Saturday, October 06, 2001
URL:
http://www.ced.berkeley.edu/~cris/kap/gallery/gal82.html