Kite Flying (Image Heavy)

[RandyRFJP]

Jammin' Family Kite Fly Festival; Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve, Plum Creek Nature Center; Forest Preserve District of Will County, IL. 2017-04-29.

It was an unseasonably cold, rainy day, and the wind was too strong for optimal kite flying. All photos are of kites flown by a four man, adult team of kite flying aficionados.

1. The team steering their kites.


2. Precision kite flying.


3. Precision kite flying.


4. Positions of portions of the kites can be adjusted while flying.


5. Kite crew playfully teasing children trying to grab the kite, while their mother takes a cell phone photo.


6. More playful teasing.


7. Still more playful teasing.


C&C is welcomed.

[bnnrcn]

Hi Randy The shots with people in them work better for me, nice and colorful shots and I can feel their excitement.

[RandyRFJP]

Hi Randy The shots with people in them work better for me, nice and colorful shots and I can feel their excitement.

Thanks for your comments Binnur. I agree that the photos of kites in a dull sky aren't very interesting. I had never seen kites like the crew were flying. They were very good at maneuvering them, and their presentation was well choreographed. A video of their presentation would have been more interesting. I had never been to that nature center, and intended to walk some of the trails after the presentation, but the weather was terrible. I definitely will return there. On better days, I am very confident that there will be many insects, flowers, birds, and other living things for me to (try to) photograph.

[Shadowman]

Nice series.

[IzzieK]

I used to participate in a Kite Festival in Australia with our own home-made 6-ft ht, 9 ft wide one by the beach. It was in my youth but those can kill me instantly now at my age.. Your shots are very nice and neat. The first shot of the men maneuvering the kites is a strong one. I like that one very much. With strong winds, it takes a lot of strength to maneuver and pull those strings. We used to use plastic handles in the old times...

[rpcrowe]

I think your presentation is quite interesting. My next comment is not meant to reflect on your images, it is just something that came to mind as I was viewing the images. Of course, the prerequisites for my plan (high vantage point with kites below) would be very hard to find...

IMO, kite flying and kite surfing are two activities which are very difficult to photograph in still image because there is generally a long distance between the kites and the people controlling or riding with them... I would guess that one of the best possible angles would (if at all possible) be from overhead; shooting from a cliff down on the kites. That way, he smaller subjects (the kites) would be closer to he camera than the larger subject (the people). Additionally, you would not have empty sky as a background. There are lots of cliffs near he ocean where I live but, I don't know if anyone does lite surfing in the ocean below the cliffs. However, if I set out to do a Sports Illustrated piece on a kite surfer, I might try to arrange the shot!

[RandyRFJP]

Nice series.

Thanks for viewing the series John. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[RandyRFJP]

I used to participate in a Kite Festival in Australia with our own home-made 6-ft ht, 9 ft wide one by the beach. It was in my youth but those can kill me instantly now at my age.. Your shots are very nice and neat. The first shot of the men maneuvering the kites is a strong one. I like that one very much. With strong winds, it takes a lot of strength to maneuver and pull those strings. We used to use plastic handles in the old times...

Thanks for your comments Izzie. I, too, think that the first shot is the best, but I also like the last three of the youngsters trying to grab onto the kite. The photos of the kits in the sky are drab and boring. The wind certainly was strong during this event, and it rained most of the time I was there, too. Hopefully, next year there will be better weather conditions.

[RandyRFJP]

I think your presentation is quite interesting. My next comment is not meant to reflect on your images, it is just something that came to mind as I was viewing the images. Of course, the prerequisites for my plan (high vantage point with kites below) would be very hard to find...

IMO, kite flying and kite surfing are two activities which are very difficult to photograph in still image because there is generally a long distance between the kites and the people controlling or riding with them... I would guess that one of the best possible angles would (if at all possible) be from overhead; shooting from a cliff down on the kites. That way, he smaller subjects (the kites) would be closer to he camera than the larger subject (the people). Additionally, you would not have empty sky as a background. There are lots of cliffs near he ocean where I live but, I don't know if anyone does lite surfing in the ocean below the cliffs. However, if I set out to do a Sports Illustrated piece on a kite surfer, I might try to arrange the shot!

Thanks for your comments Richard. I actually did take a few photographs of amateur kite fliers -- predominately parents and their young children -- from a higher perspective. In photo #1 the kite team is just below the back of a crest of a large hill. The "low-land" behind them was a large, neatly-kept, grassy area where a few parents and their children were attempting to build kites from kits purchased from a Boy Scout Troop that was selling them, and then fly them in the large, flat, grassy area. I took a few photos from the crest of the hill, looking down at the kites and the amateur fliers. The kites were small, most weren't very far off the ground, and from my location the photographic background was a lush, green mixture of grass and assorted weeds. Although the photos of the kites in the sky aren't great, I tried to get photos showing the skill of the four team members in maneuvering their kites into formations. I have no doubt that your suggestion regarding shooting downward from a high perspective onto kites flying over cliffs and the seashore would produce some beautiful photos.