Runnymede KAP (Kite Aerial Photography) 19th May 2024

How Do All,

I am a couple of months late posting this as I wasn't happy with the photos I took, but they've grown on me so I'll share them now.

I went the National Trust Runnymede again, site of the signing of the Magna Carta.

I wanted to try a new camera out for some KAP, an Insta 360, Ace Pro, the name is a little deceiving as its not actually a 360 camera, its actually a high quality action camera that can take 48mp stills, and is equipped with a Leica lens so the optics are of a high quality.

Read more about this camera here: Insta 360 Ace Pro / Ace

This is one of the stitched together panoramas which did not work out so well, but its ok for the overall picture.

My plan was to take several shots using my rotating Picavet rig to then stitch together as a panorama, however the lack of wind, wind direction and my setting of the rotation speed of the rig all worked against me, and I could not stitch the pictures I took together without mismatches in the joining/blending.

I also did not realise that the camera had an AI Pure Shot setting, which I did not turn off, that processes the picture automatically and Enhances it, not in my case! if you look at the bottom photo, the Last Survivor sculptures have been "enhanced" and lost any detail in the process. I have turned off this feature now.

Runnymede on the River Thames, looking over the meadow and the Jurors sculpture towards Staines.

The Jurors Sculpture is or are, twelve intricately worked bronze chairs that stand together on the ancient meadow at Runnymede, created by artist Hew Locke to examine the changing and ongoing significance of Magna Carta. The Jurors is not a memorial, but an invitation to sit down and reflect upon the histories depicted in the artwork.

Read more here: The Jurors at Runnymede

The Runnymede visitors centre with the Last Survivors sculptures by Sara Holmes in the meadow.

"The Last Survivors" KAP (Kite Aerial Photography) 30th March 2024

 How Do All,

Today I cycled back to Runnymede to see the "The Last Survivors" Willow and stainless steel sculptures by Sara Holmes, Commisioned by The National Trust, Installed at Runnymede, site of Magna Carta, Old Windsor, UK

See Sara's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/willowtwister1

I took along some kites and 3 different KAP rigs (Kite Aerial Photography) to play with in the hope of getting some nice pictures of the sculptures from the kites eye view.

The wind was very fickle and coming from the south, over the tree covered ridge making it difficult to keep the kite up, let alone a camera rig. 

I did get my DJI Pocket II camera rig to fly a short while and got some ok photos, but I've got all summer to go play kites and KAP at Runnymede so hopefully I'll get some better shots!

I decided to give up trying for the money shot and got out my pointer kite instead which sparked quite a interest, and made me some new friends, two of which; Ebenezer and Xena ( I'm still not convinced they are their real names ) ended up going away seasoned kite flyers after spending time flying my pointer kite; and then my 9 foot delta which I was using for the KAP, they both handled the kites really well and I do hope they buy a kite or ten and join me again sometime.

Ebenezer flying the 6 meter tall Pointer kite 

Inside each of the willow sculptures are a series of poems, here two of the many, all of which were written by young offenders serving time, school children, a judge, a policeman and I forget whom else, maybe a milkman.

Sutherland Grange KAP (Kite Aerial Photography) 28th January 2024

 How Do All,

After my last attempt to photograph Dorney rowing lake from my kite line, I decided I needed to be at the opposite end of the lake and across the River Thames to get a better overall picture of the lake.

The above picture is a composite of two photos stitched together using a computer program called Hugin. 

I'm not so clever at working with it so this picture has a small fault but can you see it?

I had hoped to get my camera situated so I could get a shot including the River Thames running along the length of the lake alongside but the very light wind was blowing from the south, this put my kite and camera on the wrong side of the lake, however the photos I did take came out pretty good non the less.

Dorney rowing lake with the River Thames winding its way around.

The building at the end of the lake is the Eton College rowing centre and boat house.

Maidenhead can be seen just behind the far end of the lake.

Royal Windsor Race Course (horse racing) which has a yacht basin (marina) and and lodges. 

The industrial sprawl of Slough can been seen running along the horizon. 

An over head picture of the inlet from the River Thames which leads to the yacht basin.