Take Aerial Photos with a DIY Kite Camera Timer [Weekend]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/1VHxVzwK8yM/take-aerial-photos-with-a-diy-kite-camera-timer

If you were intrigued by our previous coverage of kite photography, but put off by the expense and knowledge of electronics required, this tutorial will get you started cheaply and without solder.

Instructables user Mikeasaurus was interested in Kite Aerial Photography—yet not so interested in shelling out a lot of money for a custom rig or building his own timing circuit for the shots. He wanted a mechanical device that would trigger his camera on an interval, work with any digital camera, and required no special adapter or plug. He created a mechanical timer out of the motor from a child's toy and other miscellaneous parts like a paint stirring stick, thumb tacks, and a BIC pen.

Although his end creation has a bit of a Frankenstein appearance, it got the job done effectively for him, and he was able to take over 400 pictures from the kite rig's maiden voyage. It also fit his criteria of working on any digital camera he could mount to it—assuming the kite was big enough to lift it! Check out his tutorial at the link below for more information. If you have your creative way of getting photos, airborne or otherwise, share your technique in the comments below.

Kite Areal Photography [Instructables]