My first kite photography

I bought a kit that included the kite, string and camera mount. And I bought a new camera. The contraption automatically takes a photo, then rotates the camera 30 degrees and repeats until you stop it.



Steps to be able to take photo with this kit:

1 Take apart servo and modify the gears to accept bigger diameter screw. This was amazingly tedious. Something I was not expecting.

2 Assemble the rig.

3 Hack camera, and install "firmware enhancement" so the camera can be triggered to take photos via usb, without pushing the button.

4 Assemble the kite using boy scout knots that I forgot.

5 Attach rig to kite string.



6 Try not to let my new camera collide with the ground.

7 Allow the camera to make a few rotations on the rig.

8 Reel camera back in.

7 Happily look through the treasure trove of photos.



Click and see the treasure trove here.

We finally put all our Ireland photos online

You can see them here http://picasaweb.google.com/reydnad/Ireland

My favorite thing about camping the weekend AFTER Memorial Day

We went camping in Ithaca a week ago. I wanted to show our awesome campground. I guess not so much that it was awesome but that there were very few people there with us. And that, my friends is the best thing about camping the weekend AFTER Memorial Day.



Minna also posted some pics. You should click on this link to look at them, they are great photos.

The good and eeevill side of Jane

Jane has been so fun to teach new things to. We recently taught her the difference between a happy face and an angry face. She can now do them on command.

I took these photos on yet another outing to see the trains.

The happy face is easy, she does this without coaching. As for the angry face... At first she couldn't do it. All she did was keep looking at us and lower her chin suddenly. Eventually she started lowering her eye brows and it was so funny that it was hard to teach because we'd laugh and then she'd laugh, because we laughed. And nobody could look angry if they tried.

I don't grow a beard that often

It's been a few years since I had a beard. This beard isn't even that much of a beard. But I usually have a clean shave. I'm about to shave it off so Minna took a photo for documentation purposes.

I will be combining hobbies

I'm about to enter a new phase of life. I'm starting a new hobby... well not really. I'm combining two hobbies. Kites, and photography. Neither have been wholly consuming or anything. I mean I get paid to sometimes take photos for work and flying kites is just one way of becoming one with the wind (like sailing but less expensive, and without being in the water). I've enjoyed flying my kite every year at Cannon beach.



So add the two together and you get kite aerial photography. You can get an idea of the possibilities on flickr.

Upcoming events in which I am excited for include Cannon Beach and backpacking around Mt Rainier. Two wonderful opportunities for kite photography.

My self portrait

In response to Minna's assignment...

I actually have a lot of self portraits. I don't think I'm self absorbed but I think it is fun. This shot was in a park in Ireland in May. I was trying to get me looking straight up so that you could see the solitary circle of concrete that I was standing on. I didn't get the circle very well but I think the photo of me turned out pretty good. I couldn't hold the camera up that high with one hand and still find a finger to push the button. So I put the camera on timer and held it by the lens.



Here's one I WISH I would have taken in Sacramento.