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Aerial photos

Started by Jeff, August 14, 2007, 12:08:08 AM

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Jeff

Has anyone ever tried to do any hobbyist aerial photography using say a helium balloon? I'm wondering if a fellow might be able to put some things together cheaper then hiring a plane.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Radar67

Haven't tried it with a balloon, but have had success with a remote controlled plane.

I've also seen a kite set up somewhere on the internet where a platform is suspended by a kite with the camera set on an angle or straight down.

Stew

try this search Kite Photography
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thecfarm

How about a Estes rocket?Seems like I saw an ad a few years back.Did not know they were still in business.I know this isn't what you need,but it brought back memoiers of when my 3 brothers and me would try to save up for one of those cameras.We never made it.A course we didn't think it through,we would of lost it in the trees probaly,like most of our rockets.It would of been fun no matter what.
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Paul_H

When I was working up in the Callaghan Valley near Whistler a couple years ago,I saw a small car drive up the logging road and the business sign on his door had something about blimp photography.

This could be him or else a similar company

Link
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Texas Ranger

Jeff, a gent of my acquaintance down here flies a little remote airplane with a digital camera attached, gives very good aerials.  One of the controls fires the camera.  He does commercial stuff for real estate, should be able to get your self into the aerial photography business for under  a few hundred bucks.
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Raider Bill

MAybe some helium balloons and a comfy  lawn chair. smiley_balloon_01
The First 70 years of childhood is always the hardest.

isawlogs

 Hey Raider ...
I saw how many balloons it took to get a child airborn ( that was on Myth Busters )  , Hope you aint thinking of putting Sashkwatch in da chair    :o :o :o :o  :D
A man does not always grow wise as he grows old , but he always grows old as he grows wise .

   Marcel

isawlogs


Did you ever stop and check with that little old red by-plane that me and Tom was looking at , and find out what he charged $$$   Seams to me alls he would need to do is bank that plane some and you could be clicking away .... ;) ;D
A man does not always grow wise as he grows old , but he always grows old as he grows wise .

   Marcel

Raider Bill

After posting and remembering the poor lawn chair he was sitting on at sawlex I've upgraded to blimps and welded frame, [extra wide] :P :D
The First 70 years of childhood is always the hardest.

Jeff

All I need is to find is a cheapo digital camera that can somehow be remotely fired. I figure I can figure out a frame to mount a camera.   A kite just wont work well where my property is at as the only open area to fly it is the powerline.

THe biplane would be an option, but to take ongoing photos to document change in the property it would get expensive.  I was hoping to come up with a more personal solution.

Raider Bill, I never sat in a single lawnchair at sawlex.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

isawlogs


Quote from: Jeff B on August 14, 2007, 02:42:14 PM
Raider Bill, I never sat in a single lawnchair at sawlex.

Never knew about any Doubles   ;D
A man does not always grow wise as he grows old , but he always grows old as he grows wise .

   Marcel

Raider Bill

I wondered about that, never seen a 8 legged lawn chair before. Figured it was a Yooper thing.
The First 70 years of childhood is always the hardest.

Jeff

There were no lawn chairs at sawlex so I dont know what he's taking about.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Raider Bill

May not have been lawn chairs. There wasn't much showing, couple short legs.............. HArd to tell ;D
Seems they were right next to the donuts.
The First 70 years of childhood is always the hardest.

Jeff

Not sure if you ever saw me sitting at sawlex.  I'm beginning to think that someone can, amazingly enough, confuse sawlex with the pigroast.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Furby

All ya had to do was ask Jeff, I've been meaning to this very thing at the piggy roast for the last two years, but I always get side tracked before I can put things together.
They sell a weather ballon type kit for things like this, but any weather ballon will work.
I belive Edmund Scientific still sells different size weather ballons for such projects.
There is also a tower cam that is sold if you don't need to go as high.
The kite thing would work for you if the wind was just right and you could run it down the gravel road. Then ya wouldn't have the high cost of helium involved.

I have some small video cameras that could be used and do still capture off of them after being fed into the puter. Don't know if it would give you the detail you need or not.

beenthere

Jeff
Getting a digital to take remote pics would be something I am interested in too. I've not looked to see what is involved, but everything else seems to have a remote.

Maybe a bow with a camera-shooting arrow, that will launch and float back on a small parachute. How high you want to go?  

Have you searched for the Gov't aerial photo's? Or wanting something other than those?  

Used to go to Soils Conservation USDA and check out the negatives, then blow up the deer hunting areas we hunted. Could see deer trails and small bushes, with no problem (that be in the swampy areas and such). The neg's were very high resolution. Maybe they are digital now....any one know the latest available from the Fed's?
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Jeff

Kent, what I want is for real time comparison. Old aerial photos, while good for a starting referenc, are not updated enough to show my impact to my forest.  If I can do it, I can record my trails and some of the other things that I may do that past aerial shots wont show.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

SwampDonkey

beenthere may be onto something. But, do you touch State, federal or forest company lands? Most forest companies take photos every year, or every other at minimum to update their GIS for forest planning. Just need to contact the right guy and you got a new photo for 5 bucks.  Just need to be real familiar with your local land marks to get the right photo. Most of these organizations have 'flight plan maps' to index the new photos. ;D
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1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

SwampDonkey

"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Jeff

Furby I missed your post. I gotta think that the detail would be plenty. It would be nice to see individual trees but I dont need to see birds in them. :)

The plan is for the balloon to be tethered and flown on a dead calm morning.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

SwampDonkey

Watch out Tammy. Next he's going to want a stereoscope and parallax bar to see how tall his trees are growing. ;D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Jeff

With Northern white cedar estimating height aint to tough.  :)
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

SwampDonkey

 :D :D :D Yeah but.........
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Kevin

$30 will get you 1.7# lift.

http://www.balloonsdirect.com/weather_balloons.htm
The tether could be a wire that provides power to the servo that operates the camera.

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