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View Full Version : DIY Aerial Photography... Really?


Suhit Gupta
08-18-2008, 01:00 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://photojojo.com/content/diy/make-your-own-sky-cam/' target='_blank'>http://photojojo.com/content/diy/ma...ur-own-sky-cam/</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"At 7&prime;6&Prime;, Yao Ming is one of the tallest Olympians, one of the most revered basketball players across the world, and we&rsquo;re willing to bet, were there an Olympic competition for aerial photography, he&rsquo;d score heads above the rest. Puns aside, getting a camera up into the air is no small (or short) feat. We&rsquo;re not all tall like Yao Ming, and we don&rsquo;t always have access to a kite or a plane&hellip; Plus, tripods and professional monopods are expensive and weigh about a gajillion pounds. So, we made our own Photojojo Sky-Cam, just for you and just in time for your own photography Olympics."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com//dht/auto/1218797778.usr14.gif" border="0" width="280" height="196" /></p><p>First thought after reading this (maybe even before reading this) - honestly, why would anyone need this? But even assuming there are opportunities that people want to photograph in this manner, why not just get a monopod? They can be cheap, are extendable and properly built so there is no chance you would drop your camera after a potentially poor DIY job. Finally, Step 6 was the real disappointment for me -&nbsp;I was expecting some clever way of engaging the camera trigger than just using the built in timer. Sorry guys, I am just not sold on this DIY guide.</p>

sundown
08-18-2008, 03:15 PM
I've done some "aerial" photography using my monopod but the head isn't adjustable so to get down-facing shots, I have to tilt the monopod towards the horizon. It's not an every day need but sometime you find yourself needing a shot from 6 feet in the air.

I love these DIY camera gadgets, though. I've build some out of PVC (figrig clone) and am planning on building a camera crane.