This is the beginner’s guide of HowToKap.com. Unlike the other parts of this site, this section is meant to be read sequentially from start to finish. This page presents an overview of the material found in the rest of the beginner’s guide.
The first two categories of the beginner’s guide, the Introduction and “A Typical KAP Session”, explain what KAP is and how it works.
The introduction explains what KAP is, provides a brief description of how it works and then gives some tips on how to get started. It’s intended to give the reader a basic understanding of what KAP is.
The next section, “A Typical KAP Session”, describes the process of flying a kite and using it to take aerial photos. This should give the reader a feeling of what it’s like to do KAP.
After reading the introductory sections, you might be thinking about giving KAP a try. So the beginner’s guide continue with material on the wide variety of cameras, control systems, rig designs, kites and other gear that can be used.
The camera selection guide addresses the types of cameras that can be used for KAP. The choice of camera can determine how other elements of a KAP system will work, so selecting a camera is one of the first steps to getting started in KAP.
Another major decision for any KAP photographer is what kind of control system will be used. Some control systems offer manual control of the aiming and timing of each shot. Others shoot photos automatically at a pre-programmed intervals. The controls sectionpresents the most common types of control systems used for KAP along with some recommendations for beginners.
A KAP rig is the device that holds the camera and attaches to the kite line. There are a wide variety of rigs in common use so the KAP Rigs section describes them and their features.
And of course we need to discuss kites. Not every kite is suitable for KAP so the Kites section of the Beginner’s Guide explains which ones are best and why. It also introduces some of the flying skills you’ll need to do KAP safely.
And finally, the beginner’s guide has a section on other gear that’s useful for KAP. We’ve already talked about cameras, rigs and kites but you’ll need a few other pieces of equipment as well. Gloves, kite lines, reels and anchors are examples of basic gear every KAP photographer needs.
By this point in the beginner’s guide, you might have some ideas about how to get yourself started doing KAP. There is one more important topic that needs to be addressed, though: Safety.
The safety section is the most important part of the whole site. Hanging a camera from a kite line presents some obvious hazards. But there are some not-so-obvious hazards, too. This section introduces the topic of safety and explains how to keep out of trouble. But this one section isn’t sufficient to address every safety issue. Safety will be a theme that runs through many articles throughout the site.
Finally, we conclude the beginner’s guide with some tips on getting started. We’ll review the decisions you will need to make and steps you’ll need to take before you are taking aerial photos from your own kite. This section will also give a little advice on how transition from newbie to novice to experienced KAP photographer. So let’s get started! Just dive on in to the introduction and you’re on your way.