Tag: KAP

Dopero Maiden Voyage


Dopero Maiden Voyage
Originally uploaded by Bassoon Man.

While my camera is still in the shop, that didn’t stop me from flying today. I decided to take my new Dopero down to the beach and launch it on its maiden voyage. While I wasn’t feeling too well, it was still great to get outside and enjoy the fresh air. Interestingly, the day was unseasonably warm (near 80 degrees) and there was, literally, no wind. As a result, I sat on the beach for a couple of hours and listened to Beethoven symphonies (I listed to the Sixth and the Seventh – both of which have moments that would be great to fly a kite to).

Fortunately, a very gentle breeze (almost imperceptible) kicked in and up the kite went. Even better, at the exact moment that my kite took off, I overhead others shout out, “Look, there are dolphins out there!” They weren’t kidding – in fact, there were a LOT of dolphins out there and they swam back and forth in front of the shore for the rest of the afternoon. Last week was an extremely stressful one and, in light of the fact that I wasn’t feeling well, things couldn’t have turned out any better. In addition to the photos of the Dopero, I also managed to get quite a few pictures of the dolphins.

I’m hoping that the winds will pick up next week as I’m planning on going to the Huntington Beach Kite Party (just a few more miles down the road from the Balboa Peninsula where I was today) with my boy. It would be even better if the dolphins showed up again. Keeping my fingers crossed.

I’m planning on going back tomorrow (hopefully, I’ll feel better). I desperately need the exercise and pulling on a kite while walking on the beach is certainly helpful.

Do the wonders ever cease?

I’ve been sitting here all evening surfing the ‘net looking at kite things. While I don’t believe I’ve mentioned it yet on this blog, my camera jammed on my last KAP outing and is now in the shop for repairs (that means I can’t go KAPing this weekend, although I’m certainly going to go fly kites). Due to the sad state of my camera situation, I’ve been looking at other web sites, blogs, forums, etc. on kites. I’m still amazed at how much information there is about the history and uses of these low-tech wonders.

 One of the topics I found to be especially intriguing were kites that produce sounds – the first type I came across were the Chinese whistling kites of Nantong (be sure to view the video located on this page). These kites have whistles made from gourds attached to them and can be extremely elaborate. Since then, I’ve come across many other references for whistling or musical kites and, as to be expected, I’m fascinated with the possibilities. One site, in particular, caught my attention and that is “Kite Musical Instruments & Aeolian Musical Instruments” which has been created by a gentleman from Germany. Fortunately, he provides an English version along with the German. While his English is a bit awkward, it’s far better than my German (I had one semester of it in high school a million years ago) and it’s very useful in learning a lot about the subject. I’m particularly fascinated with his use of the kite string itself to produce sounds that may be recorded (is that cool or what?!) and provides some very simple instructions for recording them. His site also contains many examples of the sounds produced by kites – most of which have a rather eerie, haunting sound to them. Just the same, I’ve got the try capturing these sounds myself – just think of the possibilities?! I’ve already got a few ideas floating around my head and, if they work out, they might turn out to be something really unique!

Seal Beach Pier


Seal Beach Pier
Originally uploaded by Bassoon Man.

To say I’m totally and completely addicted to KAPing is now an understatement. As is easily confirmed by looking at all the photos I’ve posted on Flickr, I’m simply enthralled with this new hobby.

In addition to the major benefit of obtaining much-needed stress relief, flying kites is simply fun. I’ve also met quite a few other kite flyers and others while engaging in this great activity. The cool thing about kites is that they are inherently joyful objects that bring smiles to everyone’s face. It’s hard to think about anything stressful or worrisome while holding on to a kite string and watching it dance in the breeze. Of course, the environment also helps – I’ve always loved the beach and adding a kite (or kites) to the scene only enhances an otherwise fantastic place to be.

Just a good is the fact that the beaches are not crowded during the Winter which adds to the enjoyment of listening to the waves, breathing the fresh air, and getting some exercise without having to deal with any crowds. Interestingly, I’ve even had people pull of the highway to say hello just because they saw that I was flying a kite!

Another interesting aspect of this great hobby is that there are people of all ages participating. Interestingly, I’m also finding a lot of folks around my own age (no, I’m not that old) who are engaged in flying kites. I hadn’t really flown many kites since I was a kid and the incredible technological wonders of the past few decades have really added greatly to the rather low-tech experience of kite flying. Not only are the materials used far different than those used when I was a kid (most kites were made from paper and came in just three basic forms – diamond kites, box kites, and the newly invented delta kites), but advancements in such things as kite string has made the whole experience that much more enjoyable. Of course, this says nothing about the emergence of digital cameras which are absolutely phenomenal to use with KAPing – it’s possible to take hundreds of photos (I generally get 200 to 300 photos each time I go KAPing) but one just needs to erase all of the bad photos without losing any money on developing them in the first place. As a result there’s no need to worry about taking too many shots. All in all, this is just too much fun!

Taking Off


Taking Off
Originally uploaded by Bassoon Man.

Okay, okay, I admit, this is getting a bit wild – I’ve now gone KAPing three (3) days in a row! This time, I took a trip down to the jetty at the end of the Balboa Peninsula (which is also the mouth of Newport Bay). The winds were quite mild but steady so I put up my kite thinking that the winds would only pick up as the afternoon wore on (which would be “normal”). Sadly, it was the inverse that happened (the breeze slowly weakened) so I really didn’t get much of a chance to fly. Even so, I managed to get this photo of my kite taking off. Again, while it was a beautiful day, I had to call it quits early due to the breeze – I didn’t want to lose my camera again.

Boats in the harbor at Dana Point, California


Boats in the harbor at Dana Point, California
Originally uploaded by Bassoon Man.

One of the great things about KAPing is that I’m not really sure what I’ll get until I get home and look at the photos. Currently, my camera takes a photo approximately once every fifteen seconds and a tiny, battery operated motor (called a servo) also rotates the camera about 30 degrees at the same time. As a result, the camera eventually makes a complete circle and starts all over again. While many KAPers use remote controls designed to pilot radio controlled model airplanes, my rig does sport that feature. That’s not a problem though as it’s fun to see what comes up. About the only thing I can control is the angle of the camera and even that is somewhat variable as the angle can change due to the winds. I like this photo of the colors (the blue water contrasted with the trees that line the roads and think that the angels of the docks are also interesting. All in all, I’m pleased with the way this photo turned out.