This site is a guide for those interested in Kite Aerial Photography. KAP is becoming increasingly popular. As camera technology becomes smaller and cheaper and as the Internet makes it easier to share information, more and more people are discovering KAP.
There is already a wealth of information about KAP available on the internet. But if you are new to this field, it can be hard to find just what you need to get started. HowToKAP.com is intended to be a gateway into KAP. Here, we try to present information in a way that is easy for beginners to learn. Newcomers can expect to find basic information presented in a way that’s easy to find and understand. The site also carries reference material and how-to articles on more advanced topics as well. So, whether you just heard of KAP for the first time or are an experienced KAP photographer, there’s something here for you.
The site is organized into several sections, each with it’s own purpose. The main menu on the left navigates into each of these sections. There is also a search feature that can help locate articles on a particular topic.
The Beginner’s Guide presents a tutorial for newcomers to KAP. It explains how KAP works and introduces the basic tools and techniques for KAP. The beginner’s guide leads the reader step by step through selecting appropriate equipment and explaining how to use it in an initial KAP session. So if you’re new to KAP, click on “Beginner’s Guide” in the menu on the left and dive in!
The How-To section contains standalone tutorials on individual topics in KAP. Each one is intended to teach a specific skill or technique. Some of these may be useful for beginners but others may be more advanced. Unlike the lessons in the beginner’s guide, these are intended to be read in random order.
The Reference section, like the How-To section, consists of articles about individual topics. Instead of teaching skills and techniques, however, these articles try to provide factual information about a particular topic.
If you are new to KAP, you’ll probably want to start in the Beginner’s Guide to get familiar with the concepts and terminology of KAP. Where the beginner’s guide doesn’t provide enough detail, or when you want to learn more advanced material, you should find what you need in the How-To and Reference sections.
Each of the above sections is further divided into categories. In many cases, a category will be repeated in several sections. For example, there is a kites category in the Beginner’s Guide, the How-To section and the Reference section. But these three kite categories are distinct from one another. The first one introduces beginner’s to the type of kites used for KAP. The How-To / Kites category contains articles on how to build and fly kites. And the Reference / Kites category contains articles describing various types of kites, their characteristics and history.
The Resource and Application sections are an extension of the Reference section. They seemed important enough and broad enough to stand on their own. Within the Resources section are articles pointing to other web sites and sources of information and materials. The Applications section contains articles on practical uses for KAP.
While there is a whole section of this site devoted to KAP resources, there are two that deserve mention here on the home page.
The most important KAP resource on the web is the forum established by Cris Benton. This is where KAP photographers “hang out” in the virtual world. There is a wealth of information and expertise available there. It’s easy to use the search feature to find past discussions that answer most questions a newcomer would have. And the KAP community is filled with friendly and helpful members who are always willing to offer some good advice. Registration is free, so just sign up and start a new discussion with your own questions. Much of the information found on this website was distilled from conversations hosted on the Forum.
The second primary resource for KAP on the internet is the Flickr KAP group. This group hosts thousands of images taken via Kite Aerial Photography. There are also related groups with photos and discussions of KAP rigs, cameras, kites and other things of interest to the KAP community. These images of the people, the gear and the results of KAP really help convey the fun spirit of this unique enterprise.